Sanctity of Life? Hochul's Record Proves She's No Guardian of Freedom

A Statement from Assemblyman David DiPietro (R,C-East Aurora)

I am appalled, yet utterly unsurprised by Gov. Kathy Hochul’s shameless op-ed attempting to justify her support for the Medical Aid in Dying Act. This isn’t compassion; it’s a dangerous assault on the sanctity of life, dressed up in flowery rhetoric about “individual choice” and “bodily autonomy.” But coming from Hochul, it’s nothing more than rank hypocrisy from a governor who has spent her entire tenure trampling on the very freedoms she now pretends to champion.

I have always opposed assisted suicide in any form because it cheapens life and opens the door to coercion against the vulnerable. But Hochul’s sudden epiphany on “limited government” and “personal decisions” is laughable when you look at her record.

This is the same governor who preaches bodily autonomy while imposing draconian mask and vaccine mandates on private businesses, schools and workers, firing heroes like nurses and firefighters who dared to question the science on mask efficacy or the risks of experimental mRNA shots. She shut down livelihoods, divided communities and wielded the government like a hammer against dissenters, all in the name of “public health.” Where was her respect for individual discretion then? Hypocrite.

She invokes her Catholic faith and quotes priests at funerals to sell this moral abomination, yet she had no qualms about lighting up every state landmark in transgender flag colors on Easter Sunday, the holiest day on the Catholic calendar. That wasn’t inclusivity, that was a spiteful slap in the face to millions of faithful New Yorkers, including myself, who hold those traditions sacred. If she truly believed in the “sanctity of life” she mentions, she wouldn’t be waging culture wars that mock our values while pushing policies that end lives prematurely.

Her so-called commitment to “broad individual rights” is laughable. Hochul has forced through electric mandates that ban gas stoves, phase out gas vehicles, and declare war on affordable gas-powered heating all at the expense of our wallets and our right to choose what’s best for our families. New Yorkers are fleeing this state in record numbers because of her radical green agenda and party-line politics, which prioritize elite donors over everyday liberty. She’s turned the Empire State into an exodus zone, and now she wants us to believe she’s the guardian of personal freedom? Please.

The truth is, Kathy Hochul is a pathological liar who will say anything to cling to power. We saw it with congestion pricing: She misled voters before the election, only to ram it through afterward, socking working families with more fees. We saw it again when she feigned support for our corrections officers, then closed another prison in the 115th District just days after their special election. And mark my words, she’ll do the same with her all-electric appliance mandates by promising relief now, then double down after November. This op-ed? She didn’t write a word of it. It’s a ghostwritten pablum, totally at odds with her heavy-handed actions over the years.

Gov. Hochul, your phoniness is on full display. New Yorkers are smart. They see you warp principles to suit your ambitions. The people see through your lies and come election day, they’ll hold you accountable.

Assemblyman David DiPietro represents the 147^th Assembly District, which includes parts of Erie and Wyoming counties.