Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., on Newsmax on Thursday criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to invest $15 million in gender-transitioning care, arguing the proposal reflects broader spending problems in New York and could add to the state's financial burdens.
Speaking on "Ed Henry: The Big Take," Tenney said New York taxpayers are already struggling under high spending levels and taxes.
"The whole state is deep in debt, and New York City is part of the problem," Tenney said.
Mamdani recently announced plans to invest $15 million in gender-transitioning care services, a proposal that has drawn criticism from some Republicans and support from advocates who say such care is essential for transgender residents.
Tenney framed the proposal as part of what she described as excessive government spending in New York. She pointed to the state's nearly $269 billion budget, saying it has more than doubled since her time in the New York State Assembly, where she served until 2016.
She also compared New York City's budget to that of Florida, arguing the city's spending levels are disproportionately high.
"The budget for New York City is larger than the state of Florida with 8 million people," Tenney said.
The congresswoman also criticized Democrat Gov. Kathy Hochul, accusing state leaders of expanding social programs while relying on taxpayer funding to support them.
Tenney said the proposed $15 million investment may appear relatively small in the context of New York's overall spending but argued that such programs tend to grow over time.
"Fifteen million probably is a small amount. But that's just the beginning," she said. "Once they take a little, it just ends up costing, costing, costing."
She questioned whether taxpayers should be responsible for funding gender-transitioning care programs and argued that state leaders believe there is an unlimited source of government revenue despite population losses.
Tenney pointed to New York's continued population decline and migration to lower-tax states as evidence that residents are dissatisfied with the state's fiscal policies.
"We have the highest out-migration of any state in the country," she said.
The congresswoman also argued that rising taxes could accelerate the departure of both wealthy and middle-class residents. She contended that New York recently surpassed California as the nation's highest-taxed state.
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