Press Releases

Pearl River, N.Y. - 3/20/2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement demanding answers from the Social Security Administration (SSA) after its Acting Commissioner, Leland Dudek, rejected a bipartisan effort by Lawler and Congressman George Latimer (NY-16) to keep the White Plains Social Security Hearing Office open.

The lease on the current office at 75 S. Broadway in White Plains is set to expire on May 31, 2025. Despite Westchester County offering alternate space to keep the office open, SSA has refused to explore that option. Dudek cited mold issues in the current building and claimed the closure wouldn’t affect most claimants. 

“The decision to close the only Social Security Hearing Office in the Hudson Valley is a slap in the face to thousands of my constituents who rely on these services,” said Congressman Lawler (NY-17). “This office handles over 2,000 backlogged cases and conducts hundreds of in-person hearings every year. Telling my constituents that they now have to travel hours to Lower Manhattan, New Haven, the Bronx, or Goshen is completely unacceptable.”

“Westchester County offered a solution, and instead of working to find an alternative location, the SSA is turning its back on thousands of people who need these services. Concerns about mold don’t justify abandoning folks in the Lower Hudson Valley,” concluded Congressman Lawler. 

Congressman Lawler is one of the most bipartisan members of 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.

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