Governor Kathy Hochul of New York halted a vote intended to impact the Republican House majority, creating frustration among Democrats. The motivation behind the cancellation appears linked to Hochul seeking strategic leverage in negotiations with President Trump, particularly concerning New York's congestion pricing program. The vote, had it proceeded, would have allowed Hochul to delay a special election for Representative Elise Stefanik's seat, potentially destabilizing Republican control in the House. The abrupt decision risks alienating key allies, including top House Democrat Hakeem Jeffries, who advocated for the proposal.
...the governor told them she was seeking to gain leverage in separate negotiations with President Trump over the future of the state's new congestion pricing program.
If lawmakers had followed through, the vote would almost certainly have antagonized Mr. Trump by giving Ms. Hochul the power to delay until November a special election.
The governor's intervention threw the future of the special election proposal into doubt and risked alienating a key ally: Representative Hakeem Jeffries.
It was not immediately clear if Mr. Trump had expressed dissatisfaction about the bill to the governor, causing her to call off the vote.
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