At today's House Oversight Committee hearing, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) grilled Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY).
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00:00It's an order. Chair recognized Mr. Lawler from New York.
00:03Governor Hochul, under your watch, New York has spent billions of dollars of taxpayer money
00:07providing free housing, clothing, food, education, and health care to illegal immigrants.
00:12Meanwhile, you're charging hardworking New Yorkers $2,500 annually just for the privilege of driving to work.
00:19Speaking of driving, when you ran for Congress, did you oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals, yes or no?
00:26No, that was previous to that. It was in 2020.
00:31You had a commercial running for Congress touting your position about driver's licenses.
00:37Did you oppose giving driver's licenses to illegals when you were running for Congress, yes or no?
00:43At the time, I did, and I'll tell you why.
00:45Governor, yes or no?
00:46I had a chance to go out and see a very rural district.
00:48Reclaiming my time.
00:49Her mothers were being denied the chance to run their fees to the doctor's office.
00:51Governor, yes or no, do you support illegal immigrants getting taxpayer-funded health care?
00:55I'm not sure there'll ever be a real question.
01:00You were asked a question, and you chose to try to deflect.
01:03I gave an answer.
01:03The fact is you did support giving illegals driver's licenses, uh, oppose giving illegals driver's licenses.
01:09Now you support it.
01:10Governor, yes or no, do you support illegal immigrants getting taxpayer-funded health care, yes or no?
01:15We provide health care to people in need, including moms with new babies.
01:19Do you support giving illegal immigrants taxpayer-funded health care, yes or no?
01:23We support giving money, support for health care.
01:25The answer is yes.
01:26You expanded health care access in 2024 under Medicaid.
01:29Yes, I did.
01:29For senior citizens and moms with new babies.
01:30Governor, after the election, you said—
01:32I would do it all over again.
01:33I'm claiming my time.
01:34Governor, after the election, you said, someone breaks the law.
01:37I'll be the first one to call up ICE and say, get them out of here.
01:41Governor, yes or no, have you personally called up ICE and asked them to get anyone out of New York?
01:46As the governor of New York, I have an entire state police force that carries on my directions.
01:50Have you personally called anybody up and asked ICE to get anyone out of New York, yes or no?
01:55My state police asked as my agency.
01:57You have not, correct?
01:58When I say me, I'm referring to my entities such as the state police that handle that.
02:03Oh, you're like Governor Cuomo.
02:04I am the government.
02:05That's your position.
02:06That's your characterization, not mine.
02:07Yes or no, should ICE have been called on Sebastian Zapata-Cali?
02:13Can you refresh me as to the circumstances of the case?
02:16He's the individual who burned the woman alive on the train.
02:21Of course they should.
02:21Should ICE have been called on him?
02:24NYPD was handling that situation.
02:26Should ICE have been called?
02:27That's my question.
02:28Yes or no?
02:29If there was an arrest made, he should have been deported after conviction, yes.
02:32Okay.
02:33So, Governor, when you were sworn in in 2021, you signed an executive order keeping many
02:37of Governor Cuomo's executive orders in place, including EO 170.
02:42Interestingly enough, you did not include EO 170.1.
02:47Are you familiar with EO 170.1?
02:49I don't have it in front of me.
02:50I have thousands of executive orders.
02:51I have it right here, Governor.
02:53I'm sure you do.
02:53And what you did, you waited several years until this year, January 16th of this year,
03:01in which you finally signed it and reinstated it into law.
03:06Why did you wait until just four days before Donald Trump was sworn in as president to sign EO 170.1 into law?
03:17And to refresh your memory, it basically mandates that federal immigration authorities cannot enforce civil arrests in New York State buildings.
03:25Why did you wait several years to reinstate that?
03:30Because we had a high level of confidence that under the previous administration that people going into the courthouses,
03:35whether they're victims of crimes, witnesses of crimes, would have their rights protected.
03:39I had no assurance that that would happen.
03:40In other words, you believed they would not enforce federal immigration law,
03:43and you were concerned that President Trump and his administration would enforce federal immigration law?
03:48We thought it was important for victims of crimes and witnesses to murders, for example,
03:52that they have access to courts without being threatened or intimidated.
03:55Yeah.
03:56Speaking of crime, more than 3,200 illegal immigrants have been arrested in New York City
04:02for committing crimes while living in taxpayer-funded housing under your watch, Governor.
04:08Governor, are you aware of any law or executive order that would prevent a citizen of New York,
04:14a citizen of the United States from facing criminal or civil enforcement in a state building?
04:22I'm not aware.
04:24So you think that citizens should be treated less than and have less protections than illegal immigrants?
04:30Is that what you're saying?
04:31Our state laws say we cooperate in all criminal cases.
04:35I've made that very clear over the last seven hours.
04:36Yeah, but you're not doing that.
04:37That's the reality.
04:39Governor, do you support the New York for All Act?
04:42Governor, reclaiming my time, do you support the New York for All Act?
04:48I'm not speaking about hypothetical bills.
04:50Governor, this isn't a hypothetical.
04:52There was a sit-in in the state legislature today by activists blocking state senators from coming into the chamber.
04:58Do you support the New York for All Act?
05:01It's yes or no.
05:02I will tell you this.
05:03I get about 1,000 bills put on my desk probably by midnight tonight.
05:06Do you support the New York for All Act?
05:06Which is this is keeping me from doing the work of the people back home.
05:10But I can sit here as long as I want.
05:11Governor, you've done a terrible job as governor.
05:12It's not keeping you from anything.
05:13Frankly, New York is better off with you down here and not in the state.
05:16I don't think we're better off with you here.
05:18The fact is, governor, you will support the New York for All Act.
05:22You will sign it into law if it passes the state legislature.
05:25I have no confidence it's going to pass.
05:26You have no confidence it will pass?
05:27I don't know.
05:28If it does pass, will you sign it?
05:29I'm not able to keep an eye on it.
05:31They're voting on the decisions now.
05:31Will you sign it into law if it passes?
05:34I have about 1,000 bills that get passed every year.
05:35Will you sign the New York for All Act into law if it passes?
05:38You have to wait and see, like every other bill.
05:40We have to wait and see?
05:41Yes.
05:41Governor, you can't take a position on the New York for All Act.
05:44It would put into state statute that New York is a sanctuary state.
05:48That's why you're here.
05:50That is the exact reason why you're sitting in front of us testifying because of your disastrous EOs,
05:55your disastrous pro-criminal policies that have resulted in the death of New Yorkers.
06:01That is your failure.
06:02And the fact is that you can't even answer the question.
06:05No, the reason I'm sitting here is because Republicans are looking to deflect from a big,
06:09bad, ugly bill that's going to hurt people.
06:11Governor, are you going to answer his question when you sign the bill?
06:16I don't know what he's asking me.
06:17He asked if you were going to sign the bill.
06:18Ask anybody in the state.
06:19I never say how I'm going to decide on a bill until it lands on my desk.
06:23You are the governor of the state.
06:25I'm well aware.
06:27You are the governor of the state.
06:29It's shameful.
06:30It's shameful.
06:31You can't even answer the question?
06:32When it lands on my desk, I'll do the proper evaluation.
06:35Mr. Chair recognizes.
06:36That's what we do.
06:37You'll do what?
06:37That's how you become a governor.
06:39You'll sign it into law.
06:39That's exactly what you'll do.
06:40Okay.
06:40Chair recognizes.
06:41Right.
06:41Good member.
06:43Mr. Chairman, I have a number of unanimous consent requests.