October 12, 2025 • 6 mins
Mike Lawler has a long history of public service. Prior to being elected to the State Assembly, he served as the Deputy Town Supervisor in Orangetown and was a Senior Advisor to the Westchester County Executive.
Mike also served as Executive Director of the State Republican Party and previously founded his own government affairs and public relations firm. He graduated from Manhattan College with degrees in Accounting and Finance and was Valedictorian of his graduating class.
In Congress, Mike Lawler serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also serves on nearly 50 congressional caucuses, including as Co-Chair of the Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus, Appalachian National Scenic Trails Caucus, and the Moldova Caucus. He also serves on the bipartisan SALT Caucus and the Problem Solvers Caucus.
Mike is a lifelong Hudson Valley resident. He grew up in Rockland County and graduated from Suffern High School.
Mike also served as Executive Director of the State Republican Party and previously founded his own government affairs and public relations firm. He graduated from Manhattan College with degrees in Accounting and Finance and was Valedictorian of his graduating class.
In Congress, Mike Lawler serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also serves on nearly 50 congressional caucuses, including as Co-Chair of the Anti-Congestion Tax Caucus, Appalachian National Scenic Trails Caucus, and the Moldova Caucus. He also serves on the bipartisan SALT Caucus and the Problem Solvers Caucus.
Mike is a lifelong Hudson Valley resident. He grew up in Rockland County and graduated from Suffern High School.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a podcast from wor Now the wr Saturday
Morning Show. Here's Larry Minty. Hello and welcome to Saturday Morning.
Coming up on today's show, New York Congressman Mike Lawler
explains why he confronted Congressman and House Minority Leader Hakeem
Jeffries outside his office. You are my new hero. I
(00:24):
loved that you took the Continuing Resolution right to the
office of Hakeem Jeffries. And I know the Democrats are saying, oh,
that was self aggrandizing. I don't think that's what you're doing.
I think you wanted to show the world that all
it takes is for the Democrats to sign on and
(00:45):
the government opens back up.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Am I right, no question. I was showing two things.
Number One, there's the Queen cr on the table. We
already passed it through the House. Leader Jeffries voted no
on that measure. He voted to shut the government down,
and that it could easily be passed by Chuck Schumer
and Senate Democrats along with the Republicans to open up
(01:09):
the government. And number two, since they continue to raise
the issue of the affordable care tax subsidies, I'm already
signed on to legislation to extend it by a year.
Join me, join me on this bill. There's fourteen Republicans
eleven Democrats that are already signed on. Let's do it.
Let's extend it by a year, give people more certainty,
(01:30):
and give us time to actually fix the fundamental problem,
which is Obamacare. Because if you know, since Obamacare took effect,
healthcare premiums have risen by over sixty percent nationwide. It
didn't solve the problem it says it was intended to solve,
which was affordability. So Democrats are saying the only way
(01:51):
it's affordable is with these tax subsidies. If that's the case,
then there's something fundamentally wrong with the system, is there not?
And so my point is, look great, let's buy a year.
I'm already on this bipartisan bill. And he refused. He
wouldn't do it. And he wouldn't do it because this
isn't about healthcare. This is about Democrats shutting the government
(02:11):
down so they can show their far left base that
they're standing up to Trump. That's it, that's all this
is about. That's why the government is shut down. That's
why our military is not going to get paid next week.
That's why women and children who rely on Snap and
Wick are not going to get the benefits that they need.
It's why border patrol agents are not going to be paid.
(02:31):
It is also they can put on a show and
show their far left base that they're standing up.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, you keep saying they, and I agree with you,
but I believe it's really one man. I think it's
Chuck Schumer. I think he got scared back in March
when he signed on to the Continuing Resolution and AOC
and the left came after him. His poll numbers drop.
That's when all of the discussions started to happen about
AOC taking them on. I think that's heard him. I
(03:00):
think this is Chuck Schumer getting everybody else to follow
him so that they won't face the same backlash.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It is certainly the Schumer shut down, and I've called
it that many times, but the realitience it's both of them.
They're both petrified. You have you know. I mean, Hakeem
couldn't even answer the question about whether or not he
endorses zoorron Mandani because they're betwixt and between. He knows
he's a disaster for New York, but he can't say it,
and he can't say it because you know, you have
(03:32):
the potential of, you know, a a primary from a
New York City councilman who's close to Zorron Mandani uh.
And then of course you have AOC lurking against Schumer.
And that's what's driving this. And Schumer took a lot
of heat, as you pointed out, back in March, Jefferies, remember,
(03:52):
voted no and had his conference vote no back in March,
and they were yelling at Schumer, you got to fight,
you gotta fight. And Schumer did the right thing. Then
he kept the government open, passed the clean cr you know,
and the hypocrisy here is what I was calling out.
They previously said we need to keep the government funded
(04:13):
and open. Thirteen times under Joe Biden voted to keep
the government open with clean crs. I voted every single
time to do it. Why because shutting down the government
is idiotic and it doesn't serve the American people. And
so I pushed back when Republicans have tried to do it,
and I'm pushing back now when Democrats are doing it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
You mentioned Zura, mom, Donnie, Let's talk about him for
a second, because he put out a which I thought
was a disqualifying statement. On the anniversary of October seventh,
and a new poll was out by Quinnipiac that shows
he stayed exactly the same, Curtis Ly has stayed exactly
the same, Andrew Cuomo has gained ten points. I know
this is a tough thing to ask for. I love
(04:55):
the guy, I know him, and but is it time
for Curtis Lee to to endorse Cuomo and back out
of this thing?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, I think ultimately the only way we're going to
defeat Zoron Mondani is if it's a one on one race,
and I think between Andrew and Curtis, they have to
look at the polling. They have to look in their
hearts and do what is right by the city. And
if the pathway is not there for either one of them,
they need to get out of the way. This is
(05:26):
there's too much at stake here. This is not a joke.
This is not about party politics. This is about ensuring
that Zoan Mondani and a bout socialist who espouses some
of the most insane policies, including defunding the police, shutting
down prisons, legalizing prostitution, freezing the rent, pre busting government
(05:47):
run grocery stores, raising taxes by nine billion dollars on
an annual basis. These policies will destroy New York City,
it will cripple New York State, and it'll be disaster
for the country. And so to me, this is about country,
this is about the state and the city that we love.
(06:07):
It's not about party politics. And so they're going to
have to really look and make a determination and do
what is right by the people. If there's not a pathway,
then you need to get out.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Representative Mike Lawler my new hero for what he did
this week representing New York seventeenth District. Sarah, thank you
so much and look forward to talking to you again.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Thank you appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This has been a podcast from wor
This is a podcast from wor Now the wr Saturday
Morning Show. Here's Larry Minty. Hello and welcome to Saturday Morning.
Coming up on today's show, New York Congressman Mike Lawler
explains why he confronted Congressman and House Minority Leader Hakeem
Jeffries outside his office. You are my new hero. I
(00:24):
loved that you took the Continuing Resolution right to the
office of Hakeem Jeffries. And I know the Democrats are saying, oh,
that was self aggrandizing. I don't think that's what you're doing.
I think you wanted to show the world that all
it takes is for the Democrats to sign on and
(00:45):
the government opens back up.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Am I right, no question. I was showing two things.
Number One, there's the Queen cr on the table. We
already passed it through the House. Leader Jeffries voted no
on that measure. He voted to shut the government down,
and that it could easily be passed by Chuck Schumer
and Senate Democrats along with the Republicans to open up
(01:09):
the government. And number two, since they continue to raise
the issue of the affordable care tax subsidies, I'm already
signed on to legislation to extend it by a year.
Join me, join me on this bill. There's fourteen Republicans
eleven Democrats that are already signed on. Let's do it.
Let's extend it by a year, give people more certainty,
(01:30):
and give us time to actually fix the fundamental problem,
which is Obamacare. Because if you know, since Obamacare took effect,
healthcare premiums have risen by over sixty percent nationwide. It
didn't solve the problem it says it was intended to solve,
which was affordability. So Democrats are saying the only way
(01:51):
it's affordable is with these tax subsidies. If that's the case,
then there's something fundamentally wrong with the system, is there not?
And so my point is, look great, let's buy a year.
I'm already on this bipartisan bill. And he refused. He
wouldn't do it. And he wouldn't do it because this
isn't about healthcare. This is about Democrats shutting the government
(02:11):
down so they can show their far left base that
they're standing up to Trump. That's it, that's all this
is about. That's why the government is shut down. That's
why our military is not going to get paid next week.
That's why women and children who rely on Snap and
Wick are not going to get the benefits that they need.
It's why border patrol agents are not going to be paid.
(02:31):
It is also they can put on a show and
show their far left base that they're standing up.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Yeah, you keep saying they, and I agree with you,
but I believe it's really one man. I think it's
Chuck Schumer. I think he got scared back in March
when he signed on to the Continuing Resolution and AOC
and the left came after him. His poll numbers drop.
That's when all of the discussions started to happen about
AOC taking them on. I think that's heard him. I
(03:00):
think this is Chuck Schumer getting everybody else to follow
him so that they won't face the same backlash.
Speaker 2 (03:09):
It is certainly the Schumer shut down, and I've called
it that many times, but the realitience it's both of them.
They're both petrified. You have you know. I mean, Hakeem
couldn't even answer the question about whether or not he
endorses zoorron Mandani because they're betwixt and between. He knows
he's a disaster for New York, but he can't say it,
and he can't say it because you know, you have
(03:32):
the potential of, you know, a a primary from a
New York City councilman who's close to Zorron Mandani uh.
And then of course you have AOC lurking against Schumer.
And that's what's driving this. And Schumer took a lot
of heat, as you pointed out, back in March, Jefferies, remember,
(03:52):
voted no and had his conference vote no back in March,
and they were yelling at Schumer, you got to fight,
you gotta fight. And Schumer did the right thing. Then
he kept the government open, passed the clean cr you know,
and the hypocrisy here is what I was calling out.
They previously said we need to keep the government funded
(04:13):
and open. Thirteen times under Joe Biden voted to keep
the government open with clean crs. I voted every single
time to do it. Why because shutting down the government
is idiotic and it doesn't serve the American people. And
so I pushed back when Republicans have tried to do it,
and I'm pushing back now when Democrats are doing it.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
You mentioned Zura, mom, Donnie, Let's talk about him for
a second, because he put out a which I thought
was a disqualifying statement. On the anniversary of October seventh,
and a new poll was out by Quinnipiac that shows
he stayed exactly the same, Curtis Ly has stayed exactly
the same, Andrew Cuomo has gained ten points. I know
this is a tough thing to ask for. I love
(04:55):
the guy, I know him, and but is it time
for Curtis Lee to to endorse Cuomo and back out
of this thing?
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Well, I think ultimately the only way we're going to
defeat Zoron Mondani is if it's a one on one race,
and I think between Andrew and Curtis, they have to
look at the polling. They have to look in their
hearts and do what is right by the city. And
if the pathway is not there for either one of them,
they need to get out of the way. This is
(05:26):
there's too much at stake here. This is not a joke.
This is not about party politics. This is about ensuring
that Zoan Mondani and a bout socialist who espouses some
of the most insane policies, including defunding the police, shutting
down prisons, legalizing prostitution, freezing the rent, pre busting government
(05:47):
run grocery stores, raising taxes by nine billion dollars on
an annual basis. These policies will destroy New York City,
it will cripple New York State, and it'll be disaster
for the country. And so to me, this is about country,
this is about the state and the city that we love.
(06:07):
It's not about party politics. And so they're going to
have to really look and make a determination and do
what is right by the people. If there's not a pathway,
then you need to get out.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Representative Mike Lawler my new hero for what he did
this week representing New York seventeenth District. Sarah, thank you
so much and look forward to talking to you again.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Thank you appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
This has been a podcast from wor
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