Mike_Lawler

Mike Lawler

Mike Lawler

American politician (born 1986)

For persons of a similar name, see Michael Lawler (disambiguation).

Michael Vincent Lawler (born September 9, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 17th congressional district since 2023. From 2021 to 2022, he was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly from the 97th district in Rockland County.

Quick Facts Preceded by, Member of the New York State Assembly from the 97th district ...

Early life and education

A native of Rockland County, Lawler graduated from Suffern High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance from Manhattan College in 2009.[1] Lawler was named valedictorian of his graduating class.[2] Lawler is Roman Catholic.[3]

Career

Lawler was a partner at the political communications firm Checkmate Strategies from 2018 until 2022. He previously worked in the Westchester County Executive's Office as an advisor to Rob Astorino and executive director of the New York State Republican Party. Before winning his election, he served as deputy town supervisor of Orangetown, New York.

Lawler was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 for a two-year term, defeating Democratic incumbent Ellen Jaffee.[4][5][6]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New York § District 17

Lawler was the Republican nominee in the 2022 general election in New York's 17th congressional district, having won the August 2022 primary. He narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent and DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney in the November general election in a major upset.[7][8][9]

Tenure

On January 4, 2023, Lawler called then-newly sworn Representative George Santos's conduct "embarrassing and unbecoming" and "certainly a distraction".[10] On January 12, he called for Santos to resign.[11]

Lawler voted for Kevin McCarthy in the 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election. McCarthy was unable to win the speakership on the first 14 ballots. Lawler said of the matter, "It's time for everybody to unify. It's time for everybody to move forward because the reality is the American people didn't elect us to fight over rules."[12]

On January 9, Lawler voted in favor of the House rules package.[13] Afterward, he gave his first House speech, in favor of a bill that would defund the IRS of the money allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act.[14]

Lawler was one of five Republicans to vote against the Parents' Bill of Rights in March 2023, and the only Republican not part of the Freedom Caucus to vote against it.[15] He co-sponsored the bill, but decided not to vote for it after he said an unspecified amendment "went too far".[16]

On June 21, Lawler voted with 212 other House Republicans in favor of the censure of Rep. Adam Schiff.[17]

Along with Claudia Tenney, Lawler introduced a bill to prohibit Washington, D.C. from adopting ranked-choice voting.[18]

For much of 2023, Lawler had a policy of banning television news cameras from his town hall meetings; he rescinded the ban in early 2024.[19][20][21][22]

Caucus memberships

Committee assignments

Political positions

Lawler is an avowed moderate.[24]

Abortion

Lawler opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest or if the mother's life is at risk. He also opposes a federal ban on abortion.[25]

Congestion pricing

In 2023, Lawler opposed a plan by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to enact congestion pricing in Manhattan, New York City, one of the most traffic congested areas of the world.[26] The plan would charge most cars $15 per day to drive in Manhattan below 60th Street. Lawler argued that the congestion pricing plan was not intended to reduce congestion, but was instead an "outrageous cash grab."[27][28]

Personal life

Lawler lives in Pearl River with his wife, Doina, and their daughter.[29]

Electoral history

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References

  1. [1]
    "Mike Lawler - Assembly District 97 |Assembly Member Directory | New York State Assembly". nyassembly.gov. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  2. [2]
    Michael Lawler Commencement Speech. Michael Lawler. January 24, 2020. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via YouTube.
  3. [3]
    "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). PEW Research Center. December 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  4. [4]
    Lieberman, Steve. "Elections Update: Reichlin-Melnick wins Senate seat over Weber; Lawler unseats Jaffee". The Journal News. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  5. [5]
    i_beebe (December 7, 2020). "A new Republican in a Democratic world". City & State NY. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  6. [6]
    Rocklandreport (November 28, 2020). "Mike Lawler Declared Winner in 97th Assembly District, Jaffee Concedes". Rockland Report. Retrieved January 31, 2021.
  7. [7]
    Gronewold, Anna (August 23, 2022). "Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney routs progressive challenger in heated New York primary". POLITICO. Retrieved August 25, 2022.
  8. [8]
    McKinley, Jesse; Fandos, Nicholas (November 9, 2022). "Sean Patrick Maloney Concedes to Mike Lawler in Major Loss for Democrats". The New York Times. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  9. [9]
    Mutnick, Ally; Ferris, Sarah; Gronewold, Anna (November 9, 2022). "DCCC chair Maloney concedes defeat in New York". Retrieved November 9, 2022.
  10. [10]
    Gans, Jared (January 3, 2023). "Incoming Republican rep: Santos a distraction to GOP". The Hill. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  11. [11]
    Bellamy, Phillip Pantuso (January 12, 2023). "Lawler, Molinaro call on Santos to resign; Stefanik still silent". Times Union.
  12. [12]
    "'It's a sad day for the American people.' Rep. Lawler frustrated by lack of votes for McCarthy as House speaker". News12 New Jersey. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
  13. [13]
    "Roll Call 23 | Bill Number: H. Res. 5". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. January 9, 2023. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  14. [14]
    Lawler, Mike [@RepMikeLawler] (January 10, 2023). "Tonight, I delivered my first floor speech, supporting the Family & Small Business Protection Act, which will repeal the 87,000 new IRS agents. We need to make New York and our country more affordable and shouldn't use the IRS to target hardworking taxpayers. #CommitmentToAmerica https://t.co/sAp6k3kUWq" (Tweet). Retrieved January 15, 2023 – via Twitter.
  15. [15]
    "Roll Call 161 Roll Call 161, Bill Number: H. R. 5, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
  16. [16]
    "Michael Lawler breaks GOP ranks, votes against 'Parents Bill of Rights' he co-sponsored". www.lohud.com. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  17. [17]
    "H.Res. 521: Censuring Adam Schiff, Representative of the 30th Congressional District of California". Govtrack.us. Civic Impulse, LLC. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  18. [18]
    "Congressman Lawler Introduces Bill to Stop Ranked Choice Voting". Congressman Mike Lawler. Mike Lawler. May 25, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  19. [19]
    "Rep. Lawler bans media cameras from town hall meetings". News 12 - Westchester. December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  20. [20]
    "Lawler continues media ban: Journalists kept from Congressional Town Hall in Westchester". The Journal News. Retrieved December 19, 2023.
  21. [21]
    News 12, Cheddar- (December 17, 2023). "Rep. Lawler bans media cameras from town hall meetings". Rome Sentinel. Retrieved December 19, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. [22]
    Wilson, David McKay (January 9, 2024). "In face of criticism, Lawler rescinds press ban at his Congressional Town Halls". Poughkeepsie Journal. Retrieved January 9, 2024.
  23. [23]
    "Committees and Caucuses | Congressman Mike Lawler". lawler.house.gov. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  24. [24]
    "Speaker Johnson makes NY fundraising swing for battleground House races".
  25. [25]
    Lawler, Michael V. "Mike Lawler: On abortion, I will always advocate for life | Opinion". The Journal News. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  26. [26]
    "4 members of Congress form anti-congestion pricing caucus". PIX11. March 16, 2023.
  27. [27]
    "Congressmen Mike Lawler and Josh Gottheimer slam congestion pricing as "money grab," say it will wreck area small businesses". www.cbsnews.com. December 4, 2023.
  28. [28]
    Bellamy, Lana (December 7, 2023). "Congestion pricing closer to reality after MTA vote". Times Union.
  29. [29]
    "About Congressman Mike Lawler". Congressman Mike Lawler.
  30. [30]
    "2020 General Election Official Results" (PDF). Rockland County Board of Elections.
  31. [31]
    "August 23 Federal and State primary results". New York State Board of Elections. Archived from the original on December 3, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2022.
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