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REMARKS
Council Member Shekar Krishnan nominates Julie Menin for Speaker
0:29:18
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3 min
Council Member Shekar Krishnan nominated Julie Menin for Speaker, focusing on her record of defending immigrant communities and her resilience in legal battles against federal overreach.
- Recounted Menin's success as Census Director in fighting the Trump administration's citizenship question at the Supreme Court
- Emphasized her role in securing federal funding for schools, healthcare, and social services during the pandemic
- Discussed their collaboration on the Wavemakers swim program for high-need areas in Queens and the Bronx
- Outlined a vision for the Council to protect tenants and hold large corporations accountable under her leadership
Shekar Krishnan
0:29:18
Good afternoon.
0:29:20
I am proud to be here today nominating council member Julie Menon to be our next leader and city council speaker.
0:29:27
A speaker to lead this body must be relentless in fighting for New Yorkers and defending our values.
0:29:32
Whether it's street vendors facing Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign or the Uber and Lyft drivers of our city trying to get answers after being unfairly fired from billion dollar tech companies, I know that this council always stands up for New Yorkers and takes on those fights.
0:29:47
We need a leader who is willing to back us up and fight right next to us, who has taken on Donald Trump, big corporations, and anyone who stands between New Yorkers and justice and who has won in those fights.
0:30:00
Julie Menon is that leader.
0:30:03
She has a clear and bold vision for the job and the proven track record to execute on that vision.
0:30:09
She has done that time and again in city government.
0:30:12
For example, Julie stepped up to serve as New York City census director at a moment of extraordinary challenge.
0:30:20
The stakes were enormous during the pandemic.
0:30:22
Over $1,000,000,000,000 in federal funds over the next decade for New York New York schools, health care, housing, and social services were on the line.
0:30:31
When the Trump administration attempted to undermine the census by adding a citizenship question, which matters to communities like mine in Jackson Heights, Elmhurst, and Woodside Queens, a question designed to suppress participation among immigrant communities, Julie fought back.
0:30:47
Working alongside attorney general Leticia James, she helped take the fight all the way to the supreme court and won.
0:30:55
Time and again, when the federal government tried to manipulate the census to deprive our city's resources and look past our immigrant communities like my own, Julie stood firm and fought back.
0:31:07
This type of fight that Julie brings into our body, this is the type of fight that Julie brings into our body.
0:31:13
She's willing to take on the long fights for all New Yorkers.
0:31:16
And I know this because I've worked with Julie, not only as a fellow lawyer in the city council, but also in my capacity as Parks chair to create long lasting change for New Yorkers.
0:31:28
You see, together with legislation and $1,000,000 in funding from philanthropy, Julie and I created Wavemakers, the most comprehensive free swim program for children in the highest need areas of our city when it comes to swimming, from Jackson Heights, Queens to the Northwest Bronx, ensuring that all New Yorkers get access to swim programs, not just the wealthiest New Yorkers.
0:31:52
Julie looks at every problem the same way.
0:31:55
She looks at every problem New Yorkers face with the same dedication, and she will lead to make sure everyone in our city can thrive.
0:32:04
Under speaker Bannon's leadership, I know we will deliver a truly affordable city by investing in programs that matter to New Yorkers.
0:32:12
We will improve our parks and public spaces.
0:32:15
We will hold predatory billion dollar companies accountable, and we will protect tenants.
0:32:20
We will take on the hard fights for New Yorkers and win.
0:32:24
I'm confident that with Julie Menon as speaker, our city council will fight for all New Yorkers, and that is exactly why I proudly nominate her as our speaker.
Michael McSweeney
0:32:42
Thank you.