More than 600 people turned out at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, with a many shouting their opinions from the crowd. Lawler, who represents the 17th District, was criticized over his support for President Trump and many of the administration’s policies.
He was especially grilled over his support for Congress’ recent budget framework, which calls for a renewal of Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and extensive cuts to federal spending. Democrats warn those cuts could come from Medicaid, Social Security benefits, and more.
Lawler refutes this, however.
“I've been very clear. I will not support a reconciliation bill that cuts Medicaid benefits to eligible recipients," he says. "And I will not support a reconciliation bill that does not lift the cap on [State and Local Tax Deductions]. Period."
The budget isn’t finalized, and the extent of the cuts is undecided: the House budget framework calls for at least $1.5 trillion in cuts, while the Senate's minimum is just $4 billion — a number Lawler emphasized Sunday.
That said, Lawler says cuts will have to be made somewhere to address a growing budget deficit. He does support a few changes to Medicaid: one would reverse a Biden Administration rule allowing eligibility to be checked annually instead of quarterly; and another would impose work requirements on able-bodied adults without children.
“If you are an able-bodied adult without dependents, work requirements are imperative," says Lawler, prompting protest from the crowd. "Because the objective of Medicaid — folks, Medicaid is a means-tested program that is intended to help people who need it. It is not intended for someone to stay on it permanently.”
Lawler blamed the Biden Administration multiple times during the 90-minute forum. Asked what he thought of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal to communicate sensitive information about military operations, Lawler says he disapproves of it, but:
“Those operations themselves have gone well," he adds. "Now what I find interesting is, in the last administration, Secretary Austin oversaw the disastrous withdrawal in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members. If you do not believe that there should be accountability for that, then why are we demanding a resignation based on a communication?”
Lawyer also pushed back on concerns over President Trump’s tariffs, arguing they could open the international market to more U.S. products.
The congressman received more positive feedback when expressing his support for vaccines. He also says he disagrees with the wrongful deportation of U.S. citizens and legal residents, including Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is still being held at a prison in El Salvador despite a Supreme Court order directing the Trump Administration to “facilitate” his return.
Asked what he is doing to enforce the order, Lawler called on the administration to follow it.
"They should follow the court orders, period," he says. "And obviously, the courts are going to weigh in again here.”
Lawler says he believes the administration will ultimately follow the orders. But that answer wasn’t good enough for the crowd.
“You’ve told us what the administration should do," one attendee noted. "Our question to you is: what is Congress going to do to help enforce what should be done by the administration?”
“If they do not [follow the court order], the court will intervene to enforce their order," Lawler emphasized, drawing more protests from the crowd. "Folks, that is the process. The court will be the one that intervenes to enforce their court order. If they do not then abide by it, Congress has oversight responsibility, and should utilize it.”
Regarding cuts at the Social Security Administration, Lawler shared frustration with attendees over the continued closure of the office in West Nyack, and the planned closure of the hearing office in White Plains. The White Plains hub handles Social Security disputes for much of the Hudson Valley, and is expected to close at the end of May.
Lawler says the West Nyack office was supposed to reopen last September after renovations, but construction didn’t even start until the end of last year. Now, he says it’s scheduled to reopen this September — and when it does, he wants it to include a hearing office.
“So that everybody in our area has the ability to utilize that without having to travel," he explains. "Now, 80-plus percent of the hearings are now virtual because technology has obviously been extremely helpful. But for those that need the physical location, my objective is to get a solution with the administration that includes using the Rockland office as a field hearing office for those who need it.”
Lawler previously joined New York Congressman George Latimer, a Democrat from the 16th District, in offering to move the White Plains office to a Westchester County-owned building. That offer was rejected by the federal government.
Lawler plans to hold three more town halls over the next few months. The next one is scheduled for Westchester County in May, but an exact date and location hasn't been released yet.
