Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul and Attorney General James Win Case Projecting Nearly $34 Million in MTA Anti-Terrorism Funds

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul stood with Attorney General Letitia James and MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber following the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York’s order that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) award the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) nearly $34 million in critical anti-terrorism funding. DHS had previously tried to block this funding.

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page will post photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

 Good afternoon, everyone. Proud to be joined this afternoon by our Attorney General Tish James and our CEO of the MTA Janno Lieber. Keeping people safe has always been and always will be my top priority, and anyone who undermines our efforts to protect our people is in for one hell of a fight.

Now, get this: Secretary of Homeland Security — now let me put an emphasis on the words “Homeland Security,” meaning you protect the “homeland” — Secretary Kristi Noem is learning that lesson about how hard we're willing to fight. She's learning it the hard way. Twice in the last two weeks, she's tried to weaponize the federal government against millions of New Yorkers, and twice she has failed.

First, she tried to claw back $187 million for counterterrorism funding. Well, when we heard that, I picked up the phone, called President Trump directly, and for a moment, we spoke as not just Democrats and Republicans, but we spoke as New Yorkers. And I reminded him how important the memory of 9/11 is, how it's still very much seared in the minds of all New Yorkers and how we have to continue funding security because we are the number one terrorist threat destination in America.

So the President, at that time, reversed course and announced plans to restore the funding. And then, Secretary Noem tries to defund our police who patrol our subways, our trains and our buses. Now, get this: Of the 21 agencies that applied for this guaranteed funding, 21, MTA was the only agency not funded. Coincidence? I don't think so. She actually thought she could zero out what had been a bipartisan transit counterterrorism program that was the first recommended by the 9/11 Commission — a program that's kept New Yorkers safe, a program that's been maintained by both Democrat and Republican administrations for over two decades.

Well, six days ago, we stood at the MTA headquarters and called that out for what it was: A shameless attempt to extract revenge on a blue state that happens to have the busiest, most at-risk transit system in the entire country — taking $34 million from the real heroes who really do protect us every single day. And creating a vulnerability for every New Yorker who relies on our subways, trains and buses.

We even sought help from our Republicans in Congress, especially those who represent the districts with commuters at risk. And I asked our Attorney General to immediately file a lawsuit in federal court to stop this illegal action because the law clearly states that the transit security funding is to be allocated solely on the basis of risk. And we all know New York remains the biggest territory in the nation. And we just learned this morning that the judge ruled completely in our favor. In fact, the judge called Secretary Noem’s ploy a blatant violation of the law, and ordered DHS to pay MTA the money it's owed.

Now, I want to thank the judge for articulating what the law requires and how it cannot be violated. If you read the decision, the judge even opened up with remembrance of the 3,000 lives that were lost on 9/11 — only blocks from the courthouse where the ruling was made. Also mentioning the fact that there had been at least eight terrorist plots on our subway over the last 20 years, all of which have been thwarted partially because we've had this funding, and the training and the personnel in place.

Well, the truth is, we shouldn't have to fight this out in court if Republicans had the guts to stand up for the people who elected them to office. Republicans love to call themselves the “party of law and order” the “party that backs the blue,” but if backing the blue really means more than just a bumper sticker or a logo on a hat, then we need action. We need more than just your words. It's about giving law enforcement the tools they need to keep us safe.

So here's my simple message to Washington and the Republicans in Congress, especially the seven from our own State of New York: If you're serious about keeping America safe, prove it. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop trying to defund our police. Stop playing political games with people's lives. And stop being silent when Secretary Noem abandons her duty to protect Americans, especially the people you represent. Work for New Yorkers instead of against them.

Now, we don't have to agree on everything, I suspect we won't, but we should be able to agree that keeping people safe is non-negotiable. As I said from day one, I'll work with anyone interested in bolstering our public safety efforts. And over the last few years, we've invested over $3 billion for police and safety, giving our officers the best tools, technology and training they need to keep New Yorkers safe. And we've paired these unprecedented investments with reforms as well.

Also, on our subways, we've surged police, covered additional overtime, deployed officers on the overnight trains and installed 33,000 cameras; platform barriers, LED lighting. All these efforts are paying off. Crime rates are down, confidence is up, and this summer was the safest summer in our subways in over a decade. We've come too far for anyone to jeopardize our progress or the vital work that still lies ahead.

Also, to Secretary Noem and anyone planning to continue cutting essential dollars from the State of New York: Lawyer up, because we'll see you in court once again. And as you saw today, if you attack New Yorkers when you put us in harm's way, we will fight back and we will win — win with an incredible leader of the Attorney General's office, Tish James, who knows how to fight, fight back hard, and win.

Madam Attorney General.