Governor Hochul: “I have newsflash for Republicans in Texas. This is no longer the Wild West. We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law breaking cowboys. Americans don’t want a system that’s stacked against them. They believe in fairness — it’s fundamental. And I’ll tell you this, they’re done with the chaos; they’re done with the cruelty; and I would say they’re ready to vote Republicans out of power in Washington… Republicans know this. They’ve seen the polls. They know they’re sliding downhill because Americans are rejecting their policies, so this is why they’re fighting. They know they’ll lose the elections, but to subvert the will of the people, they’re hell bent on rigging the system.”
Hochul: “What Texas and Republican states are doing at the direction of Donald Trump, I say, is nothing short of a legal insurrection against our Capital… If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us no choice, we must do the same. There’s a phrase, ‘you have to fight fire with fire.’ That is a true statement of how we’re feeling right now. And as I’ve said, another overused but applicable phrase, ‘all is fair in love and war’ — that’s why I’m exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our State congressional lines as soon as possible.”
Governor Kathy Hochul today welcomed Texas legislators to the State Capitol in Albany after they departed the state of Texas in order to deny Governor Greg Abbott the quorum he needs to pass a rigged redistricting scheme that has national consequences.
The lawmakers’ trip comes in response to President Donald Trump and Governor Abbott’s efforts to force a radically gerrymandered mid-decade congressional map through the Texas Legislature — a move that would disenfranchise communities of color across the state in the name of rescuing an extreme conservative Congressional majority in the 2026 midterm elections. If Texas is successful in rigging their redistricting process, it would bolster the ongoing attacks against New Yorkers and millions of other Americans by President Trump and his allies in Congress.
Texas lawmakers in attendance at the meeting included:
Texas House Democratic Caucus First Vice Chair Mihaela Plesa
State Representative Lulu Flores
State Representative Vikki Goodwin
State Representative Cassandra Garcia Hernandez
State Representative Jolanda Jones
State Representative Suleman Lalani
A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:
Good morning. I’m proud to welcome six Texas State Legislators to our Capitol, and I’ll acknowledge who they are: Representative Lulu Flores, Representative Vikki Goodwin, Representative Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, Representative Jolanda Jones, Representative Mihaela Plesa, Representative Suleman Lalani. Remember those names. Those are the 2025 candidates, in my opinion, for profiles in courage.
I’m proud to be joined by Speaker Carl Heastie. We’ve had a robust conversation. First of all, I hosted them at the Governor’s residence early this morning to make sure they’re well fed with New York food, as well as giving them the opportunity to see a home that Franklin Roosevelt once lived in for inspiration, as I’m inspired every day, about knowing who we’re fighting for and who we’re fighting against.
These brave public servants are taking a stand — a strong stand — against a blatant power grab that’s happening in their state as we speak. And this will have implications not just in Texas, but for our entire nation and its future.
First of all, by breaking quorum, using a legitimate form of government — we’ve talked about this, this is not breaking the law, this is a legitimate process that has been used before — by breaking the quorum and being here today, these legislators are getting into what John Lewis might call good trouble. Good trouble is the best kind of trouble.
You know why? Because now that you have the Attorney General, the Texas Attorney General — who, by the way, is obsessed with going after doctors in our state who are simply providing medication abortion assistance to people who are denied that by their own states — now, he’s threatened to arrest each and every one of them if they don’t return to Austin.
But they’re being asked to return to vote for a radical, radical redrawing of the congressional lines that were already adopted. They’re being adopted in favor of Republicans. And of course, where did this come from? Donald Trump came up with this scheme, perhaps with some help with AI, I don’t know. But they have literally redrawn five congressional districts primarily representing communities of color that need the representation. They’ve drawn racist lines to disenfranchise millions of Texans.
So what does this have to do with the State of New York? That’s a good question. I’ll tell you this: the last six months, Donald Trump and his cowardly Republican enablers have pursued an agenda that has destroyed all we hold dear in this country. It’s harmed the American people, but also the people I represent in the State of New York. They’ve denied lifesaving health care to millions of people. They’ve denied food to poor children. Why? All this to give tax breaks to their billionaire buddies.
And also, now they’re crushing the middle class with tariffs, which are simply poorly disguised taxes. We’re hearing the news today, how everything is going to go up. A backpack that you could have bought for just $30 in May is now $50 for moms and dads getting ready for back to school shopping — that’s the direct impact on New Yorkers and Americans.
But also, at the same time, in our states and many others, they are sending masked, armed individuals to snatch law-abiding residents off the streets as their own children scream in terror. That is happening on the streets of our great country. So people are basically disgusted; they’re disgusted with this trampling of their basic human rights — rights that we’ve always cherished and fought for in this country — and that is precisely why New York has a strong interest in what is occurring almost across the country in Texas.
Now, I have newsflash for Republicans in Texas. This is no longer the Wild West. We’re not going to tolerate our democracy being stolen in a modern day stagecoach heist by a bunch of law breaking cowboys. Americans don’t want a system that’s stacked against them. They believe in fairness — it’s fundamental.
And I’ll tell you this, they’re done with the chaos; they’re done with the cruelty; and I would say they’re ready to vote Republicans out of power in Washington, certainly in the upcoming 2026 elections. Republicans know this. They’ve seen the polls — they know they’re sliding downhill because Americans are rejecting their policies, so this is why they’re fighting.
They know they’ll lose the elections, but to subvert the will of the people, they’re hell bent on rigging the system. Rigging the system is un-American. Congressional districts are never re-drawn mid-decade as they are, but here they are flagrantly breaking the rules so they can hold on to power.
And with that power, they’re going to inflict even more pain. And they’d rather eliminate fairness in the system than to proceed knowing they’re going to lose. They’d rather silence voters than serve them. From my perspective, to refuse to stand up and fight for our democracy as we are joining in solidarity with our friends from Texas means one thing: You won’t fight for democracy, you’re doomed to lose it. For almost 250 years, our Democratic experience has been fought for and it’s endured.
As Governor of a state where many of those early battles took place, we’re commemorating them next year. Those battles for freedom were here. That’s why I cannot stand by and let this happen while Donald Trump and his co-conspirator Greg Abbott erode our democracy and drag us toward authoritarianism.
Now, what Texas and Republican states are doing at the direction of Donald Trump, I say, is nothing short of a legal insurrection against our Capital. Legal meaning they’re using the legal process does not mean it’s legal, and it must be stopped. If Republicans are willing to rewrite these rules to give themselves an advantage, then they’re leaving us no choice, we must do the same. There’s a phrase, ‘you have to fight fire with fire.’ That is a true statement of how we’re feeling right now. And as I’ve said, another overused but applicable phrase, ‘all is fair in love and war’ — that’s why I’m exploring with our leaders every option to redraw our State congressional lines as soon as possible.
Our State Legislative Leaders, Carl Heastie, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, they’re on board as are their members. We’re already working on a legislative process reviewing our legal strategies and we’ll do everything in our power to stop this brazen assault.
As I mentioned, these are profiles in courage sitting with me here today. They left their homes, left their families, left their loved ones in a world of uncertainty. But our history is defined by people who are brave patriots who will not accept a status quo; who believe they must use their voices and their positions to stand up for others. And I could not be prouder of having an opportunity to meet them, each and every one of them, and hear their personal stories. And I thank them so much for making this journey.
You are on the right side of history. And you’re not alone. We are in solidarity with each and every one of you and your colleagues in another state hosted by my great friend JB Pritzker, who welcomed you as well.
As I said, history will judge us and how we respond to this moment. But here in New York, we will not stand on the sidelines with the timid souls on the sidelines who don’t care and will not invest their heart and soul into this battle. This is a war. We are at war and that’s why the gloves are off. And I say, bring it on.
With that, let me turn it over to our great Speaker, Carl Heastie.
A rush transcript of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie’s remarks is available below:
Thank you, Governor, and thank you to our great colleagues from the Great State of Texas. I’m a fan of something big in Texas. As everybody knows, I’m one of the bigger Cowboy fans, but today—
[…]
I’m a Bills fan as long as they don’t play against the Cowboys. But we are here for a serious moment in time, and all things are connected. Democrats, and some of the editorial boards and some of the very newspapers who are here keep telling us to “play fair,” and it’s very difficult to say “play fair” when your opponents are playing dirty and using every tool in their tool shed, toolbox to undermine democracy.
Since this guy has been sworn in, there’s no respect for the constitution, there’s no respect for people. And this — what’s happening in Texas — is just another prime example. And what we’re proposing that — maybe what we bring before the voters in 2027, hope not to have to use it, but sometimes the best way to get a bully to stop being a bully is to remind them that they could also be bullied. So perhaps the Republican Members of Congress here in New York could say to their Republican colleagues in Texas, “Hey, slow down on this because this can also affect us.”
We’d like the world to play fair, democracy should be fair, but what we are learning — and again, we’re only, God help us, eight months into this horror movie of this presidential administration — is that “Big, Disgusting Bill” that they’re trying to fool people to think it’s good, it’s just nothing more but just another giveaway to the richest of the rich in this country.
And so, they’re trying to fool us by saying, “We’re going to go on with gerrymandering and take out Democrats,” and you’ll hear from my good colleague, Representative Jones, who will tell you the Members of Congress that are under attack and who they’re looking to get rid of is just unfair; it’s sickening. Like I said, it’s really like being in a bad movie of just a hostile takeover of what is supposed to be the greatest country in this world.
So, sad that we have to be here, but I say to all of you, to all of the press here, your editorial boards keep asking us to “be fair” and “play fair,” and I think that’s the wrong thing to ask us to do.
With that, I’m going to turn over to my colleague, the Leader of the Democrats in the Texas House, Representative Plesa.
A rush transcript of Texas House Democratic Caucus First Vice Chair Mihaela Plesa’s remarks is available below:
Thank you, Governor, and thank you, Mr. Speaker. My name is Mihaela Plesa and I proudly serve as the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, and the constituents of House District 70 in Collin County.
I just want to thank you for standing with us today and for your leadership. Your continued support reminds us that the fight to protect democracy is not confined to one state, the fight is for all 50, and I’m proud to stand with you.
I’m joined here by my colleagues at the Texas House Democratic Caucus — public servants who came to this work not to chase power, but to protect people. I’m proud to stand beside them in this moment of national urgency.
But before we get into the redistricting crisis in Texas, I want to acknowledge something else that we share in common that connects us, and that’s the recent flooding that happened in both of our states. New York just experienced flooding. They put people over policies and they declared a State of Emergency. In Texas, today marks the one month anniversary where over 130 people died, the majority of them being children — an incident that our governor has still failed to attend any funerals for the victims.
People are rebuilding their lives. Their homes have been destroyed. They’re bearing their children. Some of them only have the snuffers that their children were clinging onto for support. Did you guys know that there is a nonprofit that’s been started in our state that’s trying to help parents find those stuffed animals because it’s the last thing their children had?
Today on the house floor, House Republicans did not want to put flood relief, disaster relief — they didn’t want to do anything for the people of Texas. They’re bending the knee to President Donald Trump.
The first bill put on the calendar today was a redistricting bill, an attempt to steal power. This cannot be allowed to stand. The playing field has changed, not just for Democrats, but all Americans, and it’s time to meet them on the new field. Governor Abbott formed a Select Committee on [House] Redistricting, that committee held nine meetings. We also had a committee on flood relief, that committee only held two meetings. That shows you what our governor is focused on, what House Republicans are focused on. It’s not the people of Texas, it’s the people in power and how to keep that power.
I remember when Trump called Georgia. He called the Secretary of State. He told him, I need to just find 11,780 votes. What did Georgia say? “No.” Well, Donald Trump called our governor and he said, “I just need a small change. I just need you to send me five congressional members.” And what did our governor say? “Sure. Give me a minute. Coming right up.” We were sent to the capitol to serve the people, not political parties.
While Texans are waiting for relief, Republican leaders are redrawing maps to silence voters, hijack our democracy. And this doesn’t stop with Texas. If Trump and Abbott succeed, it will give them five seats, but then where else do they go? Ohio? Missouri? Any other Republican Legislature with Democratic Congress-people, they’re on the chopping block too. Is that fair? Is that just? The fight isn’t just about lines on a map, it’s about lives on the line. That’s why we’re here. That’s why we’re fighting. It’s about democracy. It affects every single American.
We need Democrats across the country in state houses and congresses and communities to say loud and clear, “This is not who we are, and this is not what we will accept.” This is a rallying cry. This isn’t just about the people who voted for us, it’s about every American who believes that the power belongs to the people — not one man, not a king. And I will not allow this one man to rewrite the rules of our democracy behind closed doors.
This is about representation, about fairness and about the integrity of our elections. We are not here to resist, we are here to fight and we are asking for your help in this fight. Thank you so much, Governor. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
