Governor Hochul: “My philosophy in life and in government — you raise the bar high, but when you hit it, you raise it even higher. And that's what we're going to do next with this program — $7 billion invested into disadvantaged communities.”

Hochul: “The work we're doing is better when we bring in diverse voices and make sure all communities and people are represented, and also make sure that women have a chance in as many of these male dominated fields because the doors have not been opened to them. I know what that's all about. I'm in a male dominated field myself. I understand, we need more people's voices.”

Earlier on Sep 30th, Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks at The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s “Meet The Primes” MWBE event. The MTA is committing to awarding a historic amount to historically underutilized businesses as part of its recently announced 2025-2029 capital plan, with $6.5 billion to $7.5 billion in contracts to be awarded to New York State Certified Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprises, Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses, and/or Disadvantaged Business Enterprises.

VIDEO of the event is available on YouTube here and in TV quality (h.264, mp4) format.

AUDIO of the Governor’s remarks is available.

PHOTOS of the event are available on the Governor's Flickr page.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning, everyone. This is a day of new possibilities. When we have nine prime contractors who are waiting to do some speed dating with many of you to find the perfect match — the match made in heaven. It's going to lift up your companies into the stratosphere because that's what we believe in.

I will tell you my history with MWB goes back a long way. I helped my mother start a small business, I helped my sister start a small business, and as the only lawyer in the family, they always made me do the paperwork. I will tell you; I was so close to pulling my hair out. Like, you have to be kidding me. And the frustration that just my own family members felt. And then when I became Lieutenant Governor, working so closely with Lourdes — I want to give you a round of applause, Lourdes, because you are a transformation agent. You have turned this program around.

Now I go all over the State, and there’s this annual convention every year in Albany — and all I heard was, “Why does it take so long for MWBs to be certified? Why do you go into this death spiral waiting and waiting and waiting?” And I said, “It's going to end.” And when I became Governor, it was 500 days of waiting, waiting and waiting to find out what your future was. And I said, “That's unconscionable.” And on Sep 30th, State FW certification takes 60 to 90 days because I put the money and the resources to change that.

I also know that the work we're doing is enhanced. It's better when we bring in diverse voices and make sure all communities and people are represented, and also make sure that women have a chance in as many of these male dominated fields because the doors have not been opened to them. I know what that's all about. I'm in a male dominated field myself. But I understand. We need more people's voices.

So, we have worked hard. We've increased MWB spending — It's over $3 billion now, and that keeps getting higher and higher every single year. I'm really proud of that and I want to make sure that we continue. At the MTA, I want to thank Janno Lieber for making sure this is a top priority of his, and he'll talk to you more about it in a couple of minutes.

If you put an emphasis on something that's important, you can make the changes that we're looking for, and that's exactly what he's done in the number of MTA contracts. Forty percent of them went to MWBs last year alone. That's $800 million that has now been made available to companies like yours, and I want to make sure that we continue on this trajectory.

I will tell you this: my philosophy in life and in government — you raise the bar high, but when you hit it, you raise it even higher. And that's what we're going to do next with this program. I want even more people to have a chance to live the American dream and be able to help build our State and build our country. And that is the work we're counting on from all of you. So, I’m grateful for your support, grateful for you being here today, and making sure that we continue these massive investments — $7 billion in disadvantaged communities. And I also want to thank Janno Lieber and so many others who've been involved in this.

Janno, you don't have the easiest job in the world, and we have a certain empathy for each other and what we're dealing with. But making the trains run and also running an organization — my largest agency, over 70,000 employees — with the challenges we face, but also saying, “While we're rebuilding and we're going to continue rebuilding with our next capital plan,” that is a commitment we're making another capital plan following on the one we're funding right now — that we will have so many jobs and opportunities. So, get the word out. Help us and start hiring more people to get ready, because the future for your company has arrived.

Thank you very much, everyone. With that, let me welcome someone whose leadership I have long admired. A close partner of mine in government, and that is the chairman of the MTA, Janno Lieber.