Monday, April 28, 2025
Rep. Laura Gillen grilled fellow Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams during a House Oversight Committee hearing on March 5, where Gillen, challenged his leadership and declared she had “no confidence” in his ability to run the city.
The tense exchange escalated when Adams shot back, “But you don’t live in New York City, you live on Long Island.”
Gillen, a former town supervisor and first-term congresswoman representing most of the South Shore of Nassau County, asked to participate in the hearing despite not being a member of the Republican-led committee. The hearing saw Adams facing bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who accused him of betraying his constituents and bowing to federal immigration policies in exchange for leniency in a Justice Department corruption probe.
Some lawmakers called for Adams to resign, citing what they described as mismanagement of city resources and a failure to stand up to federal pressure on immigration enforcement. Adams refused to directly answer questions from Democrats about whether he discussed his criminal case with President Donald Trump and his team.
The clash between Adams and Gillen became one of the most contentious moments of the hearing. Gillen finished her remarks, telling the mayor: “You should resign, and I said that before you made your deal with Donald Trump.” The comment, again, prompted Adams to respond: “Thank God you don’t live in New York City.”
“Everything in the city affects my constituents, Mayor,” Gillen replied.
Before questioning Adams, Gillen remarked that the border crisis had overwhelmed schools, law enforcement, and local governments. She argued that his administration’s response over the past two years had “compounded the crisis” by offering not only food and shelter to migrants but also financial assistance in the form of debit cards.
Adams continued to plead his case, saying he did nothing wrong when pressed about the Department of Justice’s move to suspend the charges last month.
“There’s no deal,” he said. “No quid pro quo. And I did nothing wrong.”
After taking the oath alongside other mayors at the hearing, Adams spoke in support of sanctuary cities, emphasizing their role in protecting law-abiding immigrants. He pointed to declining crime rates in New York City while stressing the importance of working with federal authorities to target violent gangs and those who exploit children.
“Comprehensive immigration reform is long overdue,” he said. “While the solution is not within my control, as a mayor, I am committed to working with federal officials — no matter who is president — to go after violent gangs and those who harm residents of our city.”
