Governor Hochul: "I'm committed to New York making historic investments in smart, resilient and green infrastructure. We're going to be rebuilding our roads and investing in water and climate infrastructure, leading the way on clean energy and transforming our airports, and affordable housing as well. And delivering the public transportation systems that New Yorkers deserve. We're going to be bold and aggressive because we have no choice. And that's how I am anyhow. And we could not have a better partner in federal government."
Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at the 89th Citizens Budget Commission Awards Gala.
VIDEO of the Governor's remarks is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format here.
AUDIO of today's remarks is available here.
PHOTOS are available on the Governor's Flickr page.
A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:
Well, thank you very much. I want to thank my great Lieutenant Governor, Brian Benjamin. He's just been an extraordinary partner through this journey together. Also, I want to thank the chair, Walter Harris for his great work at CBC and Andrew Rein, the president of CBC, also our great awardees.
Alair, I just heard you speak, incredible what you've done. And also I'm looking forward to introducing our Secretary of Transportation. You know, first of all, all of you have done just an amazing job. As, as my Lieutenant Governor said for 89 years, you've had a pivotal role in making sure that we have not just good government, but smart policies to follow.
And so many of the civic leaders here tonight have just worked so hard to improve the lives of New Yorkers, not just for today, but for generations to come. You've worked hard to understand the inner workings of state and city government. And I'm so grateful for your commitment to transparency and accountability.
You're always laying out blueprints for great policy reforms that guide policymakers across government, from the MTA, to housing, to accountable budgeting. And we're lucky to have you as a partner and a resource. And I so look forward to working with each and every one of you as we deal with the pressing issues facing our state.
And one of the most important things we need to do is deal with transparency and accountability in government. I've made this so crystal clear from day one, that we will be a very different administration, that transparency and holding people accountable is important to me as well. So I'm grateful to Andrew and the CBC on this issue.
I've already directed all of my state agencies to deliver a plan on how they're going to improve transparency, literally in a matter of days. And we've improved our delivery of reporting of data because we want this information out to the public. It's not just the right thing to do. It's a cornerstone of effective government.
We've already taken many actions. We went from the worst in the country to the best in terms of getting money out the door for those who need it for tenants and landlords, a lot of other initiatives we've worked hard on and I just want to say infrastructure is so important. And that's why honoring Secretary Buttigieg is so important here today.
It gives him a chance to know more about us in New York. I've had a chance to work on many issues as a local government official. I have a real affinity for people who come out of local government as he did, when he was Mayor of South Bend. I'm also a Notre Dame fan, marrying a guy from Notre Dame, and my son went there.
So there's that special connection as well. The way we're going to get out of this crisis is to focus on infrastructure, transportation, and under the ground infrastructure, as well as our, many, many projects that need to be funded by the federal government at this time.
So it's not just abstract concepts. When we talk about infrastructure it's what's affecting people's lives on the roads and bridges and our subways. It's getting people to work and getting people to their jobs and hospitals where they're they needed, or getting out for entertainment. We don't survive without strong investments in our infrastructure and our airports as well.
Also, climate change is creating an opportunity for us to do something right, to right the wrongs of the past. We cannot ignore the effects of climate change any longer. And I will tell you that I will never forget the faces of people who are trapped in their homes, barely survived because of what happened with Hurricane Ida after we were so unprepared for this onslaught of rain.
I'm committed to New York making historic investments in smart, resilient and green infrastructure. We're going to be rebuilding our roads and investing in water and climate infrastructure, leading the way on clean energy and transforming our airports, and affordable housing as well. And delivering the public transportation systems that New Yorkers deserve.
We're going to be bold and aggressive because we have no choice. And that's how I am anyhow. And we could not have a better partner in federal government and I'm a former member of Congress. I know how the levers of government are so incredibly powerful in Washington when they work closely with the states.
And that's why I'm offering my hand in friendship to our great partner, Secretary Buttigieg and the entire Biden administration.
So he has been a Secretary, he has been a public servant, who has answered the call to serve in so many different ways. And he's leading the charge now building on his experience as a local official, something that I still know is so important. He's now leading the way to invest in our nation's infrastructure, building a more resilient and equitable future, which will bring more jobs and economic opportunity for our communities.
He's a friend to New York and we're so lucky to have him as a partner. I'm so proud to welcome and congratulate Secretary Buttigieg on receiving CBS's metal for high civic service. Congratulations.
And also, a couple of new twin babies - I want to mention that too. How's Penelope and Joseph doing?
Secretary Buttigieg: They're good. They're not sleeping much and neither are we, but we're overjoyed.
Governor Hochul: Neither are you. Well, what a wonderful time in your life, and congratulations again. And I do hope you get some sleep. You're going to need it with all the responsibilities you have. Secretary, we're both former local officials and that work to me is critically important because it helps shape my perception of the responsibility we have in state government and how to take care of the locals and it's not abstracting. It is about how we get people places more importantly and get them there safely. And can you just share some of your perspectives on how infrastructure in your opinion, coming out of local government and now in this federal position, how it really does affect people's lives in a way that we can tell the story for people to understand how critically important it is for people to support what the Biden administration and you're doing in Washington?
Secretary Buttigieg: Well, I think that's exactly the right way to think of it. And by the way, I'm honored to be joining you here and we'll be great partners in the leadership you're going to continue bringing to New York State. I think the time has come for a politics of the everyday. And I think there's nowhere where that's more clear than infrastructure.
One thing I've found as we've been working with members of both parties, of both chambers, to try to get this infrastructure deal through is that every one of them is from somewhere. And it doesn't take much persuading for the constituents who have sent people to Washington to realize that their daily lives and livelihoods are at stake and the decisions that we make are vital in making it easier to get around, making it easier to get through your everyday life.
Whatever is important to you in your life, it doesn't happen if there's not a road to get you to where you're going and that's exactly why this opportunity is reaching us at the right time as a country.
Governor Hochul: Great. And President Biden and all of you have done such an incredible job leading our nation's recovery during this pandemic and the infrastructure bill, as I mentioned, is so critical for New York's recovery itself, which is 100 percent of my focus these days, battling the pandemic, but also how we work our way out of this, how we build back better as you say, and as long as I can make a pitch for New York, some of our critical priorities are the Gateway tunnel project, the Second Avenue Subway second phase, as well as four new Metro-North stations to take people from the Bronx to increase transit accessibility in some underserved communities.
And how do you view the role of infrastructure investment in terms of the impact on our recovery from COVID, you know, explain the interaction between getting out of COVID, but also investing in infrastructure and how they're so intrinsically linked.
Secretary Buttigieg: Well, I think, as you are leading New York's recovery and as leaders around the country are pursuing this, it's very clear that we cannot just be focused on rewinding to 2019. This is the very essence of what maybe is being said so many times, that it just sounds like a catch phrase but when we say build back better, we really mean that "better" part. The truth is what happened with the pandemic and is continuing to affect us in our lives and our economy has surfaced and revealed weaknesses in our old ways of doing things, and weaknesses in our physical and social infrastructure that didn't arrive overnight, that have built up over a long time. But we have a chance to do something about that right now.
And that's part of why you see such bold endeavors if I may, to invoke the title of Felix Rohatyn's book, underway in this administration because we know that there is no going back and that doesn't have to be a bad thing.
Governor Hochul: Well said, and before I was elected to Congress a decade ago, I'd also been a staffer on Capitol Hill working for Senator Moynihan on infrastructure - a long time ago.
And that was the one area of the farm bill and infrastructure bills, where there was always bipartisanship. No one fought over this. Everybody wanted something for their states and for their districts. People had sort of jumped off the cliff together, there was a big price tag, but it was important to keep our economy moving forward.
What's your prognosis this year in the climate that we're in, as far as the - your predictions on the success of the infrastructure bill that's under consideration?
Secretary Buttigieg: Well, as you note, it's one of the last remaining areas of domestic policy where bipartisan consensus is possible, or at least bi-partisan overlap
And again, I think it's because of citizens, communities, civic organizations like this one holding their elected leaders accountable, because everybody can point to the port, the airport, the road, the bridge to the piece of physical infrastructure in their community and their commute and their lives that needs attention. For that reason, I think the prognosis is bright. But it won't happen on its own. We still have to get this legislation through and then critically, as soon as it's signed, departments like mine and administrations like yours, we'll get to work deploying those dollars effectively.
That won't be an easy thing, but it will be, I think, a very welcome task because we all know just how great the need is. And maybe most importantly of all how much potential we can unlock when we do make those investments that have always been those force multipliers on what makes America so strong.
Governor Hochul: Well said, Mr. Secretary, and once again congratulations on your recognition from an organization that we have such respect for. And I look forward to seeing you in person next time you're in New York, and we will build back together stronger.
Secretary Buttigieg: Well, thank you again, honored to be with you. And likewise, looking forward to partnering for the benefit of New York and as we work to deliver the president's vision. I'm eager to see what we're going to be able to accomplish together.