Press Room

"Today we honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a righteous agitator and an inspiration to myself and so many others in our work toward justice. We cannot allow some to sanitize Dr. King's legacy, to misrepresent his message or his methods as a revolutionary for a just and equitable society. This is especially important as we continue to confront many of the issues he led on and the obstacles he fought against, despite the decades that have passed.

"Dr. King championed voting rights as fundamental and foundational to equality, yet across the country those rights are again being stripped from marginalized communities while the same segregationist tactics are employed to block progress in the Capitol. 

"He fought for Fair Housing legislation to help marginalized people access quality, affordable housing, but here in New York, the eviction moratorium has expired in the middle of the winter and a pandemic surge, without Good Cause protections to keep people in their homes.

"We need courage to continue to push for progress along the moral arc toward justice, to bring about the dream Dr. King envisioned rather than the nightmare he feared. Dr. King said that “a genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus,” and it is that kind of clarity of leadership we need today as New Yorkers navigate compounding crises and ongoing uncertainties. In lifting up his name and legacy today, we must also work to live up to and advance that legacy."

"A year ago, a violent mob attempted a coup in the very seat of American democracy. Egged on by the former president and enabled by congressional representatives who valued the idea of authoritarian rule devoid of objective truth more than our democracy, they breached our Capitol and came closer to succeeding than many initially realized or are willing to contend with. What has always separated and saved this country from falling to the worst kinds of authoritarian horrors we have seen elsewhere in history has been the peaceful transfer of power. Last year, that transfer saw its most imminent, serious threat and today, a major political movement no longer respects that safeguard. 

"We owe a debt of gratitude to the officers who defended the Capitol, the journalists who told the story of the day at great personal risk, the public servants who persevered through the attack and the days and weeks that followed. The traumatic scars on those present, and on our nation, still stand as a reminder of the threats each faced. The families who lost loved ones as a result of this attack still grieve. 

"Yet in the year since, many of the same figures who spread the Big Lie and gave rise and credibility to the insurrection have attempted to dismiss and downplay it. They have attempted to obscure the truth, obstruct any investigations aimed at protecting our democracy, and actively worked to undermine that now fragile democracy. Across the country, politicians are assaulting our democratic values by passing laws to strip away voting rights from their opponents, abetting white supremacy, and fueling conspiracy that foments extremism.

"On this anniversary, we are called to reject revisionist histories of the insurrection and its roots, and to use the tools we have to stand up for the democratic values that the insurrectionists and their allies continue to threaten."

"In her State of the State address, the governor mentioned many of the issues facing New Yorkers, and this would represent a strong list of priorities – if the announcements on these issues demonstrated that they would be strongly prioritized. I welcome the discussion of many crucial topics including climate, housing, public safety, health care, and more. At the same time, in many areas, these intentions do not seem to be matched by the investments needed to truly renew the state, and the city I represent. Much of this speech could have been given pre-pandemic, rather than meeting the moment by envisioning a new normal.

"The governor spoke of the affordable housing and homelessness crisis – but her proposal of 100,000 units of nominally affordable housing is not sufficient to meet the need in New York City alone, much less the entire state. That commitment, compounded with a lack of commitment to pass Good Cause legislation and keep New Yorkers in their homes, shows a failure to meet the scope and urgency of the issues New York faces, which was a philosophy reflected across the address. In the area of public safety as well, I appreciated the governor’s pledges on the supply side of gun violence as well as in community group funding, but absent was a broader, bolder vision that reimagines public safety and examines its intersections with housing, health care, education, and other issues.

"I further appreciate the governor’s stated goals on ethics reform, as it remains abundantly clear that we need to eliminate the systems, structures, and incentives that empowered and enabled the previous governor’s abuses. But I also fear that this administration will make many of the mistakes of the last, whether by failing to fully reject the ways of the past or failing to learn from them in responding to the ongoing, surging COVID-19 pandemic.

"As I and others have in the past, the governor recalled the New Deal in her remarks. But absent from this address was a solid foundation of the kind of transformative economy a Renewed Deal for New York could provide. There are common sense, broadly supported measures which would generate sustainable revenue from the wealthiest New Yorkers as a civic responsibility to support struggling New Yorkers – but the governor has not supported these critical steps which would enable the kind of investment we truly need to renew New York.

"Discussion of these issues is important, acknowledged, and appreciated – but that discussion must be accompanied by the political courage to envision and enact transformational change for New York City and across the state."

"Congratulations to Speaker Adrienne Adams on being officially selected to serve as the leader of the City Council. Achieving this position requires earning the trust of your colleagues in government and the people of the city. I know from our years of partnership that she will be a strong steward of both, advancing justice and equity in our city’s laws and systems.

"To finally have a Black Speaker, a Black woman, leading the body and setting the course for the Council and the City, is as powerful as it is overdue. It is important to have diverse leadership in which New Yorkers can see themselves, leadership ready to take on this moment; and in Speaker Adams, the Council will have a leader that meets both needs. This is a momentous day in the history of the body and of our city. To hear Speaker Adams’ voice in the chamber sends a powerful message, echoing from Southeast Queens to neighborhoods around the city, empowering the New Yorkers we represent and serve.

"Assuming leadership in a time of immense challenges requires courage, and it is critical that we simultaneously overcome new obstacles, ongoing issues, and longstanding systems that have perpetuated many problems that our city faces. I am confident that under Speaker Adams’ leadership, with unity and resolve, we can create transformational change, and I look forward to joining her in leading our city through recovery and renewal."

"Amid the ongoing pandemic, it's critical that students in our city have the ability to effectively learn in a safe environment. Many students, parents, teachers and staff are concerned that those standards may not be adequately met at this moment, as both the preliminary attendance numbers and anecdotal evidence across the city show. As we approach what may be the Omicron variant's peak, with increased hospitalizations across the state, questions of increased safety risk and educational effectiveness continue to be raised.

"As we push forward we must do so recognizing, responding, and adapting to the scale of the issue. We needed mandatory testing – which the city does have the authority to implement – prior to returning to classrooms, and we need it even more urgently now. Expanded vaccination efforts in schools are also essential.

"It’s crucial that we have all the tools we need to meet this surge. Prior to the winter break, the previous administration had refused to establish the infrastructure needed for a potential temporary remote shift or even a remote option, despite nearly two years of calls to at least have a plan in place. Now, the new administration needs to prepare immediately to have these measures available, and when the situation on the ground and in our classrooms calls for it, be unafraid to use them. We must continually remember that the results of whatever action we take will not be felt for days, and act accordingly to mitigate harm."

"Solitary confinement is torture, and punitive segregation as it has been defined by the city is solitary confinement by another name. The United Nations has called for the abolition of solitary confinement, yet just a few miles away on Rikers Island, the practice continued unabated for years.

"This year, the city was finally set to implement the new Risk Management Assessment System, which was an insufficient but important step, before the administration paused it and prevented progress. As a new administration comes into office, the focus should be on creating the infrastructure needed to implement new systems and programs while ensuring that incarcerated people and corrections staff are safe, not on preserving the harmful practices of the past. Simultaneously, this means we need to continue efforts to decarcerate whenever possible as we advance the plan to expeditiously close Rikers. Passing legislation in the City Council to prohibit solitary, enshrining policy into law, is also essential and urgent. 

"This is a moment when we need to move forward; we cannot and will not go back. I intend to work with the incoming administration on achieving these goals."