NYSNA Nurses, Union Healthcare Workers, Advocates, and Elected Officials Come Together to Raise Up Budget Priorities in the Face of National Threats to Healthcare
For immediate release: March 10, 2026
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
NYSNA NURSES, UNION HEALTHCARE WORKERS, ADVOCATES AND ELECTED OFFICIALS COME TOGETHER TO RAISE UP BUDGET PRIORITIES IN THE FACE OF NATIONAL THREATS TO HEALTHCARE
Hundreds of NYSNA members head to the state capitol to demand that Albany pass a budget that invests in safe patient care with safe staffing enforcement, fair hospital funding, support for the nursing workforce, and quality healthcare for all.
Albany, N.Y.– On Tuesday, March 10, hundreds of New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses and healthcare professionals descended on the state capitol for their annual lobby day. In the face of major national threats from the Trump administration to healthcare, nurses called on state legislators to invest in and protect quality care for all New Yorkers.
New York’s healthcare system and workers are facing major threats from the federal Trump administration, whose One Big Beautiful Bill Act will tear healthcare coverage from more than a million New Yorkers and drastically cut billions in healthcare and hospital funding. They are demanding an equitable budget to support the communities and healthcare workers who need it most. NYSNA nurses are asking state legislators to protect New Yorkers and:
- Ensure that all New Yorkers have high-quality healthcare through fair funding for public and safety net hospitals, protecting care for immigrant New Yorkers, saving essential but “unprofitable” healthcare services, and enacting the New York Health Act to guarantee universal, single payer healthcare for all New Yorker
- Raise revenues to fund healthcare and keep hospitals open for care by taxing corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
- Improve safe staffing levels and enforcement of our state’s staffing laws to protect quality patient care.
- Protect nursing practice standards and patient safety by strictly regulating the use of artificial intelligence, telehealth, hospital-at-home, and other emerging healthcare technology or modes of delivering care to ensure they are safe and equitable.
- Fix Tier 6 to recruit and retain enough nurses and healthcare workers in the public sector.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “After winning a historic strike in New York City that secured strong contracts that improve patient care we’re taking our call to the halls of power at the state level to ensure thatpatients are defended and nurses are able to give the best care possible. The federal attacks on healthcare will strip coverage from more than a million New Yorkers. But New York state has the opportunity to step in and do the right thing to safeguard care by ensuring that your care is not determined by your zip code, nationality, gender identity and more. The moment to take action is now!”
Sonia Lawrence, RN, BSN, at Lincoln Hospital and president of NYSNA’s NYC H+H/Mayorals Executive Council, said,“Public and safety net hospitals are the backbone of New York’s health system and require fair funding to weather federal attacks and keep services and hospitals open for care. If our public and safety net hospitals don’t get fairly funded, the private hospitals that rely on us to maintain their profitability will also suffer. This is not about patchwork funds; it’s about supporting an entire system. The legislature must also fix Tier 6 public sector pension benefits, which will improve nurse staffing and quality care.”
John Batson, RN, at Erie County and NYSNA Western Regional Director, said, “There has never been a more urgent time to enact the New York Health Act. We are watching the slow erosion of our public system at the federal level. But it doesn’t have to end there. This is our opportunity to enact real change and guarantee universal, single-payer healthcare for all New Yorkers. It will save the state untold amounts of money. More importantly, it will help improve the care that is always under attack, and that is for the most vulnerable—maternal health, mental healthcare, emergency care, and more."
Victoria Davis-Courson, MSN, RN, at UVM-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital and NYSNA Eastern Regional Director, said, “Our world is changing fast and we need to make sure that the changes that happen to nursing practice and patient care happen with a nurses’ voice at the table. We need to regulate the use of AI, telehealth, hospital-at-home, and other healthcare technology or modes of delivering care to ensure that they are safe. If we are not vigilant, we will have technology that does not work for patients, that reproduces biases, that makes our jobs more difficult, and that merely increases the profits of for-profit investors and large healthcare systems at the expense of real human quality care.”
Senator Jessica Ramos, Chair of Committee on Labor, said, “In a state as wealthy as New York, no one should have to worry about whether their hospital will stay open or whether there will be enough nurses to care for them. Nurses are on the front lines of patient care, and they deserve a budget that backs them up. That means fair funding for our hospitals, real enforcement of safe staffing laws, protecting patient safety as new technologies emerge, and fixing Tier 6 so we can recruit and retain the nurses our communities depend on. Our healthcare system must put patients and workers first, not profits.”
Senator Nathalia Fernandez said, “Across New York, nurses show up every day for patients, families, and communities. As we finalize the state budget, we have a responsibility to stand with them by strengthening safe staffing standards and ensuring every New Yorker can access quality care.”
Senator Robert Jackson said, “Nurses across New York are raising the alarm about a healthcare system stretched beyond safe limits, and Albany must listen. Protecting patient care means enforcing safe staffing laws, investing in public and safety-net hospitals, regulating emerging technologies like AI and telehealth, and ensuring that every New Yorker—regardless of income or immigration status—can access quality care. A just budget must strengthen the nursing workforce, fix Tier 6, and put the health of our communities ahead of corporate profits.”
Senator Zellnor Myrie said, “New York's nurses are there for us when we need them. Now it's time to pass a budget that stands up for our nurses. We must address the staffing crisis, ensure safe standards of care and protect healthcare access for all New Yorkers. I'm proud to stand with NYSNA, today and every day.”
Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said, “Our nurses work day in and day out to ensure that New Yorkers have access to the highest quality of care possible, and that means that they need the investments and conditions to make that possible. In my role as a legislator, I will always continue fighting for safe staffing levels and a strong nursing workforce. I am keeping our nurses’ priorities top of mind during the ongoing budget process.
Assembly Member Harry Bronson, Chair of Assembly Labor Committee, said, “NYSNA nurses are the backbone of New York’s healthcare system. As Assembly Labor Chair, I am calling for investments in this year’s state budget that support safe staffing ratios, fair hospital funding and increasing our healthcare workforce. These budget inclusions are essential to ensuring equitable, high-quality care for every New Yorker.
Assembly Member Amy Paulin, Chair of Assembly Committee on Health, said, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system. At a time when federal actions threaten healthcare coverage and funding, it is more important than ever that New York invests in our hospitals, supports our nursing workforce, and enforces safe staffing standards. I’m proud to stand with NYSNA nurses as we fight for a budget that ensures quality care for all.”
Assembly Member Michael Durso said, “Whether it’s in hospitals, clinics, schools, or long-term care facilities, nurses are often the steady hand and reassuring voice people rely on during their most difficult moments. I stand with nurses in their fight for the respect and support they deserve and thank them for the sacrifices they make to keep our families healthy and safe.”
Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “As a nurse, I welcome NYSNA to Albany. Today, hundreds of nurses from every corner of New York have come to share their stories of dedication, sacrifice, and a healthcare system stretched to its breaking point. For 41 days this year, nurses were forced to strike: not for luxury, but for basic protections like fair benefits and health insurance. That should never happen in a system built to care for others. When people hear the word ‘nurse,’ they often think only of RNs. But our hospitals run on entire care teams which include LPNs, CNAs, PCTs, and so many others. When staffing is stretched thin and corners are cut, patients feel the consequences. No healthcare worker should struggle to pay rent while executives take home millions. Our healthcare system is buckling under corporate greed, and our patients, our nurses, and communities across New York deserve better.”
Assembly Member Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas said, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system. Every day, they ensure that our hospitals run and that patients across New York receive the care they need. I stand with the hundreds of nurses speaking out about the urgent need to address the staffing crisis, protect nursing practice standards, and guarantee safe patient care. Ensuring that our healthcare system is properly staffed and that nurses have the support and respect they deserve is essential to delivering high-quality care and expanding equitable access to healthcare for all New Yorkers,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas.
Assembly Member Nily Rozic said, “Nurses have shown time and again that they are powerful advocates for patient safety and quality care. Albany must have their backs by protecting healthcare access for every New Yorker, safeguarding standards of care, fixing Tier 6 to help recruit and retain nurses, and making the investments needed to keep hospitals open and communities healthy. New York must lead with an equitable budget that supports patients, healthcare workers, and the communities that depend on them.”
Assembly Member Angelo Santabarbara said, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and every New Yorker depends on their skill, compassion, and dedication,” said Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara. “At a time when healthcare funding and coverage are under threat, it is more important than ever that we stand with our nurses and invest in safe staffing, strong hospitals, and a healthcare system that puts patients first. I’m proud to stand with the nurses of the New York State Nurses Association and as we continue working to ensure we have the resources and protections needed to deliver the safe, high-quality care families deserve.”
Assembly Member Amanda Septimo said, “Lobby Day is a powerful reminder that our nurses and healthcare workers deserve strong partners in Albany. In New York City, and especially in the Bronx where safety-net hospitals are lifelines for working families, investing in safe staffing and fair hospital funding is critical to protecting patient health. I will continue championing our nurses and fighting for a state budget that strengthens our healthcare workforce and ensures every New Yorker can access safe, high-quality services."
Assembly Member Tony Simone said, “Our healthcare system should protect patients and the workers who care for them, not push them to the breaking point. Right now, nurses and patients across New York face pressures that threaten safe and reliable care. We must strengthen enforcement of hospital safe staffing laws, protect nursing practice standards as care models like telehealth and hospital at home expand, and fix Tier 6 so healthcare workers can retire with dignity.
Assembly Member Phil Steck said, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and they are often the first to see when our hospitals and healthcare workers are stretched too thin. If we want New Yorkers to receive safe, quality care, we need to make sure our hospitals are properly funded, our staffing laws are enforced, and we are doing everything we can to recruit and retain nurses in our healthcare system. I am proud to stand with NYSNA nurses on their Lobby Day as they push for the resources and policies needed to protect patients and strengthen healthcare for all New Yorkers. I have the utmost respect for NYSNA and the nurses they represent."
Assembly Member Al Taylor said, “Our nurses are the backbone of New York’s healthcare system. Every day they advocate not only for their patients, but for safer hospitals, stronger staffing standards, and equitable access to care for every community. As we work through this year’s budget, we must ensure that our healthcare system is funded in a way that protects both the people receiving care and the professionals providing it. Safe staffing, fair hospital funding, and respect for the nursing workforce are not optional—they are essential to the health and dignity of New Yorkers across this state.”
In their discussions with legislators, NYSNA nurses shared the most pressing threats to nursing and patient care today and offered solutions. They spoke about securing fair hospital funding, ensuring every New Yorker has access to quality care, and demanded elected officials do their part to support the nursing workforce. They called The Brooklyn Hospital Center to account for refusing to pay nurses’ health benefits and demanded that hospitals prioritize patients and frontline workers in their fiscal decisions. With federal attacks on healthcare and patients’ rights, New York must do its part to safeguard and invest in healthcare across the state.
Earlier this year, nearly 15,000 NYSNA nurses went on the largest strike in New York City history. They won strong contracts that protect nurses and patients.
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The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.