New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani holds a press conference at the New York City Office of Emergency Management as a major winter storm spreads across large swathes of the United States, January 25, 2026 in Brooklyn, New York, USA. Photo: REUTERS/Bing Guan
Republican leaders in the US Congress are sounding the alarm over the actions of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani’s administration. The mayor argues that using public resources to advance what he calls political, anti-Israel policies risks alienating Jewish residents and could violate federal funding requirements.
Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee (HELP), expanded the investigation on Monday. Investigating whether New York City officials are inappropriately incorporating geopolitical advocacy into taxpayer-funded programs. The move reflects increased scrutiny in Washington of how local governments approach Israel-related issues amid rising tensions and record levels of anti-Semitic hate crimes after the Gaza conflict.
In a new letter to Mamdani, Cassidy said he was concerned that certain cities’ efforts, particularly in public health planning, were shaping Israel in ways that undermined inclusivity and raised potential civil rights concerns. He pointed to internal discussions within the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the report of a working group that examines global conflicts, including Israel’s war against Hamas, from the perspective of “oppression” and “equity.”
“These taxpayer dollars are intended to improve the health of New Yorkers, not advance far-left policies that discriminate against Jewish families,” Cassidy said in a statement announcing the letter and the expanded investigation. “At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise, Mamdani is failing Jewish New Yorkers.”
The senator also warned that merging political advocacy with federally supported programs could jeopardize compliance with federal guidelines and jeopardize the flow of funding. His office requested documents and clarification from city officials regarding the scope and purpose of “.Participate in the Global Repression and Public Health Working Group and hand over all documents distributed at conference sessions.
A group of New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene employees reportedly formed the group in February, declaring its purpose was to examine how a supposed “global oppression” operates and impacts the health equity and well-being of specific communities in the city. During the hour-long first meeting, presenters explicitly cited the Gaza conflict as an “ongoing genocide” and framed it alongside other forms of alleged repression as linked to health outcomes. new york post Reported.
“We really evolved in response to the ongoing genocide in Palestine,” one of the presenters said, according to a video obtained by the news outlet. post. “And this task force is intended to address the growing interest among health department officials to understand the many forms of current and ongoing global oppression and how that impacts improving health equity.”
Critics, including City Council leaders, argue that the task force crossed the line by focusing on international politics and criticism of foreign governments, rather than on core public health responsibilities such as disease control, especially on city time with taxpayer-funded time and resources.
“The department’s focus on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the creation of internal ‘working groups’ organized around specific ethnic and national groups underscore the need to ensure workplace initiatives are run in a way that does not make other employees, in this case Jewish employees, feel excluded or marginalized,” Cassidy said in the letter.
“Additionally, the question remains whether the Department will engage in similar discussions through this working group or through other working groups for other ethnic and national groups affected by global geopolitical conflicts, or whether the Department’s only interest is in condemning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the exclusion of others,” the senator added. “In light of this situation, it is necessary to review whether an agency’s internal operations are structured in a manner consistent with federal antidiscrimination requirements.”
Cassidy initially announced an investigation into the matter in early February, but expanded on his request for documents in a letter this week. He also referred to recent comments from the city’s new health commissioner, Dr. Alistair Martin, who said in an interview that the department is “not going to stop working on equity” even if the federal government “comes in and interferes with our money.”
“Dr. Martin’s statements suggesting that the agency will continue to pursue certain equity initiatives despite changes in federal policy require careful consideration of the department’s compliance with federal requirements governing federally funded assistance programs,” Cassidy wrote.
His investigation comes amid continuing concerns about Mamdani’s approach to New York City’s Jewish community and anti-Semitism.
Mamdani, a far-left democratic socialist and anti-Zionist, Avid supporter of boycotting all organizations associated with Israel He has been widely accused of promoting anti-Semitic rhetoric. He has repeatedly accused Israel of “apartheid” and “genocide.” refused to recognize the right of the Jewish state to exist. and refused to specifically condemn the phrase “.”globalizing the intifada” and is associated with calls for violence against Jews and Israelis around the world.
Key members of New York’s Jewish community are expressed concern about Mamdani’s election.fearing what will happen to a city already experiencing a surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes.
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