This Budget Is The Floor, Not The Ceiling: Council Member Tiffany Cabán Explains Her YES Vote On FY 2026 Budget
June 30, 2025
New York City
After voting AYE on the FY2026 Budget, Council Member Tiffany Cabán released the following statement explaining her YES vote:
“Today, I am voting yes.
I am proud of the Council’s fight against this Mayor’s unnecessary cuts, clawing back what we could in order to stop the bleeding and protect New Yorkers. The truth is sobering — this budget, like those before it, over invests in punishment and policing, starves public defenders of the resources they need, and under invests in life-affirming institutions that create true public safety. It is the culmination of four years of bad faith, undemocratic negotiations with a corrupt mayor who is beholden to corporate interests and blackmailed by Donald Trump.
But it also marks the beginning of a new era. New Yorkers are clearly demanding a new kind of politics. A politics that chooses affordability for working people over the interests of the rich. Today’s budget sets us up to deliver for New Yorkers under a new administration that shares our values and commitments come January.
And it contains urgent, critical protections for our immigrant and trans neighbors that the Mayor refused, but the Council demanded and secured, including:
Historic funding for trans and gender nonconforming New Yorkers: Huge thanks to the NYC Trans and Queer Provider Advocacy Coalition.
Crisis to Care investments that move us towards public safety rooted in care, not punishment. Thank you especially to Progressive Caucus Director Emmet Teran and Council Member Nurse.
The $5 million investment needed for the Variety Boys and Girls Club of Astoria: a major step toward enriching the lives of young people in my district.
A hard-fought $50 million increase for immigration legal services secured by the Council, including my colleague Council Member Avilés, and advocates at NYIC after the Mayor proposed a devastating cut.
And childcare expansions, including a pilot program for children under age two, which is a game-changer for working families. Thanks especially to Council Member Gutiérrez.
This budget is the floor, not the ceiling. With caution, with reservations, and a deep commitment to build on this momentum to deliver for New Yorkers, I vote yes.”