The Remarks of Speaker Carl E. Heastie
Opening the 249th Legislative Session

January 7, 2026
Assembly Chamber
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[as prepared for delivery]

Good morning members, staff and guests.

I want to begin by wishing everyone a happy and healthy New Year and thank you for joining us here in the People’s House once again. I also want to wish a warm welcome to our honored guest Reverend Pierre-Andre H. Duvert, the rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church.

When I first became Speaker, I urged our chamber to focus on making the everyday lives of New York’s hardworking families easier. I deeply believe families are what makes our state special and it is our responsibility to ensure they have the resources they need to thrive in their communities.

Over the last few years, we’ve taken significant steps to achieve that goal.

We provided tax cuts to put money back into New Yorkers pockets’ and paid off the Unemployment Insurance Debt to give much needed relief to small businesses.

We have focused on making housing more affordable and investing in projects that make owning a home an achievable dream. We’ve worked to green light more construction projects to lower the cost of renting, and to implement critical tenant protections.

Affordable childcare has been a priority of this chamber since long before I became speaker, or even a member of this body. A little history lesson - the first push for Universal Pre-K in New York State began here in the Assembly in 1997. And the Assembly fought to fund and expand access to childcare in subsequent years. When our families alerted us to the rising cost of childcare, we invested in opportunities to make care more accessible so children have somewhere safe to be while their families work. But clearly, there is still more work to be done.

We put money back into the pockets of hardworking families, enhancing the Empire Child Tax Credit by increasing the maximum credit. This will provide more than $2.1 billion in tax relief for families over three years.

And we invested deeply in education. We fully funded Foundation Aid, which takes pressure off local property taxpayers.

Last year, we passed the Universal School Lunch program, which has been a rousing success. It allows our children to start their day the right way and provides a vital relief to hardworking families.

And we made sure there have been no tuition increases at our public colleges since 2021, so that every young person can continue to have access to a world class education. 

But while we’ve been working hard to take care of our families, the federal government has been chipping away at the foundation that has made our nation so special. They’re making it harder for people to stay healthy, put food on the table and work towards the American Dream.

Rather than helping families, the leadership in Washington plays political games with facts, using misinformation and scare tactics to support their dangerous actions.

They cut healthcare coverage with no thought for our most vulnerable. And they seem not to care about the additional costs all taxpayers now face.

They cut SNAP and other critical social safety net benefits without a care for the families in our urban, suburban and rural communities that rely on the support to keep fresh food on the table.

They limited low-interest student loans, ensuring that those trying to further their education are saddled with untenable levels of debt for years. Students will have to decide whether they can afford the mountains of debt they will have to take on in order to pursue higher education.

With promises made to billionaire donors – they’ve decided to sell out New York’s hardworking families all while lying about the true impact of their efforts. But we all know the truth. We know the destruction these cuts will do to our nation and to our communities right here in New York State.

The so-called Big Beautiful Bill is a lie. It is increasing the deficit and New Yorkers will be responsible for paying the interest on the financing of that debt.

The federal administration said they would fight inflation. Instead, prices continue to rise and it has been exacerbated by the establishment of retaliatory tariffs.

This is also having a devastating effect on our farmers. Across the state, they are struggling with rising prices on necessary supplies and equipment as a result of these tariffs, as well as having to manage cuts to vital programs. Here in New York, we will do all we can to uplift our farmers and support the agricultural economy that is the backbone of our state.

Despite all of this, I urge us all to stand strong. I urge us to remember the fact that we know how to take care of families here in New York. In spite of all that Washington is doing to us, we know how to fight to ensure that every New Yorker can climb the economic ladder of success. That every child in every home from Long Island to Buffalo can dream of a better tomorrow. 

We must do all we can to lower costs for our families, ensuring their dollar stretches even further.

This means continuing to invest and incentivize the construction of new properties across the state, lowering the cost of housing, as well as funding meaningful relief for those burdened by high rents.

By continuing to invest in childcare, afterschool programs and summer camps, we can make them more affordable and accessible to hardworking families. By ensuring that all our young people have a safe place to be, we can provide their family members the peace of mind and flexibility needed to support their household.

Despite our best efforts to keep money in the pockets of New York’s families, the federal administration’s draconian cuts to our healthcare system put millions on the edge of financial ruin. The data is very clear on this – these cuts jeopardize the healthcare coverage of 1.5 million New Yorkers, including 750,000 children. Premiums for New Yorkers receiving subsidies will increase by an average of 38 percent and 140,000 New Yorkers are facing steep health care cost increases.

Though we’ve continued to support our hospitals and healthcare systems, and the families that rely on them, we cannot make the pain of losing coverage go away. The federal government’s actions will hurt our urban and suburban hospitals, but will be truly devastating for our rural health centers.

We must continue to urge our colleagues in Washington, but in particular the seven members from New York who serve in the House Majority, to walk back this decision before it goes into effect and before their constituents bear the full weight of this decision.

It’s the hospitals in their communities whose emergency rooms will be overwhelmed by patients who couldn’t afford the preventive care that would’ve lessened emergency room visits. It’s their neighbors who will be one unplanned emergency away from thousands of dollars in medical debt and no hope to climb out of it.

While the federal administration attacks the foundation of our education system, we must continue to invest in our schools.

For years, we’ve provided all of our schools – big and small – the resources they need to prepare all students for the future. Now more than ever, we must continue to stand by our educators and ensure they have all the tools they need to support the growth of our young people.

And as the federal administration continues to devalue the achievement of a college degree, we must continue to support our SUNY and CUNY schools. For generations, our young people have been able to springboard up the ladder of success by receiving a world-class education. This will not change. We will continue to invest in our state’s higher education system, providing all New Yorkers the opportunity to receive a college degree.

The effort to cut the critical funding for our state is deeply concerning. But this federal administration’s efforts to roll back foundational policy that keeps our families safe, healthy and thriving is downright dangerous.

For generations now, our families have been protected by the life-changing science of vaccines. Families of newborns and individuals with compromised immune systems didn’t have to worry about catching polio or the measles, since science had won out. But due to the radical views of a handful of people in Washington, this is no longer a guarantee. New York must do more to protect vaccine research and stand by our medical professionals as they educate families on the importance of protecting their loved ones.

This disregard for scientific fact spreads into the federal administration’s efforts to roll back environmental and climate change policies – policies that were meant to keep families safe and preserve our planet for future generations.

Here in New York, we stand by science. As storms surge and temperatures rise, we see the devastation of climate change the likes of which we saw on our recent humanitarian mission to Jamaica. We stand by the experts and their recommendations on keeping our communities safe. We remain committed to safeguarding measures that protect the environment and curb climate change, and will continue to fight back against Washington’s attempts to rollback those policies.

My friends, the stakes have never been higher. New York has always been a beacon of hope and possibility to people throughout the world. What we do here in New York over the coming months will resonate across the country. Now more than ever we need bold action.

I am always strengthened by the enthusiasm and hard work of my colleagues in the Majority. Your ideas, energy and cooperation are always a source of inspiration and I know that working together we will reach new heights in the coming session.

I look forward to working with Governor Kathy Hochul, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and our colleagues in the state Senate, and the new leadership in our cities and towns throughout the state to deliver the solutions our communities need.

To our colleagues in the Minority, as I always say, we may have our differences – but let us show the rest of the country how to lead with respect and courtesy to one another. I thank Minority Leader Will Barclay for his friendship and our extraordinary working relationship.

Every year since I’ve become speaker of this great body, I’ve had the privilege of visiting communities on my annual state tour, meeting with people and groups that are working every day to make our state better. These visits show me exactly what’s at stake in our communities and are a reminder of the work we must do to limit the damage of the federal administration.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – we take care of our families in New York. We will not stay silent or stand by as those in Washington destroy all we’ve fought for. Instead, we will work together to continue to build communities that are more affordable, safer and where all individuals have the tools they need to provide for themselves and their loved ones.

Now I would like to invite everyone to join me in extending a warm welcome to our graduate intern class of 2026. On behalf of all the members, I want to thank Assemblymember Alicia Hyndman, our chair of the Higher Education Committee, as well as the Intern Committee; Kathleen McCarty, our program director; Dr. Angela Ledford; Dr. Laura Rabinow; and Nick Thony.

Once again, welcome back to the People’s House for the 249th Legislative Session. Together, we will continue to work toward a future where all families can dream of a better tomorrow. Now, colleagues, let’s get to work!