New York – Assemblymember Micah Lasher and Senator Jessica Ramos today announced a coordinated legislative response to anticipated efforts by Donald Trump and Elon Musk to withhold federal funds from New York and to the mass layoffs of federal workers that have already occurred.

The “Reciprocal Enforcement of Claims on Unpaid or Reduced State Entitlements” (RECOURSE) Act would authorize the State of New York to withhold State payments to the federal government in the event that the Trump administration withholds funds from the state in contravention of a court order. The RECOURSE Act will deter financial bullying by Trump and give the State leverage in a legal fight over funding.

The “Building Recruitment and Incentives for Dedicated Government Employees” (BRIDGE) Act would enable former federal employees who come to work for the State of New York to receive up to three years of State pension credit for their prior government service. The BRIDGE Act will encourage talented public servants who have been fired by Trump and Musk to put their expertise to work for New York State.

"Donald Trump and Elon Musk have already done untold damage to the federal government, and they have New York in their crosshairs,” said Assemblymember Micah Lasher. "We cannot roll out the red carpet for Trump and Musk. We must fight back, and that’s what these bills are about. We will give New York real power to fight Trump if he tries to withhold funds we are owed, and we will send a message to the talented public servants that Elon Musk has fired: we want you in New York.”

“Right now, Americans are looking for leadership that isn’t just waiting to react to Trump, but that is going on offense. With these bills, we are empowering New York to proactively defend our people and the essential services they rely on,” said Senate Labor Chair Jessica Ramos. “This is not the time to sit on our hands and wait for the worst to happen. New York is taking a stand.”

Assembly Codes Committee Chair Jeffrey Dinowitz said: "As the federal government continues to shortchange New York and ignore court rulings, we must ensure that our state has the tools to fight back. The RECOURSE Act allows New York to hold Washington accountable when it unlawfully withholds funding that our residents rely on. This bill is about fairness—if the federal government refuses to pay

what is owed, then New York should have the right to withhold payments in return. I proudly support this legislation to protect our state's financial stability and the services millions depend on."

“President Trump and the unelected billionaire threatening to keep money out of the hands of hard-working New Yorkers need to understand one thing: our state won’t back down,” said Assemblymember Grace Lee. “It’s simple: If Trump and Musk continue to defy the law and refuse to release money appropriated to our state; we need to strengthen our laws to ensure New York’s resources stay in New York, where they belong. I’m proud to stand with Assemblymember Lasher calling to pass the BRIDGE and RECOURSE acts.”

The mechanism established by the RECOURSE Act to withhold payments to the federal government would require the Governor, State Comptroller, and Budget Director to act jointly and unanimously in order to do so, in recognition of the extraordinary nature of the action. The amount of funds withheld by the State could not exceed the amount of funds that the federal government has refused to disburse to New York in contravention of a court decision. The bill would also establish a monthly report by the Office of the State Comptroller enumerating funds owed to New York by the federal government and anticipated payments from the State to the federal government. Similar legislation has been introduced in Maryland.

The BRIDGE Act would allow State employees to purchase up to three years of pension credit for prior service in the federal government. It is modeled on an existing provision of law that enables veterans to purchase pension credit for their military service.