¶ Overview
Lawler repeatedly promised that he would not cut Medicaid, even at one point saying he was “very clear” that he would “not support any proposal that cuts benefits or reduces services for Medicare or Medicaid.”
Then, Lawler voted for a bill that would kick 17 million Americans off their health insurance, including nearly 12 million Americans off of Medicaid. More than 32,000 New Yorkers in his district could lose their health coverage as a result of his vote. Lawler put hospitals in his district that relied significantly on Medicaid funding at-risk, including the Montefiore Nyack Hospital and Westchester Medical Center.
¶ Despite Repeatedly Promising That He Would Protect Medicaid, Lawler Voted To Take Health Coverage From New Yorkers
¶ Lawler Voted To Take Health Coverage Away from New Yorkers
¶ July 2025: Lawler Voted For The Final Version Of The Republican Reconciliation Bill
July 2025: Lawler Voted For The Senate FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Extended $4 Trillion In Expiring Tax Cuts, Added New Tax Breaks, Appropriated $448 Billion In Defense, Border, And Immigration Enforcement Funding, Increased The SALT Deduction To $40,000, And Cut Medicaid And Other Social Programs To Offset The Costs. In July 2025, Lawler voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, the “motion to concur in the Senate amendment to the bill that would permanently extend nearly $4 trillion in expiring individual and business tax cuts, create several new tax breaks and fund border and immigration enforcement and air traffic control upgrades. It would cut Medicaid and other safety net programs to partly offset the cost. Among other provisions, it would raise the statutory debt ceiling by $5 trillion and appropriate more than $448 billion in mandatory funding for Trump administration priorities and other needs, including $153 billion for defense, $89 billion for immigration enforcement, and $89.5 billion for border control and security. It also would increase the state and local tax deduction cap to $40,000 annually for five years for households making up to $500,000 a year until 2030, when it would permanently revert to $10,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 218 to 214. [House Vote 190, 7/3/25; Congressional Quarterly, 7/3/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- HEADLINE: "At Least 17 Million Americans Would Lose Insurance Under Trump Plan" [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
- The Congressional Budget Office Estimated That 11.8 Million People Would Become Uninsured As A Result Of The Medicaid Cuts In Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill. According to the Washington Post, "The bill, which narrowly passed the Senate on Tuesday and now heads back to the House, would effectively accomplish what Republicans have long failed to do: unwind many of the key components of the ACA, President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, which dramatically increased the number of Americans with access to health insurance. To start, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the Senate version of the bill would result in 11.8 million more uninsured in 2034, mostly because of Medicaid cuts, compared with 10.9 million if the House version became law." [Washington Post, 7/1/25]
¶ May 2025: Lawler Voted In Favor Of House Republicans’ Reconciliation Bill, Which Cut Medicaid
2025: Lawler Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Reconciliation Bill That Included $3.8 Trillion In Tax Cuts Offset By $1.5 Trillion In Spending Reductions To Programs Like Medicaid And The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. In May 2025, Lawler voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the bill that would provide for approximately $3.8 trillion in net tax cuts and $321 billion in military, border enforcement and judiciary spending, offset by $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, as instructed in the fiscal 2025 budget resolution (H Con Res 14). It would raise the statutory debt limit by $4 trillion and provide for increased spending on defense and border security, spending cuts on social safety net programs, such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also includes a mix of tax breaks for businesses and individuals; tax increases on universities and foundations; and a phase-down of clean energy tax credits. […] It would reduce federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by requiring states to shoulder more of the cost, expand work requirements for SNAP, extend programs authorized under the 2018 farm bill, and prohibit the U.S. Department of Agriculture from increasing the cost of the Thrifty Food Program. As amended, it would cap state and local tax deductions at $40,000 for households with incomes below $500,000.” The House passed the bill by a vote of 215 to 214. [House Vote 145, 5/22/25; Congressional Quarterly, 5/22/25; Congressional Actions, H.R. 1]
- The House GOP Budget Bill Was Estimated To Increase The Uninsured Population By 8.6 Million By 2034. According to CNN, “The Medicaid and Affordable Care Act provisions in the package could result in 8.6 million more people being uninsured in 2034, according to an early CBO estimate released by Democratic lawmakers. That number is expected to grow with the latest changes.” [CNN, 5/28/25]
- HEADLINE: “House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- HEADLINE: “CBO: 7.6 Million Would Go Uninsured Under GOP Medicaid Bill” [Politico, 5/13/25]
¶ February 2025: Lawler Voted For House Republicans’ Budget Framework, Which Set Up Future Cuts To Medicaid
2/25/25: Lawler Voted For The FY 2025 Budget Framework That Included $2 Trillion In Cuts, Raised The Statutory Debt Limit By $4 Trillion, And Required House Committees To Recommend Legislation That Would Implement Trump’s Agenda. In February 2025, Lawler voted for, according to Congressional Quarterly, “the concurrent resolution that would recommend a budget for fiscal 2025 and budget levels through fiscal 2034. The resolution would assume minimum savings of $1.5 trillion over 10 years and 2.6 percent economic growth over the same period. It also would require the statutory debt limit to be raised by $4 trillion. It also would authorize the House Ways and Means Committee to increase deficits by $4.5 trillion over 10 years to extend the 2017 tax cuts and implement new tax cuts proposed by the White House. It also would provide instructions for the budget reconciliation process through which separate legislation could be considered and passed in the Senate via a simple majority vote. The measure would deliver instructions to 11 House committees to report legislation that would implement President Donald Trump’s agenda, such as expanding tax cuts and bolstering border security and immigration enforcement. The committees would be required to report their legislative recommendations to the House Budget Committee by March 27, 2025. It also would set a $2 trillion target for the spending cuts to be submitted to the House Budget Committee. The resolution also would stipulate that if the committees don't reach that target, the Ways and Means’ reconciliation instructions to increase the deficit by a maximum of $4.5 trillion would be decreased by the amount the other committees come in below the target. Similarly, it would stipulate that Ways and Means could increase the deficit above the $4.5 trillion level by the amount of savings the committees achieve above the $2 trillion target.” The vote was on passage. The House passed the resolution by a vote of 217 to 215. [House Vote 50, 2/25/25; Congressional Quarterly, 2/25/25; Congressional Actions, H. Con. Res. 14]
- HEADLINE: "House Republican Budget Takes Away Health Care, Food Aid To Pay For Expanded Tax Cuts For Wealthy" [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 2/21/25]
- New York Times Reported The $880 Billion In Cuts Required By The Republican Budget Proposal Would Have To Come From Medicaid, Medicare, Or CHIP. According to the New York Times, "The budget resolution itself is silent on whether Congress cuts Medicaid, which provides health coverage to 72 million poor and disabled Americans. But it instructs the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over the program, to cut spending by $880 billion over the next decade. If the committee can’t save at least that much, the entire effort could be imperiled because of the special process Congress is using to avoid a Senate filibuster. Ten other committees have their own instructions to follow, though none have been assigned with cutting nearly as much. It’s not so simple as finding the cuts elsewhere. The special process, known as budget reconciliation, means Republicans will have to find all $880 billion from within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction. That leaves them with fewer options than one might think. […] If Republicans want to avoid major cuts to Medicaid, the largest pot of available money is in the other big government health insurance program: Medicare. […] Even if the committee cuts everything that’s not health care to $0, it will still be more than $600 billion short. The committee could also save around $200 billion by eliminating the Children’s Health Insurance Program, but that option has not been raised by the budget committee or anyone in House leadership. […] Even if all of these cuts, revenues and rule cancellations from outside health care can pass muster, the committee will still be left with hundreds of billions of dollars to cut to hit its goal. Mathematically, the budget committee’s instructions mean the committee would need to make major cuts to either Medicare, Medicaid or both." [New York Times, 2/25/25]
¶ Lawler Repeatedly Promised That He Would Not Cut Medicaid
Lawler: “I've Been Very Clear In This And That I Will Not Support Any Proposal That Cuts Benefits Or Reduces Services For Medicare Or Medicaid.” According to Lawler Listens, “LAWLER: Next, Maureen, also from Mahopac, asks: ‘How will you protect Medicare and Medicaid from reductions in services?’ Well, Maureen, I share your concern and I've been very clear in this and that I will not support any proposal that cuts benefits or reduces services for Medicare or Medicaid. These programs are lifelines for millions of Americans, and we must strengthen them, not chip away at them. And so as we work through this negotiation, as part of reconciliation, I will fight to make sure these vital programs are protected.” [Rep. Mike Lawler, Lawler Listens, 5/3/25] (video)
Lawler: “I've Been Very Clear That I Am Not Cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Benefits To Anyone.” According to an interview Rep. Mike Lawler gave on Fox News Rundown, “HOST: You know, Democrats oppose all this, and they have said that you can't just find cuts in the budget through waste, fraud and abuse. You're going to have to make cuts to Medicare and Social Security and Medicaid. That's what they say is going to happen. What, what do you say when you hear that? LAWLER: Well, number one, they're lying because, first of all, Social Security cannot be touched as part of reconciliation. It's very clear. And so when they say things like that, it's just obvious they're attempting to scare people and not actually engage in a constructive dialogue. Number two, I've been very clear that I am not cutting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid benefits to anyone. The fact is, people rely on Medicaid, for instance. Those in the community are seniors, you know, children, single mothers. The fact is they need these vital programs and we want to make sure that they are there for them.” [Fox News Rundown, 4/22/25] (audio)
Lawler: “With Respect To Medicaid, I've Been Very Clear I Am Not Cutting Benefits From The People Who Need And Rely On These Vital Programs.” According to a tele-town hall hosted by Rep. Mike Lawler, “LAWLER: With respect to Medicaid, I've been very clear I am not cutting benefits from the people who need and rely on these vital programs.” [Rep. Mike Lawler Tele-Town Hall, 3/19/25] (audio)
Lawler: “I've Been Very Clear. I Will Not Cut Social Security, Medicare Or Medicaid. The Fact Is That These Programs Are Vital To Folks All Across Our Country And They've Paid Into Them.” According to an interview Mike Lawler gave on Fox Business, “BARTIROMO: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries claims she will explain how Democrats are fighting to protect Social Security and Medicaid. And the Republicans are fighting to lower taxes for Elon Musk and other billionaires. You've been pushing back on the Democrats narrative about the budget. Give us your take. LAWLER: Well, this is typical of the Democrats. They just lie and make things up. I've been very clear. I will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid. The fact is that these programs are vital to folks all across our country and they've paid into them. But we have a $7 trillion budget, $36 trillion in debt. We have to rein in the size and scope of the federal government.” [Fox Business, Mornings with Maria, 3/3/25] (video)
Lawler On Medicaid: “We're Not Taking Away Benefits From People Who Need Them.” According to an interview Mike Lawler gave to News 12 Westchester, "ANCHOR: Medicaid and families who rely on it could be affected here. Hudson Valley organizations expect a big increase in people asking for help. ADVOCATE: We don't receive any federal money or state money. We raise it all ourselves so that we can give it away to anyone in the nine counties of the Hudson Valley who's in treatment for breast cancer. LAWLER: We're not taking away benefits from people who need them, but people who abuse the system, people who are not entitled to these services but are getting them, that should be rooted out. ANCHOR: According to Senator Chuck Schumer, more than 678,000 people in the Hudson Valley use Medicaid and over 242,000 in Westchester and Rockland County are part of that number." [News 12 Westchester, 3/4/25] (video)
Lawler: “With Respect To Medicaid, I've Been Very Clear We're Not Cutting Benefits From People Who Rely On These Critical Programs.” According to an interview Mike Lawler gave on WABC, “LAWLER: Well, we passed a budget resolution, which was the first step in the process. You know, my Democratic colleagues are misleading and lying to people saying that their Medicaid benefits were taken away, that we cut Social Security and Medicare. It's not true. The fact is that the budget resolution is the first step in the reconciliation process, and we will begin negotiating an actual bill that covers all of the areas that I just talked about, inclusive of lifting the cap on SALT, which is a top priority for me and for New York. We obviously pay among the highest taxes in America, here in New York, and people need real tax relief, which is the primary function of what this bill is. With respect to Medicaid, I've been very clear we're not cutting benefits from people who rely on these critical programs. We will, however, make sure that illegal immigrants and able-bodied adults are not scamming the system.” [ABC 7 (WABC), 3/9/25] (video)
2/25/25: Lawler Said He Would Not Vote To Cut Medicaid For His Constituents, But Said The House Republican Budget Resolution Would Simply Initiate Negotiations. According to the Washington Examiner, "‘Many of us have been very clear: We’re not going to cut Medicaid benefits to our constituents, period,’ Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) said ahead of the final passage vote. ‘But this is a negotiation. The budget resolution is simply about unlocking the ability to negotiate a bill.’ ‘Everybody wants the process to be finished today,’ Lawler added. ‘That’s not the way this works. This is opening up the negotiations to actually get to a bill that will implement the president’s priorities.’" [Washington Examiner, 2/25/25]
¶ Lawler’s Constituents Saw Through His Empty Promises On Medicaid
Lawler Spoke At A Rally Where He Insisted His Vote On The Republican Budget Resolution Was Aimed At Preventing Waste, Fraud, And Abuse In Medicaid, Which Then Caused The Audience To Boo At Him. According to Rockland/Westchester Journal News, "At the ‘Rally in the Valley,’ held Friday, March 7, at Clover Stadium, people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid, their support workers and agencies that serve the disabilities community came together to advocate for the federal healthcare program that supports low-income and disabled people. […] Lawler, a Republican, voted Feb. 25 on a bill with a spending reduction target that critics, as well as the Congressional Budget Office, say would slash Medicaid. Lawler stood by his vote. ‘I understand the concern about Medicaid,’ Lawler said. Invoking record federal debt and spending, he said, the goal was to ‘eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.’ Sporadic boos started building." [Rockland/Westchester Journal News, 3/7/25]
- When Claiming He Would Stand Up For Medicare, Medicaid, And Social Security, Audience Members Booed And Called Lawler A Liar. According to the Rockland/Westchester Journal News, Lawler acknowledged that many were going to differ from him on the issue. As he left the dais, he added, ‘I will always stand up to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.’ Several people in the stands booed and a couple shouted ‘liar!’ while others clapped softly." [Rockland/Westchester Journal News, 3/7/25]
¶ More Than 189,000 New Yorkers In The 17th Congressional District Relied On Medicaid Or Chip For Health Insurance
189,400 New Yorkers In The 17th Congressional District Were Enrolled In Medicaid Or CHIP.
[Center for American Progress, 3/11/25]