Republican New York Assemblyman Colin Schmitt slammed Democrats in his state on Thursday over their policies that he said were driving New Yorkers to leave for other states.
Schmitt, who is running for Congress in New York’s 18th congressional district, argued on Fox News’ “Tucker Carlson Tonight” that the actions of Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and “the radical left,” have transformed “the empire state” into “the exodus state.”
“New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is weak, he’s been weakened by all the sex harassment stories, so the ideologues in the state are bending him to their will,” host Tucker Carlson began. “Cuomo just announced that the state will distribute up to $15,600 to ‘undocumented immigrants who lost work during the pandemic.’”
He went on to say that it wasn’t clear what sort of identification the “undocumented immigrants” would provide to show that they’re undocumented and entitled to be paid the money. He then said what was clear was that it’s going to cost the state of New York “more than $2 billion.” He then asked Schmitt who he thought would actually stay in New York “when they start doing things like this.”
“This is a disaster for New York taxpayers. We have Governor Cuomo and the Albany Democrats ramming through a budget, which is going to provide up to $15,600 in free taxpayer cash to illegal immigrants. They’re going to raise taxes $4 billion to help pay for it,” Schmitt responded. “The kicker on top of it: this budget also gives the governor’s appointed budget staffer, just a staffer, unilateral power to reduce local police department state funding by up to 50% if they do not comply with the governor’s new policing mandates. People are being forced to leave New York, and this is example number one.”
Carlson questioned what the thinking was that illegal immigrants have suffered more than U.S. citizens throughout the pandemic. He then asked why taxpayers would owe people who broke the law $15,000.
“It is an affront to New York taxpayers, and it really just shows that Governor Cuomo, who is engulfed in scandal, is not capable of leading the state,” Schmitt said. “He’s under immense political pressure and he’s using money out of taxpayer’s wallets to try to cling to power, to appease the furthest left fringes of the state legislature to really try to hold onto his seat.”
Carlson added that the same thing happened to Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam during his scandal involving, on two different occasions, dressing up like a member of the Ku Klux Klan and wearing black face. He noted that Northam didn’t resign, but that “the lunatics just descended on him like jackals and made him their marionette.” He then asked Schmitt if he planned to stay in New York.
“I’m staying in New York, I’m fighting for my home state. We should always be the empire state. Cuomo and the radical left have turned us into the exodus state,” Schmitt said, “but I’m going to stay and fight and I’m going to be introducing, in the coming days, a bill to repeal this free taxpayer cash for illegal immigrants fund. It’s completely unacceptable.”