Gov. Kathy Hochul didn't mince words Tuesday, calling out Republicans in Washington as they hold up a stopgap spending agreement to avert a national shutdown she's concerned might further delay working permits for Venezuelan migrants. 

She's concerned about the impacts a potential federal closure would have on New York as the U.S. Labor Department prepares to allow thousands of Venezuelan migrants in the state to be authorized to work. Hochul's uncertain if federal staffers in the Labor Department will continue to come to work during a shutdown.

"I don't know the status of those workers, I mean, whether or not they're considered essential or not," Hochul said, adding a closure would also likely impact the ability and productivity of other support services.

The governor met with members of her cabinet in the state Capitol on Tuesday morning with fewer than four days to go until a federal government shutdown as congressional leaders battle over spending cuts. 

"Republicans in Washington are reckless; their words have an impact," she told reporters after the meeting. "...It's not positive news when the markets and the rest of the world and investors and every day people hear that they have individuals representing our nation in Washington who are willing to bring us to the brink once again and literally jump off the cliff."

President Joe Biden's senior advisor and assistant to the president Tom Perez joined the cabinet meeting by Zoom. Perez has been in regular contact with Hochul and her top aides since July through New York's struggle to provide shelter and services to asylum seekers arriving in record numbers, with the majority from Venezuela.

The state Department of Labor will release more details about its portal to help match Venezuelan migrants with jobs they're qualified for within the next week or so, Hochul said.

Hochul says the conversations with the president's administration are helping the state get in a better place, but it's uncertain with the threatening shutdown.

The state will likely commit at least another $1.7 billion next year — the same as included in the 2023-24 state budget — to help the city house migrants, provide legal assistance and other services. 

It's part of plans for agencies to keep spending flat as the state faces a $36 billion deficit over three years.

Hochul said Tuesday there are no talk of spending cuts amid the shortfall, and she doubled down on the state's record spending in recent years while it was flush with cash, which has since dried up. The latest $229 billion budget was the highest in state history.

"We are still investing more than any administration in history, but we have to be smart about our investments and not let the assumption be that we can always continue at that pace," she said.

A commission of national experts are advising Hochul and state leaders about the best path forward to stupport New York's health care and Medicaid — the state's No. 1 driver of spending, and where to find savings.

"How we can focus on doing things smarter... cuts, consolidation, whatever has to happen, but we're looking for their recommendations," Hochul said.

But as the fiscal picture and impact on new arrivals remains uncertain, Hochul says state officials must be ready to shift their response. 

"We have to be ready for all scenarios, and that's our job," she said.