Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (NY-24) joined Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) in introducing the Protect Local Taxpayers Act in response to Governor Kathy Hochul’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Proposal, which would keep $625 million in Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) that have been shared with New York counties since 2011. Congressman Brandon Williams (NY-22) is also an original cosponsor of this bill.
New York State is one of the only states in the nation to require counties to pay a significant portion of the state’s non-federal matching share of its Medicaid program. This costs local counties in New York up to $7.6 billion per year, resulting in county governments imposing some of the highest property taxes in the country and stressing other critical local services.
The Protect Local Taxpayers Act would offer a straightforward fix by ensuring that FMAP funds are directed, as intended by Congress, to our state’s counties to cover their portion of Medicaid expenses. Since New York counties face a massive obligation under New York’s Medicaid program, this legislation will ensure they are never left with a significant and harmful budgetary impact, such as the one that would be caused by Kathy Hochul's irresponsible 2024 budget.
“As a result of one-party Democrat rule in Albany, New York State has among the highest taxes in the country,” said Congresswoman Tenney. “One reason upstate New York families face such high costs is that our local counties are forced to absorb and subsidize the soaring cost of New York’s Medicaid program. Enough is enough! I’m honored to join the Protect Local Taxpayer Act, which will prevent state governments like ours from further shifting our bloated state Medicaid expenses onto our local county governments, and then refusing to reimburse them for a portion of the costs. Albany should be focused on supporting our local communities, not taking more of their money to subsidize far-left priorities.”
“Governor Hochul’s budget proposal would force rural counties like the ones I represent in Western New York and the Southern Tier into doomsday decision-making, causing unnecessary panic among the people who rely on Medicaid services,” said Congressman Langworthy. “It is well past time to get fiscal sanity back into our state government, and I remain laser-focused on protecting the hardworking taxpayers who feel disenfranchised by state leadership.”
Photo: File photo by Howard Owens
