ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, today joined Senator George Borrello, Assemblywoman Mary Beth Walsh, and New York State Conservative Party Chairman Gerard Kassar at the New York State Capitol to condemn Senate Democrats for blocking legislation that would have strengthened independent oversight of government spending.
A recent State Senate bill (S8661), introduced by Leader Rob Ortt, aimed to expand transparency and reinforce the role of independent audits in uncovering waste, fraud, and abuse in state government programs. It was voted down by Senate Democrats who hold the majority in the chamber.
“The inability for Democrats to work with Republican lawmakers on a bill to bring more accountability to Albany reflects a troubling resistance to the fight against waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Hernandez. “We are in a time when New York taxpayers are more concerned over how their money is being spent, especially in programs like Medicaid. The New York Comptroller’s office is meant to serve as a watchdog not a lapdog.”
Senator George Borrello, Chairman of the New York State Senate Campaign Committee, and a co-sponsor of the legislation spoke at the press conference.
“New York spends more on Medicaid than any state in the nation, and right now up to 3 million people may be enrolled who don’t even qualify. That is not an accounting mistake, that is billions of taxpayer dollars walking out the door,” said Senator Borello. “Joseph Hernandez has the independence, the experience, and the backbone to conduct a real audit of state spending, root out fraud and abuse, and refer wrongdoers to law enforcement. He is not a career politician. He is a fiscal hawk with a track record, and New York has never needed one more.”
Speakers highlighted the growing scrutiny of New York’s massive Medicaid system, including CDPAP and New York’s Non-Emergency Medical Transportation (NEMT) program.
Assemblywoman Walsh in reference to Dr. Oz’s recent call to audit the state’s Medicaid program said, “I think that having a Comptroller that works hand and glove with those efforts at the federal level is very beneficial.”
Walsh also expressed disappointment with several bills in the Assembly, in addition to this senate bill, not being passed and made into law. “Unfortunately our colleagues on the other side of the aisle killed that possibility [of passing S8661] and was blocked by the senate,” said Walsh.
New York State Conservative Party Chairman Kassar brought up his concern with Governor Kathy Hochul’s attempt to limit the Comptroller’s oversight power. “This governor’s budget attempted to actually take the bite out of the watchdog by reducing the ability of the comptroller’s office to actually do audits, how is that possible,” asked Kassar.
Hernandez said that if elected Comptroller, he would prioritize aggressive independent audits of major state programs to root out fraud and abuse in order to serve the taxpayers during an affordability crisis.
“New Yorkers deserve a Comptroller who will follow the money wherever it leads,” Hernandez said. “I will conduct real audits using advanced technology, and ensure government answers to the people who fund it.”
To learn more about Joseph Hernandez’s plan to strengthen Medicaid oversight and protect taxpayers, visit hernandezforny.com.