Three progressive New York City Council members are losing their roles as committee chairs

Three of the most progressive members of the New York City Council were removed from their committee chairmanships on Wednesday, eroding the power of the body's left-wing faction and raising concerns that the actions of the chair, Adrienne Adams, were retaliatory.

The three members, Tiffany Cabán, a council member from Queens; Shahana Hanif, a council member from Brooklyn; and Chi Ossé, a Brooklyn council member, had gone against Ms. Adams, voting against the city's $107 billion budget in June.

They argued that the budget included unnecessary cuts that would harm vulnerable New Yorkers.

“I cannot tell you with any certainty what considerations went into this decision, but I can say that I would not change a thing about the past two years, not one statement, not one oversight question, not one vote, and especially not my vote against the mayor's terrible cuts,” Ms. Cabán said.

The committee changes come after Ms. Adams, a moderate Democrat, unexpectedly removed Keith Powers, a Manhattan councilman seen as one of Ms. Adams' most loyal allies, from his role as majority leader earlier this month.

Amanda Farías, a council member from the Bronx, was named as the new majority leader, and her rise, Ms. Adams noted, marked the first time that all leadership positions on the Council would be held by women of color.

A spokesman for Ms Adams, Mandela Jones, said the claims of retaliation were misleading. “The appointment of committee chairs is determined based on the interests of the Council as a body and not on the basis of the individuals,” he said.

The latest committee changes were criticized as “shameful” and retaliatory by left-wing elected officials who said the moves would “disenfranchise” voters from their colleagues.

“When our elected leaders prioritize political retaliation and settling scores, the people of New York State are the ones who lose,” Phara Souffrant Forrest, a member of the State Assembly from Brooklyn and a democratic socialist, wrote on social media.

Ms Cabán will no longer lead the Commission on Women and Gender Equality; Mr. Ossé will no longer serve as chairman of the Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations.

Ms Hanif was not reappointed as chair of the Immigration Commission, but it is expected she will be appointed co-leader of a task force on hate.

Committee assignments are often seen as a way to reward or punish council members. Justin Brannan, the chairman of the powerful Finance Committee, was given that role after he withdrew from the race to become speaker and endorsed Ms. Adams.

Not everyone who voted against the budget in June lost the opportunity to lead a committee.

Sandy Nurse, a Brooklyn council member who voted against the budget, was not reappointed as chair of the Sanitation Commission. Instead, she will serve as chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, an issue that will be front and center for the speaker over the next two years.

Alexa Avilés, a Brooklyn councilwoman, is expected to become the next chairwoman of the Immigration Commission. Carmen De La Rosa, a council member from Upper Manhattan, is expected to remain chair of the Labor Committee and Jennifer Gutiérrez, a council member from Brooklyn, will remain chair of the Technology Committee.

Lincoln Restler, a Brooklyn councilman who voted against the budget but has not led a committee, is expected to lead the Government Operations committee.

The committee assignments are not yet final and are subject to change.

This is not the first time Ms. Adams has been criticized for alleged retaliation against Council members who did not support the budget.

In 2022, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused her of playing “dirty politics” against several progressive Council members who voted against the budget by cutting discretionary funding usually used to support community groups.

“Who funds after-school programs for underprivileged children in public housing to score a political point?” Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said during a social media broadcast.

Some worried that the changes would disrupt a city council that has been united in opposition to the way Mr. Adams deals with the influx of migrants and his unpopular cuts to crucial city services. (Mrs. Adams is not related to the mayor.)

In July, the Council overrode the mayor's veto of a plan to expand the housing voucher program. Last month, the Council passed legislation requiring reporting of police stops and banning solitary confinement in the city's jails, despite Mr. Adams' objections.

Ms Hanif said she remains optimistic that the council's work on issues such as criminal justice and the influx of migrants will continue.

“This won't slow us down,” she said.