Bruce Blakeman campaigned Friday with House Speaker Mike Johnson and said it was important to keep Johnson in his post, drawing criticism from Kathy Hochul's campaign over the effect of federal Medicaid and SNAP cuts on New Yorkers.
Johnson in turn praised Blakeman as a strong candidate and said he would get the job done.
The Hochul campaign said Johnson led House Republicans last year in passing a bill that made historic cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The campaign blamed the measure for nearly 500,000 New Yorkers losing health coverage, including nearly 30,000 people in Nassau County.
The release also cited previous comments in which Blakeman said he would cut Medicaid in half and bring in a cost-cutting team.
Hochul campaign spokesperson Ryan Radulovacki said Blakeman's appearance with Johnson showed his support for President Donald Trump's agenda. Radulovacki said New York families are being squeezed by cuts to food and health assistance.
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