Assemblyman Dave McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick) is continuing the fight for legislation that would allow dependents and spouses of veterans killed in the line of duty to attend SUNY or CUNY institutions at virtually no cost. In an interview this week, Gov. Cuomo said he would support the measure as a “moral obligation” to veterans’ families.

The legislation was blocked by 15 members of the Assembly Higher Education Committee after Chairwoman Deborah Glick (D-Manhattan) scoffed at the measure, calling it an “entitlement” that would cost the state “several hundreds of thousands of dollars.” This comes after the same Majority politicians approved a $175 billion budget last week that included $27 million in free college aid to illegal aliens.

“Albany politicians shamefully turned their backs on veterans this week in order to score political points,” McDonough said. “For the chairwoman to cry broke when she just wrote a check to illegal aliens to the tune of $27 million is hypocritical and a sad reflection of her conference’s priorities.

“I am pleased that Gov. Cuomo has seen the light and has pledged to sign this into law this session, but I am concerned that New York City politicians do not share the same priorities,” McDonough continued. “As a veteran, I can tell you that this is far from an ‘entitlement’ and our military families deserve better than how they were treated by some lawmakers this week.”