GOP’s Scalise Blasts Mamdani After 18 New Yorkers Froze To Death
House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) delivered a sharp rebuke of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Saturday, linking the deaths of at least 18 people during this winter’s brutal cold snap to what he described as the consequences of socialist governance.
The fatalities, confirmed by local authorities, occurred during a stretch of dangerously low temperatures across New York City and surrounding areas. Several of those who died were reportedly living on the streets.
Scalise did not mince words.
“In the middle of a storm that in New York City alone — you want to see what socialism gets you — people now have frozen to death under the leadership of the socialist Mamdani. That’s what Democrat leadership gets you,” he said.
The Louisiana Republican framed the tragedy as a stark example of failed progressive urban policy, arguing that permissive approaches to homelessness, public safety, and shelter management have left vulnerable residents exposed during life-threatening weather events.
City officials acknowledged the deaths and extended condolences to the families of those who perished. Mayor Mamdani, who assumed office in January and identifies as a democratic socialist, addressed the mounting toll last week.
“Since Friday’s press conference, one additional New Yorker lost their life on the streets of our city as a result of this cold snap. The total lives lost is now 18. Each life lost is a tragedy, and we will continue to hold their families in our thoughts,” he said last week.
Mamdani’s administration has stated that it is expanding emergency shelter capacity and coordinating outreach services. However, critics argue that progressive leadership in major cities has too often prioritized ideology over practical solutions — resulting in rising disorder, overwhelmed shelter systems, and preventable tragedies.
Homeless advocacy organizations have called for expanded housing and support services, noting that winter deaths among unsheltered individuals remain a recurring issue in large metropolitan areas. But for Republicans like Scalise, the deeper issue is governance rooted in what they see as failed socialist theory rather than accountability and law-and-order principles.
Beyond the New York controversy, Scalise also sounded the alarm over congressional Democrats’ efforts to defund portions of the Department of Homeland Security in protest of President Donald J. Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies during his second term.
Scalise warned that such political maneuvering could have sweeping consequences for everyday Americans.
“What is not funded if the Democrats get their way? They will literally shut down funding for disaster relief and FEMA,” he said.
“They want to shut down TSA. So just take Atlanta’s airport, LaGuardia [in New York City]. Those two airports alone having been shut down, if the Democrats get their way, will wreak havoc with tens of millions of Americans who just want to go see their family members, want to travel for a wedding, or whatever the case may be,” Scalise added.
“Maybe they’re trying to start a small business and want to go to another city to try to create some jobs. They won’t be able to do that because Democrats want to have a tantrum, not to defund ICE, because again, ICE is fully funded, but just because they want to cause chaos in America to get open borders,” he said.
Republicans have argued that Democrats’ opposition to President Trump’s border enforcement agenda amounts to political brinkmanship that risks undermining disaster relief, airport security, and national safety — all while ICE remains fully funded.
Meanwhile, Mamdani is facing federal scrutiny over his decision to rescind several executive orders related to antisemitism and boycotts of Israel.
According to the New York Post, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee formally launched an investigation Wednesday, citing what it described as “serious concerns” about the rollback of measures intended to combat antisemitism.
Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.) sent a letter to Mamdani questioning whether the rescission could weaken enforcement of federal civil rights protections for Jewish residents and students amid a reported rise in antisemitic incidents.
Cassidy warned that as much as $2.2 billion in federal funding could be jeopardized if the city is found to be out of compliance with civil rights requirements protecting Jewish Americans.
As President Donald J. Trump’s administration continues emphasizing law enforcement, border security, and civil rights protections nationwide, the battle over New York City’s direction highlights a broader ideological clash: centralized progressive governance versus constitutional accountability and public safety priorities.
For critics, the stakes are no longer theoretical — they are measured in lost lives, strained institutions, and billions in federal funding now hanging in the balance.