ALBANY - Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggested the Republican tax plan would "rape and pillage" New York congressional districts, drawing a rebuke from GOP House members he's frequently clashed with.
Cuomo, a Democrat, made the comment on a conference call last week with editorial page editors from newspapers across the state.
During the 47-minute call Wednesday, Cuomo repeatedly urged New York's Republican House members to resign in protest over the plan, which would repeal state and local tax deductions used by millions of New York residents.
He likened the plan's impact to "rape and pillage."
"Let (Rep.) Lee (Zeldin) say ‘I’ll resign,’" Cuomo said. "Let (Rep. Peter) King say ‘I’ll resign.’ Let (Rep. John) Faso say ‘I’ll resign. I didn’t come down to Congress to rape and pillage the people of my district.’"
Cuomo for weeks has railed against Republican efforts to reshape the federal tax code.
His criticism has largely focused on the push to repeal the state and local tax deductions, which would prevent New York residents who itemize from writing off property tax and state income tax on their federal returns.
He has repeatedly used hyperbole to help make his point, referring to two Republican House members who voted for the bill -- Reps. Chris Collins of Clarence, Erie County, and Tom Reed of Corning, Steuben County -- as "modern day Benedict Arnolds."
But Faso, a Republican from Kinderhook, Columbia County, said Cuomo's "rape and pillage" metaphor last week crossed a line.
“Gov. Cuomo’s comments are outrageous, particularly in regard to national news about sexual harassment over the past few weeks," Faso said in a statement. "He needs to be more careful in his choice of words.”
In his call with editorial board members, Cuomo urged them to be more critical of the Republican House members from New York who voted against the tax-reform bill.
Cuomo argued it wasn't enough to simply vote against the plan. Instead, he said, they should resign en masse to protest the GOP leadership's support for it.
He singled out four by name: Faso; King and Zeldin of Long Island; and Rep. Elise Stefanik of the North Country.
"If you’re sincere in protecting your district, resign," Cuomo said. "And then let’s see what your leadership says if the headline says '20 congresspeople to resign If they pass it.' Look, the New York delegation and the California delegation tell them to go to heck, this goes down."
Zeldin responded in a Facebook post, accusing Cuomo of spreading "untruthful nonsense" and trying to "divide New Yorkers."
He called Cuomo the "most nasty, vindictive, overly ambitious and self serving Governor in America."
"I'm really quite disappointed that he is left with ZERO focus or any new ideas at all on how Albany can deliver desperately needed tax relief," Zeldin wrote.
King, the longest-tenured GOP member of New York's House delegation, said he called Cuomo after hearing about his remarks.
He said he was "a little surprised" and "a little disappointed" by Cuomo's remarks.
"I called him over the weekend and he got back to me, and I'll just leave it that we, I believe, have resolved our differences," King said. "I don't resign. I stand and fight."
The Senate approved its version of the tax-reform bill early Saturday morning after the House passed its version last month.
The differences in the bills are now being reconciled by the two houses before they can vote again.
