Skip to Content

Op-Eds from Mike

Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing cash grab must be stopped dead in its tracks

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Let’s be clear, Gov, Kathy Hochul’s congestion pricing plan isn’t about protecting the environment or easing traffic, it’s about forcing another tax on working and middle-class New Yorkers to bail out the bloated and corrupt MTA. It’s one more burden imposed by a state government that has lost touch with the people it’s supposed to serve, hurting families, workers and our…

We can never forget October 7, nor can we fail to hold terrorists and antisemites accountable

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Today marks the first anniversary of the worst mass murder of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched a brutal and unprovoked attack on Israel, murdering over a thousand innocent men, women, and children, sexually abusing many and taking hundreds hostage.  Among those butchered and taken captive were dozens of Americans. We must stand…

I Have to Set the Record Straight

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

... Let’s set the record straight, once and for all. Here’s the truth: I have NOT and will NEVER cut Social Security and Medicare. I’ve fought hard to protect these vital programs, which so many of our seniors rely on, and I will continue to fight to ensure they remain strong and sustainable for future generations. I will NOT support a national abortion ban. As I have consistently…

Protests, Free Speech, and Antisemitism on College Campuses

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Last month, the House of Representatives passed my bill, the Antisemitism Awareness Act, with overwhelming support by a vote of 320 to 91. The legislation requires the Department of Education to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance Working Definition of Antisemitism and its contemporary examples when investigating discrimination cases on college campuses. This…

REPS. LAWLER AND MOLINARO: The gift of life is beautiful. Democrats and Republicans must do more to protect IVF.

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike
IVF Op-Ed

For any parent, some of the happiest moments in life are the days their children are born. As fathers, we know firsthand just how beautiful the gift of life is for all families, and the joy of holding your child is immeasurable. As members of Congress, we have sought to do all we can to make life easier for families by working to tackle persistent inflation, lower tax burdens, maintain a…

Here’s what I saw during my visit to Columbia University

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike
MVL Columbia Op-Ed

In recent months, we’ve witnessed a troubling surge in antisemitic incidents on our college campuses — culminating in the horrific scenes playing out at “elite” universities this spring. This wave of hatred, camouflaged as political activism, has sown division and left many Jewish students feeling unsafe. Just a week ago, I joined Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), House Education…

Lawler and Gottheimer: Welcome to New York. That’ll Be 100 Bucks

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

We are from different states and political parties. Our views on issues vary widely. But on at least one thing, we passionately agree: New York’s “congestion pricing” plan for Midtown Manhattan, scheduled to begin later this year, is a greedy and unnecessary cash grab. It’s a slap in the face to hardworking families, small-business owners and commuters who want to put food on their family…

Compromise can still work in Washington

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Saturday night was proof that when good people — regardless of party — are willing to compromise, and determined to put results ahead of rhetoric, we can still govern this country and get things done for the American people. I was proud to play a central role in hammering out last night’s agreement, which passed both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate with broad…

Republicans like me don’t win from a shutdown, either

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Recent polling reveals that only around 25% of Americans believe our country is headed in the right direction, and there are a lot of reasons for them to feel that way. For starters, for a lot of people, the economy stinks. “Bidenomics” has failed. Reckless spending and radical policies created near-record inflation, soaring grocery bills, rising energy…

Rep. Lawler and Asm. Slater: Legislative Efforts to Fight the Scourge of Fentanyl in Our Communities

| Posted in Op-Eds from Mike

Having both served in state and local government, we know first-hand the impacts of the fentanyl epidemic in the Hudson Valley. Substance use disorder and fentanyl are ripping families and communities apart across the country, and it is incumbent on all of us to work together, in a coordinated effort at the federal, state and local level, to put a stop to this deadly scourge. At the…