Video, Audio, Photos & Rush Transcript: Governor Hochul Makes an America250 Announcement

VIDEO: The event is available to stream on YouTube here and TV quality video is available here (h.264, mp4).

AUDIO: The Governor's remarks are available in audio form here.

PHOTOS: The Governor’s Flickr page posted photos of the event here.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

 Finally arrived, and we are so excited to be here. So many months, years of anticipation, preparation, and I want to thank Chris for his leadership and making sure everything works perfectly. Right, Chris? Where'd you go? [...] Okay, there we go. So it’s in good hands, but the President of Sail4th 250 is of course, a once in a lifetime opportunity – nobody else has had the job before you. I appreciate everything you're doing. Captain Nico Melendez from the United States Naval Reserve, an honor to have you here, sir. And Captain Jonathan Andrechik, the Commander of the Sector New York Coast Guard and Captain Jonathan Boulware, President and CEO of the South Street Seaport Museum. Of course, our elected official, Julie Menin, is here as well. And any other elected officials here? Okay, good to see everybody as well. So thank you.

I have to give another report first. We're about to welcome all these individuals to our great city. We also have to give a bit of a warning because we're in for some brutally hot weather. If you'll afford me just a minute, I have to give my public service announcement to New Yorkers about what we're in store for. And we are expecting some really truly extreme heat over the next week. And if you see what's happening elsewhere, this could be potentially deadly, so I want everybody to be cognizant of this. Our meteorologists are forecasting dangerous heat starting Tuesday through Friday, with Wednesday and Thursday expected to be the hottest days. In many parts of our state, that'll exceed over one hundred degrees, and because the overnight temperatures are expected to be still elevated, many New Yorkers will not have the opportunity to really cool down after sunset. So again, heat impacts are cumulative, which means the health risks increase day after day. And with the humidity, you're not able to develop a sweat, which usually cools the body down, which is why it becomes very dangerous for adults, but also for children. So people with children, it's not the best time to take your baby for a walk in the stroller. If you're walking the dog try to minimize the outdoor time because it can be very dangerous. And everybody knows to stay hydrated, but I'm a first mom Governor, I have to tell everybody that. Stay hydrated. Make sure your water bottles are with you, and check on your neighbors – just that knock on the door just to see if someone's okay can really prevent something rather tragic from happening.

Also, there's always concern about the stress on our energy grid. This is what keeps me up at night, but we've been checking in with ISO and the Public Service Commission about our capacity. Given the brief duration of this, we should be okay, but again, if you're not home during the day, you don't need to keep the air conditioning running. Let's just be smart about conserving our energy during this time.

So our top priority is keeping New Yorkers safe and taking every step we can to prepare for this event because we are so excited that five days from now, on the Fourth of July, our Nation's 250th anniversary, you will see a New York like you've never seen before.

And I'm not just talking about the Knicks championship parade. I'm not talking about the people from around the world wearing the colors of their countries as they came – descended on this city and this region for the World Cup, which has been spectacular. But now, you're going to see 200 planes roar overhead in military flyovers. Over 30 US and allied Navy ships will anchor, and a parade of 40 vessels from around the world are going to enter into our harbor. It is going to be spectacular. It will be the largest parade of tall ships ever assembled. And yes, we provide financial support from the state because this is our birthday party, and I want to make sure it's wildly successful.

But also, major security measures have been underway. I want to reassure the public that this is something that has been table topped, strategized on, and we are prepared for working with the city, the Navy, the Coast Guard as well. Around the clock, doubling down on all of our counterterrorism measures, drone surveillance, and security across the land and the water.

Now, we also know that what is in store is going to be amazing as the whole world sails into New York's harbor, and vessels from places like Italy, Peru, and India. And leading the parade is America's tall ship, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. I want to take a moment to say to the 20,000 sailors coming to New York, "Welcome. Welcome. This is your home. We're honored to have you here." I just want to give a brief reference to the history of this area. I'm sure all of you know this, but the public will also come and have a chance to walk away with a greater sense of appreciation for this harbor and this part of our country's role in the American Revolution.

And if you've not seen Ken Burns' American Revolution documentary, I just did a podcast with him a couple of days ago, I said, "I don't think everybody knew the significance of New York State from Ticonderoga to Saratoga to this harbor to the Battle of Brooklyn, Long Island." We're where all the action was. It wasn't just Boston and Philadelphia and Yorktown. It was here in New York, and he conferred with me. He conferred that opinion of mine.

So our waterways have always been economic engines of commerce and innovation and opportunity even before Henry Hudson arrived in 1609. I think it was 1609, Henry Hudson came up through these waters, went all the way up to Albany. And you think about some of these – I mentioned the pivotal events of their country's birth. We have been on the front line of the revolution. When you think about what that meant, though, and the story was beautifully told during this documentary. Because of the perseverance of those who came before us and willing to stand up and defend a concept that was so new, so untested, but they all believed in this one common purpose, and they believed in something bigger than themselves. And that's the power that I want people to appreciate and understand and take away from this celebration, this moment we have a chance to step back and pause and realize how extraordinary this experiment that has endured for 250 years continues to be. And we have to continue fighting. These are the liberties we enjoy today. They were hard fought for, and we have to make sure that the liberties we enjoy today are there for people 250 years from now.

New York was the epicenter, and I can't think of a better way to celebrate than bring more people here, and the ships, and the excitement, and the fireworks. But also, I hope people also appreciate having the Statue of Liberty in our harbor as well. When they come and see, some for the very first time, know what that symbol of freedom has meant to people from around the world, including my own very impoverished grandparents who came on a ship as teenagers looking for a better life than they could receive back in their poor country of Ireland.

So if it wasn't for these docks and the shipyards of Brooklyn and Staten Island and all these magnificent ships, we wouldn't have the country that we have today. So we know that our water history here in New York City shaped the rest of the nation. Also, the Erie Canal, we celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal that turned this little village into an economic powerhouse that has endured for the last several hundred years.

I just want to give everybody a reminder of what's happening. It's going to be spectacular. You'll get free tickets to view the ships, a grand review of tall ships. The Navy's international naval review will be live on NBC. And also it is only the seventh time that's ever happened in history. And of course, the Macy's 50th annual fireworks on display.

So let me close by saying this. This is really our story. This is America's story, but it's all, and I'm so proud to be the Governor of this state at this moment in history, it is our story. We also have to remember that for 250 years, America has stood as that beacon of hope to the rest of the world, and here in New York City, it has always burned brightest.

We're so proud of the movements that have started here as we are about to march in a parade very shortly, the Pride Parade, and it's also a place that's shaped by generations of people who came from elsewhere — different cultures, different beliefs, different religions, different languages, carrying different traditions — but all united in that simple belief that life can be better here than where they came from. That is powerful, that is what defines us. That is our story. That's what we celebrate now. It's not a story of sameness. It's a story of unity now. Not a story of exclusion, but one of belonging. And not one of where we came from, but a story of what we're building together in this great country. And remember the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, who said, “We all may have come on different ships, but we're all in the same boat now,” and we are truly in that same boat now as we chart the sail for the next 250 years, knowing the responsibilities on all of us as keeper of that flame that was built through the sweat and the suffering and the lives that were lost in pursuit of this freedom.

Cherish this moment, my friends. Don't let this escape the awesomeness of what was created 250 years ago and how we celebrate as only New York State can do it and New York City can, because this is how we do it. We do it big. And so we're a reminder that people will say “What was it all about? What was your takeaway from this experience?” I hope when they leave after this spectacular week that so many of you worked so hard on, that they just say, “Yes, this is a great country. It is worth fighting for. It is worth preserving. It is worth keeping the freedoms." Some imperfections, but we'll always know that this is better than it ever could have been because of the people who came before us. Don't forget our sense of obligation to those who come after us as well.

So thank you very much. Happy Fourth of July. Let's get out there and celebrate. Happy birthday, America. Thank you.