Gov. Kathy Hochul says she will fight the federal government tooth and nail to protect the health and well-being of New Yorkers from sweeping federal cuts that will take a $300 million toll on New York state.

Hochul says the cuts to New York public health, mental health and addiction services will be devastating across the state.

These cuts come as part of a plan announced on Wednesday by the Trump administration to pull back $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related funds for local public health departments and other organizations across the country. The Department of Health and Human Services says it will stop spending money on responding to what it claims is a nonexistent pandemic.

Hochul says the cuts will impact the New York State Department of Health, Office of Addiction Supports and Services and Office of Mental Health.

She released a statement addressing the matter, saying in part:

"These [cuts] include funds that county health departments across New York are planning to use to fight disease and keep people safe. At a time when New York is facing an ongoing opioid epidemic, multiple confirmed cases of measles and an ongoing mental health crisis, these cuts will be devastating.

“Make no mistake: there is no state in this country that has the financial resources to backfill the massive federal funding cuts proposed by DOGE and Congressional Republicans. They are trying to rip apart the social safety net that lifts families out of poverty and gives everyone a shot at a middle-class life. These cuts aren't just numbers on a page – they're going to hurt real people in every corner of New York."