Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Slams Trump and Washington Republicans for Driving Up Costs as Gas Prices Skyrocket Due to War in Iran

Earlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul slammed President Trump and Washington Republicans for once again driving up costs for New Yorkers as gas prices skyrocket in New York and across the nation. Since President Trump launched the War in Iran on February 28, average gas prices across New York have increased by 62-cents per gallon, or roughly 21 percent, according to New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), which tracks internal, industry and related association data for the state. Diesel prices have increased statewide by $1.13 per gallon, or 28 percent, since the war began and surpassed $5.00 per gallon on March 13.

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 morning, everyone. Back in my hometown of Buffalo, Western New York, Tonawanda. I want to thank our supervisor, Joe Emminger from the Town of Tonawanda. I've known Joe for many, many years, a great leader, and he also feels what his constituents are having to deal with, with the cost of everything going up, especially at a gas station just like this.

I also want to thank Austin Tylec, our Mayor of North Tonawanda. I want to thank him for his presence here, but also a reminder that it's the local governments that are also bearing the extra cost of gas and oil as they're trying to run their snowplows, and their park trucks and recreation vehicles. And so, it's having a real impact on our local governments as well. And then of course our local businesses are being hit hard. Christine Hausrath, who's a business owner of Bison Turf Equipment, is going to talk to you in a couple minutes about what is going on here.

So we're at this Sunoco on Niagara Falls Boulevard with a simple message: Energy prices are too damn high. Utility costs are too damn high. And hardworking people, like the ones in these great communities, are the ones footing the bills for chaos they did not create. President Trump's war in Iran has thrown global energy markets into chaos. And guess what? When there's that chaos, it's not the billionaires who are getting hurt. It's not the oil executives. It's not the politicians in Washington. It's the working mom in Tonawanda. It is the delivery driver across the state in Albany. It's a small business owner in Rochester. So these are the people that we have to look out for and let their voices be heard about what they're having to deal with.

Gasoline prices in New York State pumps are up about 62 cents per gallon in two weeks - up 21 percent. Diesel prices are up 28 percent. Home heating fuel, driving up our utility bills - is already up more than 3 percent. So the costs are head spinning and untenable. People just don't know when it's going to end, but one thing we do know: When energy prices go up, everything goes up.

The cost of getting goods to this convenience store right here, the diesel trucks that bring them here, those costs get passed on to our business owners and, ultimately, sometimes, the customers. So deliveries, groceries, construction costs. Now, I want to point out: The very President who promised that prices would come down on day one is presiding over this and allowing this to happen. He is the fuse that sent the most volatile regions in the world, and they're all paying the price. Listen, nobody's going to defend the Iranian regime. They've been wreaking havoc on our country and around the world for decades. It's been dangerous and destabilizing, but the simple question Americans have is, "Why now?"

And the only result is - the only result we see right now is higher prices at the pump. It's a disgrace. Now, I mentioned tariffs as well. I've been going around the state - I was in Flushing, Queens on Saturday, I was in Buffalo, I was in Ogdensburg. I was in Albany - to talk about the impact of tariffs on hardworking New Yorkers, small businesses literally closing up shop, or not expanding, or having to pass on cost to their consumers at a restaurant, or people are now staying home or not going out as often.

New Yorkers cannot afford more pain. That's why I'm taking action. I unveiled a rate payer protection plan to hold energy companies accountable to protect New Yorkers from rising bills because utilities should not be getting richer when people are struggling day in and day out. Also, I want to have a more flexible all-of-the-above approach to energy. We have to be creative and allow more sources of energy to hit our markets so we can start driving down costs again. Now we'll expand renewables, wind and solar. I'm on board. I've been working on this for four and a half straight years.

We're also going to expand our nuclear capability and reduce the energy burden on vulnerable households, and help them with weatherization and fuel efficient mechanisms and energy upgrades. And making sure that the massive users of energy - the large data centers - that they pay their fair share because they're driving up costs for everyone else. So at the end of the day, our goal is simple: keep the lights on, keep the grid reliable, and keep down costs for New Yorkers.

We also have to recognize the reality of what we're living in right now, not just with the war in Iran and the energy prices going up dramatically, but the federal government in Washington is openly hostile to all of our efforts to have clean, renewable energy.

We want more wind. We want more solar. We want more battery storage. But right now, the federal government has eliminated the subsidies that allow that to happen, which is killing our opportunities to achieve the goals we set out. And that brings me to the fact that I have to deal with the realities of today, the world that we're living in, not the world that was in place in 2019 when the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, known as CLCPA, was enacted.

Now I'm going to be very clear: the high utility costs we're experiencing now are not because of this, because it's not in effect yet. But if we do nothing, and this goes into effect under the dictates - and I'm going to take a commercial break here right now and stop the hair from blowing around.

All right, let me take care of this situation.

Right now we have a judge's order. A judge is telling us that we have to comply with this even though we're not ready for it, and if we do that, I can tell you sure as I'm standing here, our costs will go up dramatically. An Upstate family that relies on natural gas and oil to heat their home will have to have their utility bills increased by roughly $4,000 by 2031.

Gas is at the pump. Now we're talking about what happened because of the war here. Because of this change in the law, if we're mandated by the judge and we don't make any changes with the Legislature now, gases could go up an additional $2.30 cents per gallon on top of what's already happening.

That's unsustainable, and this'll make families have to endure impossible choices. I will not stand by and let that happen. I believe that the goal to this law to build a clean energy future and strengthen our energy system for years to come is a noble one. I'm committed to it. But I also have to take responsibility to protect people from rising costs.

If the path forward is only going to drive prices higher, then we have to act, and that's why I'm calling on the Legislature to work with me in the next few weeks before the Budget is due to come up with a common sense plan that understands the realities that we're dealing with today.

This is not the world of 2019 as much as we wish it were when this law was first passed. We'll not walk away from our climate goals, but make sure that the path we're on is realistic and fair to the people we serve, because a climate policy that leaves working families behind is not a sustainable path forward. At the same time, I'm calling on our congressional delegation - there's seven Republicans who are in the majority in Washington, who should be pushing for accountability in Washington.

The President and his allies created this crisis - they're the ones who have to end it. And New Yorkers deserve leaders who understand what families are up against. You know that when prices go up, when gas goes up, everything gets more difficult. That's why I'm standing up. That's why I'm speaking out, and I want everyone in the Legislature to join me in that to give relief to the people of the great State of New York.

And as long as I'm Governor, I'll keep fighting for them.

With that, I'd like to introduce our supervisor, Joe Emminger, for a couple remarks.

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