What Pelosi told Lawler

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Mar 15, 2024 View in browser   By Nick Reisman, Mia McCarthy, Emily Ngo and Jeff Coltin Presented by AARP With help from Shawn Ness Rep. Nancy Pelosi told Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler to thank Gov. Kathy Hochul for the assist in Republicans' victories in the 2022 midterms. | Mary Altaffer/AP NEW YORK MINUTE: The FDNY has been, fittingly, under fire this year, with leadership lawsuits, DMO lists, endless e-bike fires and — most recently — a boo-ing controversy. So Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is expecting her feet will be held to the fire at 10 a.m. today at the City Council’s preliminary budget hearing on fire and emergency management. “Any time we go into a budget hearing, we go in prepared to answer tough questions,” department spokesperson Amanda Farinacci said. Committee Chair Joann Ariola said she and her colleagues will be looking at “a myriad of issues, but it will be the most important issues.” NYC Emergency Management will also testify, so expect a lot of questions about the agency’s expanded role in serving migrants. — Jeff Coltin WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Rep. Nancy Pelosi told Hudson Valley Republican Rep. Mike Lawler recently that he should thank Gov. Kathy Hochul — for both helping him and other GOP candidates win their races two years ago due to weak Democratic results and for approving a House map last month that made minimal changes to district lines. The exchange between the swing seat GOP lawmaker and Democratic former House speaker took place after President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address last week, which Hochul attended as a guest. It was relayed to Playbook by Lawler and confirmed by Pelosi’s team. “We all had a great laugh,” Lawler told Playbook, adding, “I think Nancy Pelosi is a very astute observer of politics and understands that on a fair set of maps, Republicans have a big opportunity in New York.” Pelosi’s office knocked Lawler in a statement that pointedly did not include a reference to the New York governor. “Lawler is right about one thing — Speaker Pelosi knows politics,” Pelosi spokesperson Aaron Bennett said in a statement. “And she knows that next January, Mondaire Jones will be back in the House, Democrats will be back in the majority and Hakeem Jeffries will be speaker.” Hochul spokesperson Jen Goodman in a statement said the governor has always been focused on “electing Democrats up and down the ballot.” “In 2024, the governor is committed to taking back the House majority and making Hakeem Jeffries Speaker, and that’s why Gov. Hochul is building an unprecedented coordinated effort in New York to get the job done.” The conversation highlights how the disappointing election season for New York Democrats in 2022 remains a sore subject on the national stage, especially for the former speaker. Pelosi, the California Democrat, told New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd in the aftermath of the elections that Hochul was to blame for the party’s failure to block a red wave in the state’s House races by not responding fast enough to voters’ concerns over crime. Hochul herself won a full term that year by 6 points — a relatively narrow margin in a blue state. But the governor has taken a more assertive approach to politics and party building in the wake of the 2022 election results. She has raised millions of dollars for the state Democratic Committee and has expanded the party’s data infrastructure in a push to flip freshman Republican-held seats, including Lawler’s district. Hochul has also emerged as a prominent national surrogate for Biden and has used freshman New York House Republicans as a foil on contentious immigration issues, blasting them for not supporting the Senate-negotiated border security bill. Still, Pelosi’s comments to Lawler underscore the lingering anxieties for Democrats this year. That’s especially true for New York, where the migrant crisis and public safety remain potent issues. The state is home to an estimated half-dozen swing districts. But while Republicans breathed a bit easier last month after Democrats in Albany signed off on a new House map with a few alterations, House GOP freshmen are also up for reelection in a presidential election year in areas Biden won handily in 2020. Issues like abortion and former President Donald Trump’s unpopularity with New Yorkers could boost Democrats who are running down the ballot this November. The DCCC and Jeffries supported the February redistricting deal in the Democratic-led Legislature. Jeffries said the new map “meaningfully delivers the type of fair representation that the people of New York state deserve.” He encouraged Hochul to sign the map into law. And what a difference 13 years can make. In 2011, when Hochul was running for a conservative-leaning House district, Republicans were blasting her for praising Pelosi. — Nick Reisman and Mia McCarthy HAPPY FRIDAY! Have a great weekend. Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.   A message from AARP: Too many New York seniors are being put on a wait list to receive vital services at home. They’re left waiting for months—and being forced into costly taxpayer-funded nursing homes because they can’t get the help they need to remain in their own homes. Governor Hochul and the state legislature must end the wait list so our seniors can access crucial services like meal delivery and transportation.   WHERE’S KATHY? Appearing on WGFR-FM’s “Shredd and Ragan in the Morning,” and in Buffalo delivering remarks at the Buffalo Irish Center’s annual civic luncheon. WHERE’S ERIC? Going on NY1’s “Mornings on1,” then on 77 WABC’s Sid & Friends in the Morning,” then on PIX11’s “PIX11 Morning News,” delivering remarks at Ireland’s flag-raising ceremony, then at the Inaugural Tenant Protection cabinet meeting, Assafa Islamic Center’s Ramadan night prayer service. QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We will continue to advocate for additional federal funding as the city has spent more than $4 billion to manage this national humanitarian crisis.” — Deputy Mayor Ann Williams-Isom, after nearly $107 million in FEMA money was unlocked so New York City can submit for reimbursements for sheltering migrants, POLITICO reported. ABOVE THE FOLD Mayor Eric Adams insists he does not have beef with Gov. Kathy Hochul or City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams. His relationship with the two has been rocky in the past. | Emil Cohen/NYC Council Media Unit NO SPATS HERE: Mayor Eric Adams has beef with people thinking he has beef. He’s cool with Hochul, he sought to convey earlier this week. And he’s all good with Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, he insisted Thursday. “I know you guys enjoy looking at the three or four things we disagree with, but look at the 50 to 60 to 100 things that we have accomplished,” the mayor said alongside the speaker Thursday in a jab at reporters. “And we’re not going to allow anyone to tarnish how these two kids from South Jamaica, Queens, navigated this city out of some of the most difficult times.” Two days earlier, standing alongside the governor, Adams had said, “There’s just so much of y’all trying to pull us apart. It’s just not going to happen.” Adams and Hochul’s joint appearance to announce a license plate task force Tuesday came after he missed her news conference last week on deploying the National Guard to police the subway. Adams and Adams’ joint news conference to announce a pay boost for human services workers came after her State of the City address urged his administration to implement policies her council had approved, including an expansion of rental vouchers. The mayor really tried to tamp down on talk of rifts. And indeed, his relationship with the speaker and the governor is far more diplomatic than those of, say, Bill de Blasio and Corey Johnson and de Blasio and Andrew Cuomo. Adams did reference the contentious city budget negotiation process on the horizon. “During the budgetary aspect of it, the speaker has a role; we have a role,” he said. “But at the end of the day, our primary role is to uplift working class people in the city.” — Emily Ngo CITY HALL: THE LATEST Mayor Eric Adams said that unfettered access to social media is causing the mental health crisis in young people and that it is time for government to do something about it. | Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office TIK’D OFF: Adams appears supportive of bipartisan federal legislation that recently passed the House that could lead to a ban of TikTok in the United States. “Unfettered access to social media is fueling our national youth mental health crisis and putting our children in harm’s way,” a City Hall spokesperson told Playbook, “and it’s time for government to step up and do its part to protect our young people.” (The statement came in response to a Playbook query about whether the mayor supports the federal push for the popular app’s Chinese owner to divest the U.S. assets or face a ban.) While Adams once showed off his fit on TikTok, he’s certainly not a fan anymore. He banned the app on government phones, as POLITICO reported; he sued the company and four other social media sites; and his account hasn’t posted a video since last July. — Emily Ngo MAN PLANS, DOT LAUGHS: Support for congestion pricing seems to be flagging (see: Cuomo, Andrew). So pro-public space, anti-car culture nonprofit Open Plans has some ideas to sell it — like free bus and free ferry rides for the whole first week the tolling scheme is in place. Open Plans’ 10 demands also include two-way bike lanes on First, Second, Third, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth and 11th Avenues and a permanently pedestrianized Financial District and Theater District. The MTA didn’t bite at the free bus plan, with a spokesperson telling Playbook “the MTA strongly supports expanding equitable access to transit through the Fair Fares program and we encourage anyone eligible to apply.” — Jeff Coltin NOT LA BAIA?! Adams said Uptown Veg in Harlem is his go-to restaurant — and he prefers the curry chickpeas. While Comptroller Brad Lander imagined a cross-cultural shakshuka collaboration between Park Slope’s Indian Masalawala & Sons and Israeli Miriam. Those and a few dozen more dining recs are in the New York City Hospitality Alliance’s first annual District Dining Guide. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — Private sector managers running NYCHA buildings accelerated the number of eviction proceedings last year. (The City) — The city’s $264 billion pensions is failing to invest more in affordable housing, stagnating at 1 percent of pension assets. (Bloomberg) — More New Yorkers are applying for gun permits, but the NYPD won’t say how many were granted. (Gothamist)   A message from AARP:   NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY New York could have a surplus of money, according to a new assessment from the Fiscal Policy Institute. | Hans Pennink/AP MIND THE GAP: Hochul and state lawmakers are negotiating a budget this month with billions of dollars in looming budget gaps. But what if New York is actually facing a surplus of money? That’s according to an analysis being released this morning by the Fiscal Policy Institute. Although the Division of Budget expects budget gaps of $5 billion to $9.9 billion over the next three years, the think tank takes a rosier outlook. Without any growth, a surplus of $2.2 billion is possible next year and reach $7.4 billion the following year. And with historic growth in the state, the surplus could reach as much as $11.9 billion in 2027. “A historically average rate of revenue growth would generate over $5 billion in fiscal year 2025 and substantial fiscal surpluses in further outyears,” the group wrote in its analysis. “This would allow the state to support a higher base of recurring spending in the years ahead.” Still, legislators want to spend well beyond Hochul’s $233 billion budget plan, like $13 billion more. — Nick Reisman SCHOOL DAZE: One way Hochul is trying to throttle back spending is through the “hold harmless” provision in how school districts are funded. The governor’s budget would take into consideration fluctuations in enrollment when school aid is doled out. The Citizens Budget Commission in a report released Thursday called the move necessary in order to restrain spending growth in the budget over the coming years. “Slowing school aid growth should be done while better targeting aid to districts with high and growing needs; this will focus resources where they are most needed, while also strengthening the State’s bottom line,” the group wrote. But this is also taking place against the backdrop of an election year. The cuts will affect more than half of the state’s 637 school districts — all represented by Senate and Assembly members whose seats are up for reelection this year. And Democrats in the Legislature want to reverse the changes proposed by Hochul while also spending more on schools. “This increase is a bold statement of our unwavering commitment to our students and educators,” Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie has been dating a lobbyist. (NYS Focus) — Tech companies are using vulnerable populations as a cudgel to strike down bills aimed at internet safety. (Times Union) — Good-government advocates say New York’s transparency laws need to be updated. (Gothamist) KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION NY-1 Democratic candidate John Avlon entered the race late, but he's already got an important endorsement from Bridget Fleming, who lost her bid for the seat in 2022 to Rep. Nick LaLota. | Noam Galai/Getty Images for FairVote SUFFOLK SUPPORT: Journalist John Avlon came late to the Democratic primary for NY-01, but he’s quickly become the insider’s choice. First in Playbook, Bridget Fleming, the Democratic nominee for the seat in 2022 who lost to Rep. Nick LaLota, is endorsing Avlon. Avlon is facing off against Nancy Goroff, who was the party’s 2020 nominee for a congressional seat on the east end of Long Island. Fleming’s Avlon endorsement follows backing from former congressional candidates Perry Gershon and Jim Gaughran, as well as Assembly Member Fred Thiele and Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman. Goroff countered with an endorsement from pro-abortion group Emily’s List Thursday. She’s also got contributions from Suffolk power players Rich Schaffer and Dave Calone — but both came before Avlon got into the race. Avlon “definitely has the momentum,” former Suffolk County Deputy County Executive Jason Elan told Playbook. Goroff “had her chance, and I think a fresh face in Suffolk County is not a bad thing for the Democrats.” On the Republican side, LaLota will easily dominate endorsements — George Santos claims to be primarying him. — Jeff Coltin NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — America’s first large-scale offshore wind project was completed off Long Island. (POLITICO) — The mayor of the Catskills village of Monticello targeted a Hasidic political operative in a sting operation with the local DA, feigning a quid pro quo solicitation (Shtetl) — New York prosecutors are open to delaying Donald Trump’s hush money trial until next month. (POLITICO)   A message from AARP: New York seniors can't wait for vital services. Lawmakers must end the wait list. Too many New York seniors are being put on a wait list to receive vital services at home. They’re left waiting for months—and being forced into costly taxpayer-funded nursing homes because they can’t get the help they need to remain in their own homes. Governor Hochul and the state legislature must do more to help our seniors get care at home—where they want to be. Ending the wait list and expanding access to crucial services like meal delivery and transportation would not only help our seniors, but it would be invaluable to New York’s 2.2 million family caregivers who work tirelessly to keep their loved ones at home. Lawmakers: End the wait list so our seniors can remain at home.   SOCIAL DATA Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES — JDRF, the diabetes research and advocacy organization based in NYC, has appointed Lisa Fishbone Wallack and Matt Varey to head up its International Board of Directors… Valerie Barton-Richardson has been named the president and CEO of CAMBA. She was previously the organization’s chief administrative officer. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Max Neuberger … Stu Loeser … Sarah Bloom Raskin … Tom Rosenstiel … Visa’s Cheyenne Hopkins … BCW’s Cara Rich … Anna Gronewold … Kevin Infante … Rachel Schindler … Max Schindler … Chloe La Branche ... Johanna Campbell Case … (WAS THURSDAY): Danny Meyer. YOUR NEW YORK NUMBER OF THE DAY $13 million Projected five-year cost of toilet paper for city agencies, according to a newly awarded contract listed in the City Record. The per-case price is an 8 percent decrease from the prior contract.   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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