Press Releases

Today, Representative Mike Lawler praised the inclusion of language in the Fiscal Year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) establishing a directive to the Department of Defense to only purchase cleaning products that have been certified by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Safer Choice program. The EPA’s Safer Choice program certifies that products are free of certain hazardous chemicals such as PFAS and instead use safer chemical ingredients. The legislation was signed into law by President Biden on Monday evening.

Congressman Lawler has spearheaded numerous bills to halt the proliferation of forever chemicals, including introducing the PFAS-Free Procurement Act, which will prohibit agencies from purchasing products containing PFAS. The language included in the FY25 NDAA is a first step in passing the larger bill.

"Protecting the health and safety of our citizens is a fundamental duty of governance," said Congressman Lawler. "PFAS contamination remains a pressing issue in the Hudson Valley and communities across our country, with the health impacts of exposure to forever chemicals having come to light more and more in recent years. The language included in this year's NDAA will protect our communities from harmful chemicals by significantly curtailing the federal use of products containing them. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on this important issue in the 119th Congress, including in getting my PFAS-Free Procurement Act into law."

Congressman Mike Lawler has had six bills signed into law in the 118th Congress:

• The Special Envoy for the Abraham Accords Act
• The Stop Harboring Iranian Petroleum (SHIP) Act
• The Iran-China Energy Sanctions Act
• The Undetectable Firearms Reauthorization Act
• The Enhanced Presidential Security Act
• The Partners in Diplomacy Act

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of the 118th Congress and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.