As Lawler Sacrifices Medicaid for Billionaire Tax Breaks, Frustrated Constituents Make Their Voices Heard

"Mike Lawler’s voting history shows that he is ok destroying the safety nets that his constituents rely on in order to give tax cuts to rich people…” - Audrey; Montebello, NY

NEW YORK — Last week, as Rep. Mike Lawler stood on the House floor, casting his vote to imperil Medicaid for millions of Americans, Empire State Voices and a group of his constituents sat down with staff in his Capitol Hill office, pleading for their Congressman to spare the life-saving program. To their dismay, they watched on the television in his office as he did the very opposite.

“Because of Medicaid, I was able to care for my elderly parents without going broke. It wasn't easy, and I relied on the staff at Medicaid to navigate the system,” said Audrey, a resident of Montebello, NY. “I was extremely disappointed that I went all the way to Washington, only to be snubbed by my Congressman and passed off to a staffer. I was even more upset to find myself sitting in Congressman Lawler’s own office, his staffer assuring me that he cares deeply about Medicaid, while the television on the wall showed us a live shot of his vote to gut the program. Mike Lawler’s voting history shows that he is ok destroying the safety nets that his constituents rely on in order to give tax cuts to rich people who would not suffer if they were made to pay their fair share.”

“Mike Lawler’s voting history shows that he is ok destroying the safety nets that his constituents rely on in order to give tax cuts to rich people.” - Audrey; Montebello, NY | CREDIT: Empire State Voices

Following the House vote, the frustrated New Yorkers joined a crowd of hundreds of other angry constituents from around the country outside the Capitol for a rally organized by Fair Share America. As Senators, Representatives, and everyday Americans took to the stage to share their stories and their frustrations, a simple message began to emerge: It’s time to prioritize hardworking Americans over a handful of billionaires and corporations. It’s time to defend Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security. It’s time to tax the rich.

Congressman Lawler maintains that there are no “identifiable cuts” to Medicaid within the legislation, an argument undermined by the fact that budget resolutions never contain explicit program cuts. Instead, the GOP budget plan calls on the Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion from the programs they oversee, a target that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office points out is mathematically impossible without steep cuts to Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Nearly 190,000 New Yorkers in Congressman Lawler’s district rely on at least one of the two programs.

 Following the House vote, the frustrated New Yorkers joined a crowd of hundreds of other angry constituents from around the country outside the Capitol. | CREDIT: Empire State Voices

“While Congressman Lawler did not have any time to meet with his constituents who had traveled hundreds of miles to see him, he did make time to attend a nationally televised town hall event with CNN that evening, where he dodged questions about the threat to Medicaid and repeated his canned line about ‘identifiable cuts,’” said Dylan Wheeler, NY-17 Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “Rep. Lawler has still yet to hold a single in-person town hall meeting in his district this year, with only vague promises of future events. He declined to attend two separate town hall events organized by frustrated constituents in his name, opting instead for a telephone town hall with pre-screened, softball questions.”

“We wanted to have a town hall with Mike Lawler, but he hasn’t been in-person at any of his town halls,” said Audrey, as she stood outside the CNN studios in D.C. “He’s here at CNN to have a town hall, but he has no town here.”

“[Mike Lawler]’s here at CNN to have a town hall, but he has no town here.” - Audrey; Montebello, NY | CREDIT: Empire State Voices

To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org

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About Empire State Voices 

Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.