Andrew Cuomo proposes $20 minimum wage for NYC

NEW YORK CITY - New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo is proposing a $20 per hour minimum wage by 2027.

‘Put more money in people's pockets’

What we know:

Cuomo announced at a campaign rally that he will propose to raise the New York City minimum wage to $20 per hour if elected, though he would require the approval of New York Governor Kathy Hochul and the state legislature.

"New York City is unaffordable for working men and women," he said at the rally.

He referenced how 500,000 people have left New York City over the past five years. "They can't afford to live here, and that's wrong."

Though he expressed other plans to combat the affordability issue in the city, his main talking point was raising the minimum wage.

In response to potential naysayers, such as financial advisors or economic experts who might claim raising the minimum wage "would slow the economy," Cuomo had one thing to say: 

"Bologna."

The backstory:

Cuomo initially raised New York state's minimum wage to $15 per hour for most workers while serving as New York Governor in April 2016. He signaled his support as part of a deal to secure the Working Families Party's endorsement.

"We did it before and we're going to do it again."

The new minimum wage wasn't phased in until the end of 2018 for New York City.

This move made New York's minimum wage the highest in the U.S. Cuomo notes that the economy "went up" after the wage was raised.

Other plans to improve affordability

What we know:

A $20 per hour minimum wage was not the only topic of discussion at the rally. Cuomo also highlighted the lack of affordable housing.

"A lot of people talk about affordable housing, but we're not talkers, we're doers. We get the job done."

His plan is to build 500,000 affordable housing units over the course of the next decade.

But Cuomo pointed out that working families "need more than just housing."

"We need to provide free early childcare, we need to lower taxes, we need to get them transportation cost assistance," he added.

Cuomo's entire affordability plan can be read here:

Cuomo goes after Trump

The mayoral candidate stated that President Trump's recently passed "big, beautiful bill" includes cuts to Medicaid and the food stamp program, SNAP.

"We, in this city, have to protect working men and women, because [Trump] is not going to do it."

Cuomo's campaign has recently made it a point to focus its messaging on how Trump "doesn't want Andrew Cuomo as mayor," releasing a political ad in response.

Union endorsements for Cuomo

Representatives from a chapter of the United Food & Commercial Workers International Union, UFCW 1500, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) attended the rally to announce their endorsement of Cuomo.

"I am honored to receive these endorsements," Cuomo said. "We don't have union in the house, we have a movement in the house."

Cuomo's response to press

FOX 5 NY's Morgan McKay, who attended the event, reported that Cuomo left the press event without taking questions from reporters – he hasn’t taken questions from the press at a public event in over a month.

He also ran a red light during his exit, leaving out the back.

New York City