Members of New York’s Republican delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul inviting her to Washington, D.C. for an in-person meeting with those members to discuss the state’s challenges and improve coordination between the state government and the state’s federal lawmakers.
According to U.S. Rep. Mike Lawler’s office, the letter, dated Monday, was in response to recent claims by the governor’s office that there was no request to meet directly with the delegation, directly citing a Fen. 18 Politico article regarding Hochul’s efforts to work with House Republicans on health care coverage for low-income New Yorkers and residents lacking legal status. According to the Republicans’ letter, the governor’s office claim she never received a request to meet with them is not true. Hochul has not met with the GOP delegation since February 2023.
“Moreover, since becoming governor in 2021, you have made no serious efforts to work with the New York Republican congressional delegation, and instead have spent your time engaging in public attacks and a corrupt effort to gerrymander our congressional map on three separate occasions in a failed attempt to make Hakeem Jeffries Speaker of the House,” the letter reads.
Hochul has been vocal in publicly criticizing New York’s House Republicans since her time as governor, on issues ranging from the state’s 2023 migrant influx to tariffs and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit changes under the Trump presidency.
“With that said, let this letter serve as an official invitation for you to come to Washington, D.C. for the express purpose of meeting with the New York Republican congressional delegation to discuss among other topics: health care, energy, housing, transportation, public safety, immigration enforcement, state spending, and congressional redistricting,” the letter continues.
The letter touted the GOP lawmakers’ efforts on changes to state and local tax payments, also known as SALT, and lifetime funding for the World Trade Center Health Program.
“Again, we urge you to schedule travel to Washington, D.C. as soon as possible to meet with the New York Republican congressional delegation. As the only New Yorkers working in the majority in Washington, we have a real opportunity to affect policy change,” the letter reads.