Biden spoke to Hochul before swearing-in

President Biden spoke with Kathy Hochul on Monday before she was sworn in as governor of New York and expressed a desire to host her at the White House sometime in the future.

“He congratulated her on her new job and historic role as the next governor of New York,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.

“They talked of their shared time at Syracuse University, and Gov. Hochul told the president she wanted to visit Washington to meet with him to discuss infrastructure and how to work together to improve the lives of New Yorkers. The president looks forward to hosting her at a future date,” Psaki added.

Hochul, the former lieutenant governor, was sworn in as New York’s governor at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, replacing Andrew Cuomo and becoming the state’s first female governor.

Psaki had indicated earlier this month that Biden planned to speak with Hochul after Cuomo announced plans to resign following a state attorney general investigation that found he sexually harassed multiple women who worked for the state.

Hochul also participated in a call with Biden and other governors, including Cuomo, over the weekend about preparing for Hurricane Henri, which hit the Northeast earlier this week. The governors of Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine and New Jersey also participated in the call.