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    <title>Lawler, Michael RSS Articles</title>
    <description>Lawler, Michael RSS Articles</description>
    <link>http://lawler.house.gov/</link>
    <lastBuildDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</lastBuildDate>
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      <title>Lawler Leads Letter Supporting the FCC Crackdown on Illegal Robocalls</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/9/26…&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) led &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_FCC_Combatting_Illegal_Robocalls_Through_FCC_Number_Polices.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8334-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_FCC_Combatting_Illegal_Robocalls_Through_FCC_Number_Polices.pdf"&gt;a bipartisan letter with 18 colleagues to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)&lt;/a&gt; expressing strong support for the agency’s proposed rulemaking to combat illegal robocalls through strengthened policies and oversight.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The letter backs the FCC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Combatting Illegal Robocalls Through RCC Numbering Policies, which seeks to modernize the nation’s communications infrastructure and close loopholes that fraudsters exploit to carry out scams.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans reported approximately $15.9 billion in fraud losses in 2025, the highest amount ever recorded. Victims who were contacted by phone suffered some of the largest financial losses, showing the need for stronger safeguards to prevent bad actors from exploiting Americans.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We commend the Commission for advancing this rulemaking and urge the FCC to incorporate enhanced interagency coordination with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and other financial regulators into the final framework. Robocall-driven scams almost always culminate in financial transactions. Treasury and financial regulators maintain visibility in these money-movement channels and possess analytic tools capable of identifying fraud patterns that originate with spoofed or fraudulently obtained numbers,”&lt;strong&gt; wrote the lawmakers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Advances in artificial intelligence and voice-cloning technology have made fraudulent schemes increasingly sophisticated, while practices such as “number cycling” allow criminals to rapidly switch phone numbers and evade detection. The letter urges the FCC to adopt clear and enforceable standards to address these tactics and better protect consumers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additional signers of the letter included Reps. Tim Moore, Dan Meuser, María E. Salazar, Troy E. Nehls, Carol D. Miller, Marlin A. Stutzman, Young Kim, Andy Barr, John Rose, Zach Nunn, Mike Haridopolos, Bryan Steil, Jefferson Shreve, Ann Wagner, Barry Loudermilk, Troy Downing, Monica De La Cruz, and Morgan Griffith.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The full letter can be found &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_FCC_Combatting_Illegal_Robocalls_Through_FCC_Number_Polices.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8335-689211" data-linkindex="1" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_FCC_Combatting_Illegal_Robocalls_Through_FCC_Number_Polices.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8336-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8337-689211" data-linkindex="3" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6035</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6035</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler Announces Committee Passage of Foreign Service Modernization Act</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/9/26…&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement after his &lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8339-679296" href="https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6003" title="https://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6003"&gt;Foreign Service Modernization Act&lt;/a&gt; passed through the House Foreign Affairs Committee with a vote of 38-2. This bill is a comprehensive effort to improve the operations and effectiveness of&amp;nbsp; America’s diplomatic corps as they work to advance U.S. interests abroad.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“America's diplomats serve on the front lines of our foreign policy in some of the most challenging environments around the world. The Foreign Service Act has not undergone a comprehensive review in more than four decades, despite dramatic changes in the geopolitical landscape and the challenges facing our nation. This legislation ensures our diplomats are mission-focused and equipped with the tools to advance American interests and respond to emerging threats,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“America's diplomatic workforce must be ready to meet the moment. This legislation represents a significant step toward building a stronger and more effective Foreign Service for the challenges of the 21st century,” &lt;strong&gt;concluded Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The legislation marks the first comprehensive review and modernization of the Foreign Service Act since it was enacted in 1980.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8340-679296" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8341-679296" href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6038</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6038</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 09 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler Introduces Legislation to Improve VA Online Access, Prevent Fraud Against Veterans</title>
      <description>&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/4/26… &lt;/strong&gt;Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_183_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8295-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_183_xml.pdf"&gt;Veterans Electronic Trust and Records Act &lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;(VETRA Act), legislation directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program to modernize its digital identity proofing and authentication systems. Chairman Mike Bost and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs have expressed support for the legislation.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The legislation would require the VA to replace outdated identity verification methods with high-assurance digital identity solutions designed to reduce fraud and improper payments while improving secure access to VA benefits and services. It also requires the Department to implement risk-tiered authentication measures, evaluate cost savings and operational efficiencies, and report its findings to Congress.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“As more VA services move online, we must modernize outdated identity verification systems, strengthen protections against fraud and improper payments, and ensure veterans can safely and efficiently access the care and benefits they depend on. Veterans deserve a secure and reliable system for accessing the benefits they earned through their service, and I will continue advocating for legislation that improves their experience and upholds our commitment to those who have sacrificed for our country,”&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt; said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: left;"&gt;“Todays and tomorrow’s veterans deserve a VA that is secure and stress-free. The Veterans Electronic Trust and Records Authorization Act, led by Rep. Mike Lawler, would make it easier for veterans who are accessing their benefits and healthcare through &lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://VA.gov__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!gQTXDbDamfDYZ3Pgej_Es96GHDYhuz54FfY9l3mqwjG6uVwKZvugv3slwZm-0QodyZB5KdLvuBZgxRgTfkLujS-xiDbWfwcRaNm7$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-linkindex="1" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://VA.gov__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!gQTXDbDamfDYZ3Pgej_Es96GHDYhuz54FfY9l3mqwjG6uVwKZvugv3slwZm-0QodyZB5KdLvuBZgxRgTfkLujS-xiDbWfwcRaNm7$"&gt;VA.gov&lt;/a&gt; by modernizing VA’s digital identity and authentication systems to meet today’s standards. I want to thank my friend, Rep. Mike Lawler, for his leadership on this vitally important, forward-thinking bill to ensure veterans nationwide – and in New York’s 17th district – have access to the most modern and efficient tools to get the healthcare benefits they have earned,” &lt;strong&gt;said Chairman Mike Bost.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The full bill text can be found &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_183_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8296-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_183_xml.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8297-689211" data-linkindex="3" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; and represents New York's 17th Congressional District, which is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8298-689211" data-linkindex="4" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6004</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6004</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler Applauds Presidential Medal of Freedom for Welles Crowther, Builds Momentum for Gold Medal Bill to Honor 9/11 Heroism</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/2/26…&lt;/strong&gt; This week, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) released the following statement after &lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://x.com/RepMikeLawler/status/2057937291042029943?s=20__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!jtS7BQQ4_dQ4t9i9UKW9ahZBJ5oT8GloNQKOU8qumr6k4qrxrwP_Xvv86drae69rUfzAOQPCxvX4xzzt1UCJwFKaLhY4FQZ6VbPZ$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8284-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://x.com/RepMikeLawler/status/2057937291042029943?s=20__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!jtS7BQQ4_dQ4t9i9UKW9ahZBJ5oT8GloNQKOU8qumr6k4qrxrwP_Xvv86drae69rUfzAOQPCxvX4xzzt1UCJwFKaLhY4FQZ6VbPZ$"&gt;President Donald Trump announced at a local event in Suffern&lt;/a&gt; on Friday, May 22nd, that 9/11 hero Welles Remy Crowther, also known as the ‘Man in the Red Bandana,’ will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Crowther was raised in Upper Nyack, New York, where he served as a volunteer firefighter. He played Division I lacrosse at Boston College and, after graduating with the class of 1999, worked as an equities trader in the South Tower of the World Trade Center.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;On September 11th, 2001, after Flight 175 struck the South Tower, Welles found survivors on the 78th floor Sky Lobby and carried an injured woman down 17 flights of stairs. He used his trademark red bandanna to help protect others from smoke. After repeatedly returning to rescue more individuals and assisting firefighters with their efforts, he died when the South Tower collapsed.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Survivors later identified him through accounts of a “man in a red bandanna.” His mother, Alison Crowther, helped piece together the story of his final acts of courage. The red bandanna has since become a national symbol of selflessness and service.&lt;/p&gt;
“Welles’ story has become part of our nation’s conscience, reminding us that in our darkest moments, extraordinary courage can emerge. I’m grateful to President Trump for ensuring his heroism receives this highest civilian recognition. Congress now has an opportunity to build on that legacy and award Welles the Congressional Gold Medal, one of our nation’s highest expressions of gratitude. I’m proud that support for this effort continues to grow across party lines and among organizations dedicated to preserving our nation’s history and honoring the heroes of September 11th,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Mike Lawler.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“We are deeply grateful to President Trump for honoring Welles Remy Crowther with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. For the Crowther family, friends, teammates and for all those who have carried Welles’ story forward over the past 25 years, this recognition is profoundly meaningful. Welles never sought recognition—he simply lived with courage, humility, and a commitment to serving others. We hope this honor not only preserves his legacy, but inspires future generations to lead with compassion, character, and selflessness. We are equally grateful to Congressman Lawler for his leadership in continuing the effort to award Welles the Congressional Gold Medal and ensure his story remains part of our nation’s history,” &lt;strong&gt;said Patrick McCavanagh, Vice President, Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust; former lacrosse teammate of Welles Crowther, Boston College ’99.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;H.R. 5519 awards a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal to Welles Remy Crowther, recognizing his extraordinary bravery, leadership, and sacrifice on September 11, 2001. The bill ensures Congress formally recognizes his heroism with one of the nation’s highest civilian Honors.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The legislation has been endorsed by the Welles Remy Crowther Trust, Problem Solvers Caucus, America250, and 9/11 Day.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“As we approach the 25th anniversary of September 11, we remember the courage and sacrifice of those who stepped forward when our country needed them most. Welles Crowther’s story reminds us of the spirit of service that represents America at its best,” &lt;strong&gt;said Rosie Rios, Chair of America250.&lt;/strong&gt; “As Americans, we will never forget.”&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Congressional Gold Medal is one of the highest civilian honors bestowed by Congress. Honoring Welles in this way will recognize his heroism during one of the most significant moments in American history and will reinforce the values of service, sacrifice, and leadership for future generations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“As we are approaching the 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, a dark day that will live in infamy, we are posthumously awarding Welles the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest award, outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I want to congratulate his great mother on doing a phenomenal job in raising that young man,” &lt;strong&gt;said President Trump.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Problem Solvers Caucus is a group of Members of Congress — evenly split between Republicans and Democrats — committed to advancing common-sense solutions to key issues facing our nation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Welles Crowther, a fellow alumnus from Boston College, reminds us that doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, is one of the greatest qualities a person can have. “The Man in the Red Bandanna” is a story everyone should know. It’s a story of extraordinary courage and selflessness,” &lt;strong&gt;said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-03).&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“On September 11, 2001, amid one of the darkest days in our nation’s history, Welles Remy Crowther became a symbol of the very best of America. In the smoke and chaos of the South Tower, with his red bandana across his face, he chose service over fear and strangers over self. He returned again and again to lead others to safety, giving his life so others could live. His story reminds us that patriotism is not only found in words or symbols, but in acts of courage, sacrifice, and love of neighbor,”&lt;strong&gt; said Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01).&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8285-689211" data-linkindex="1" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8286-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6000</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6000</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler, Gottheimer to Prohibit Firms Tied to the Chinese Communist Party From Registering With the SEC Under New Bill</title>
      <description>&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/2/26…&lt;/strong&gt; Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05)&amp;nbsp;introduced the &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PRC_Broker_Dealer_Bill.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8287-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PRC_Broker_Dealer_Bill.pdf"&gt;PRC Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers Moratorium Act&lt;/a&gt;, legislation aimed at protecting U.S. financial markets and investors from entities tied to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Currently, U.S. regulators can’t inspect or enforce rules inside China, which means if something goes wrong, Americans’ savings could be at risk.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
This legislation puts a temporary stop on financial companies organized under PRC law, controlled by PRC entities, and dependent on PRC-based service providers from operating in U.S. markets until regulators can be sure they don’t pose risks to Americans. By doing so, people’s personal financial information is protected, foreign government‑linked firms are prevented from accessing U.S. investor data, and a loophole is closed in which China blocks American companies, but Chinese firms can freely operate here.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“The Chinese Communist Party has repeatedly demonstrated its willingness to exploit economic and financial systems to advance its geopolitical ambitions and undermine American interests. U.S. citizens deserve confidence that the institutions handling their investments are free from the influence and coercion of the Chinese Communist Party,”&lt;strong&gt; said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
“We can't let CCP-linked firms freely operate in our financial markets, access Americans’ personal data, and put people's hard-earned savings at risk while China shuts our own companies out,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). &lt;/strong&gt;“The Chinese Communist Party has made clear they will use every tool available to undermine American interests, and our financial markets cannot be the next target. Democrats and Republicans agree: we can't keep looking the other way. This bill closes that loophole, protects personal financial information, and makes sure American investors are protected.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
"ASA applauds Reps. Lawler and Gottheimer for their leadership in introducing the PRC Broker-Dealers and Investment Advisers Moratorium Act. This bill ensures Communist China cannot exploit American investors, our capital markets, or our national security interests,” &lt;strong&gt;said American Securities Association President and CEO Chris Iacovella&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Specifically, the legislation would prohibit SEC registration for broker-dealers and investment advisers that:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li aria-level="1"&gt;Are organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China;&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li aria-level="1"&gt;Are controlled by PRC-based entities or nationals residing in China; or&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li aria-level="1" style="text-align: left;"&gt;Depend on PRC-linked affiliates or associated persons for critical infrastructure, software development, network services, maintenance, or customer support.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Full text of the bill can be found &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PRC_Broker_Dealer_Bill.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8288-689211" data-linkindex="1" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/PRC_Broker_Dealer_Bill.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8289-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8290-689211" data-linkindex="3" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6002</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6002</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>Lawler, Mast Introduce the First Comprehensive Review of the Foreign Service Act in Over 45 Years</title>
      <description>&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 6/2/26… &lt;/strong&gt;Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast joined Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee Chairman Mike Lawler in introducing much-needed reforms to ensure America’s front-line diplomats have the tools to meet today’s national security and geopolitical challenges.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_189_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8291-679296" data-outlook-id="6c9f9bea-4d8f-4209-93fe-615d801cfbba" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_189_xml.pdf" id="anchor-110db52d-e728-2b69-001e-3eaf0e0884a1"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;Foreign Service Modernization Act &lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;marks the first comprehensive review of the Foreign Service Act, which codifies personnel matters for Foreign Service Officers, since it was signed into law in 1980.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
“The State Department operates almost 280 posts around the world, staffed by over 14,000 Foreign Service Officers. At each post, these Americans are the face, voice, and representatives of our foreign policy. Amidst the current and rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape, we must ensure the Foreign Service is mission-focused and equipped to meet that monumental task,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Mike Lawler, Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
“For a very long time, Congress has done squat to oversee the State Department, diplomats, and their operations. This week the House Foreign Affairs Committee will redo the Foreign Service Act (FSA) for the first time in 46 years,”&lt;strong&gt; said House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast. &lt;/strong&gt;“The FSA oversees every diplomat in America's embassies abroad. There are great diplomats given the opportunity to serve because of merit and terrible diplomats like the ones who implemented projects like transgender job fairs in Bangladesh or drag shows in Ecuador. We are going to make sure the State Department hires the most qualified, not the most woke.”&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The legislation includes several personnel reforms focused on how the State Department recruits and trains diplomats, including measures that would:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Provide Ambassadors with increased authorities and oversight in carrying out US foreign policy at their posts overseas,&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Create a pilot program for a Diplomatic Reserve Corps, modeling the reserve functions of the armed services, that would surge diplomats to the front lines in response to emergencies and crises abroad,&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Enhance expeditionary diplomacy in austere posts to advance American interests outside of the confines of embassy walls,&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Align State Department human resources technology and training to meet modern national security demands, and&lt;/li&gt;
    &lt;li&gt;Increase pathways for military veterans to join the Foreign Service&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;These reforms, which focus on defining the mission and culture of the Foreign Service, build upon Chairman Mast’s focus on restoring command and control over the State Department. Last year, the committee passed the first comprehensive bipartisan State Department reauthorization in more than two decades. Doing so set a powerful precedent for ensuring continued accountability for the American people.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The full committee will consider the Foreign Service Modernization Act of 2026 as part of a markup in June.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;Full text of the bill can be found&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_189_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8292-679296" data-outlook-id="8856c156-c477-483d-804a-b49698384c49" data-linkindex="1" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_189_xml.pdf"&gt;&lt;u&gt;HERE.&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;i data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8293-679296" data-outlook-id="ddc9c113-6c6e-424c-8fd2-e9f56709e662" data-linkindex="2" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8293-679296" data-outlook-id="591400c2-c446-45da-a39c-9d658098bcc6" data-linkindex="3" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8294-679296" data-outlook-id="de8c1ff9-8977-4285-acbd-d69fb90b70bb" data-linkindex="4" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8294-679296" data-outlook-id="4029652e-2bfc-4691-99eb-d0e756485b01" data-linkindex="5" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6003</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=6003</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler Implores HHS to Expand World Trade Center Health Fund Cancer Screenings</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 5/29/26… &lt;/strong&gt;Today, Reps. Mike Lawler (NY-17), Andrew Garbarino (NY-02), Dan Goldman (NY-10), and Sen. Gillibrand (NY) led 26 of their colleagues in a &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_HHS_on_WTCHP_Cancer_Screenings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8251-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_HHS_on_WTCHP_Cancer_Screenings.pdf"&gt;bipartisan bicameral letter to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)&lt;/a&gt; to expand cancer screening coverage under the World Trade Center Health Program (WTCHP) for 9/11 responders and survivors.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The letter specifically advocates for coverage of PSA testing and skin cancer examinations, something residents and the first responder community in the Hudson Valley need easier access to.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For years, the WTCHP has provided critical medical care and monitoring for 9/11 responders and survivors exposed to toxic substances. The program has demonstrated a strong track record of success, including significantly higher cancer survival rates for enrolled members, while continuing to provide lifesaving treatment and support for thousands suffering from cancers and other 9/11-related health conditions.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Due to WTC exposure, 9/11 rescue and recovery workers have higher risks of developing life-threatening illnesses and many cancers, including both prostate cancer and skin cancer. While these cancers are covered by the WTCHP, screenings are not. This letter lays out the importance of PSA tests and skin cancer examinations in this at-risk population and urges HHS to begin the process to consider coverage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This past February, Rep. Lawler and his colleagues passed legislation to secure lifetime funding for the WTCHP. By fixing the program’s funding formula for the long term, the law provides certainty for 9/11 responders and survivors while allowing the program to focus on improving care instead of future funding battles and bureaucratic delays. This includes cancer screenings.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act want to thank Congressman Lawler for leading this strong bipartisan effort, along with Rep. Goldman and Senators Gillibrand and Schumer and other Members of Congress.&amp;nbsp; Building on the recent success of Congress finally fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program,&amp;nbsp; this effort to build on the programs history of improved outcomes with a call for even more improvements in cancer screening among 9/11 responders and survivors shows the delegations continuing commitment to those impacted by the toxins at Ground Zero as we approach the 25&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; Anniversary of 9/11,” &lt;strong&gt;said Benjamin Chevat, Executive Director of Citizens for the Extension of the James Zadroga Act.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additional signers of the letter included Sens. Blumenthal, Booker, Gillibrand, and Schumer and Reps. Bresnahan, Clarke, Espaillat, Fitzpatrick, Garbarino, Gillen, Dan Goldman, Gottheimer, Kean, Tim Kennedy, LaLota, Langworthy, Latimer, Lawler, Malliotakis, Mannion, Meng, Nadler, Ocasio-Cortez, Riley, Ryan, Stefanik, Suozzi, Tenney, Tonko, and Ritchie Torres.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The full letter can be found &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_HHS_on_WTCHP_Cancer_Screenings.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8252-689211" data-linkindex="1" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_HHS_on_WTCHP_Cancer_Screenings.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8253-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8254-689211" data-linkindex="3" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5978</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5978</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 29 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>Lawler Leads 90+ Members of Congress to Urge Administration to Dismantle UNRWA Operations in the Middle East</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 5/26/26… &lt;/strong&gt;Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) led colleagues in sending &lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8237-679296" href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_Trump_on_UNRWA_regional_operations.pdf" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_Trump_on_UNRWA_regional_operations.pdf"&gt;a letter to the Trump Administration expressing serious concerns regarding&lt;/a&gt; the continued role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) across the Middle East and urging decisive action to dismantle the agency and transition its responsibilities to more credible and transparent partners.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;UNRWA has long faced serious concerns over its ties to Hamas and its role in fostering radicalization among Palestinians for decades. In recent years, both Congress and President Trump have taken action to withhold U.S. funding from UNRWA. However, the organization continues to operate throughout the Middle East.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“Established in 1949 as a temporary relief agency, UNRWA operates across Gaza, the West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, providing education, healthcare, and social services to millions of Palestinian refugees. However, rather than resolving the refugee crisis, UNRWA has perpetuated and expanded the problem through its unprecedented policy of conferring refugee status across generations – transforming what was once a finite humanitarian issue into a permanent and growing political challenge,” &lt;strong&gt;wrote the lawmakers.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ultimately, UNRWA has not been a force for stability but has instead perpetuated the refugee crisis and reinforced the conditions that have allowed terrorism to persist. The letter highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding UNRWA’s regional operations and urges the President to continue efforts to dismantle the organization and transition its functions to more credible and trusted partners that are demonstrably free of ties to terrorism and committed to transparency, accountability, and peace.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The letter was cosigned by Reps. Alford, Amodei, Bacon, Barr, Bean, Biggs, Bilirakis, Brecheen, Cammack, Carey, Buddy Carter, Ciscomani, Cline, Clyde, Ellzey, Estes, Evans, Fallon, Fedorchak, Feenstra, Fine, Finstad, Fischbach, Fitzpatrick, Fleischmann, Foxx, Franklin, Garbarino, Gill, Craig Goldman, Gooden, Gottheimer, Griffith, Grothman, Hageman, Haridopolos, Harris, Harshbarger, Hern, Hill, Hudson, Issa, Jack, Jordan, Dave Joyce, Trent Kelly, Kim, LaLota, Langworthy, Letlow, Loudermilk, Luna, Mace, Mast, McCaul, McGuire, Messmer, Meuser, Carol Miller, Mary Miller, Max Miller, Miller-Meeks, Moolenaar, Barry Moore, Blake Moore, Tim Moore, Newhouse, Palmer, Patronis, Pfluger, Rogers, Rulli, Rutherford, Schmidt, Shreve, Adrian Smith, Chris Smith, Stauber, Stefanik, Steil, Steube, Strong, Tenney, Tiffany, Van Drew, Van Epps, Wagner, Walberg, Weber, Webster, Joe Wilson, and Zinke.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The full letter can be found &lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8238-679296" href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_Trump_on_UNRWA_regional_operations.pdf" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/Letter_to_Trump_on_UNRWA_regional_operations.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8239-679296" href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8240-679296" href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5974</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5974</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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      <title>President Trump Joins Lawler in Rockland County First Presidential Visit in 50 Years</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Suffern, N.Y. – 5/22/26…&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) today welcomed President Donald J. Trump to Rockland County, where the President delivered remarks at Rockland Community College’s Eugene Levy Fieldhouse focused on affordability, tax relief, and strengthening opportunities for working families across New York’s Hudson Valley.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The event marked the first public visit by a sitting President to Rockland County in nearly 50 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;div&gt;“It was an honor to welcome President Trump to the Hudson Valley today. If you want to get things done, you have to be in the arena. You have to have a seat at the table and fight for your community. That’s exactly how I approached the fight for Hudson Valley families. I made a promise that I would not support a tax package that left New Yorkers behind, and I fought every step of the way to deliver real relief. Together, we secured the largest tax cut in the package and put thousands of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking families,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;p&gt;During the event, President Trump recognized Congressman Lawler’s leadership in expanding the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction cap as part of last year’s tax package. Lawler led the effort to quadruple the cap from $10,000 to $40,000, delivering significant relief for middle-class families, homeowners, seniors, and small businesses across New York’s 17th District.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“From SALT to tens of millions in community projects funding for law enforcement, clean drinking water, infrastructure, and healthcare. To passing dozens of bills and having the best constituent services in the country. We are getting things done for Rockland County and the Hudson Valley. And the best is yet to come,”&lt;strong&gt; said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;President Trump announced that Welles Crowther, the Nyack native remembered for his extraordinary courage and sacrifice on September 11, 2001, will be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Crowther became known as “The Man in the Red Bandana” after helping save numerous lives inside the South Tower of the World Trade Center before ultimately sacrificing his own.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“As we are approaching the 25th anniversary of September 11th, 2001, a dark day that will live in infamy, we are posthumously awarding Welles the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest award, outside of the Congressional Medal of Honor. I want to congratulate his great mother on doing a phenomenal job in raising that young man. Boy, what bravery. He saved those people and became a legend… doing what no one else would have done, what he did… Right here from Rockland, they grow ‘em heroic, don’t they? We know that,” &lt;strong&gt;said President Trump.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The family of Sheridan Gorman, who was tragically gunned down and murdered by an illegal immigrant in Chicago earlier this year, was also recognized at the event. Sheridan was a beloved member of the Yorktown community whose kindness, leadership, and compassion left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“No mother should ever have to wonder if her child called out for her in her final moments. No mother should ever have to imagine her baby lying alone and bleeding on the cold pavement. And, no family should ever have to bury a child because public officials failed to put innocent American lives first,” &lt;strong&gt;said Jessica Gorman, mother of Sheridan Gorman.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;“This is what failed policies have done to our family. We did not just lose Sheridan; we lost our peace, we lost our future, we lost the life that we knew. And no family should have to become experts in immigration failures, release policies, warrants, sanctuary laws, and enforcement breakdowns because their daughter was killed by someone who should not have been here,”&lt;strong&gt; said Thomas Gorman, father of Sheridan Gorman.&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;i data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;i data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody"&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8211-679296" data-outlook-id="90fd8cf5-470b-477a-8dac-dc63bb824576" data-linkindex="0" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8211-679296" data-outlook-id="1012c507-3958-41ad-bd6f-19b0bacf6676" data-linkindex="1" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;/i&gt;&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8212-679296" data-outlook-id="1408430a-0048-4cd4-b222-d97102f7c7b9" data-linkindex="2" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt;&lt;i&gt; &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8212-679296" data-outlook-id="0c580c1d-6559-4791-b4b8-1e6349b6f6ce" data-linkindex="3" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;u&gt;most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/u&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;i&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
###&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5975</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5975</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 22 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Lawler to Criminalize Federal Ballot Petition Fraud in New Bill</title>
      <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Washington, D.C. – 5/21/26…&lt;/strong&gt; Today, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_184_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8203-689211" data-linkindex="0" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_184_xml.pdf"&gt;End Fraudulent Filings that Interfere with Elections Act&lt;/a&gt;, or the EFFIE Act. This legislation amends the Federal Election Campaign Act of 1971 to make it a federal felony for any person seeking to be a candidate for federal office or any employee of that candidate to submit fraudulent signatures or documentation required for ballot access.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The EFFIE Act would impose penalties of up to a $250,000 fine, up to five years in prison, or both for violations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“The introduction of this bill comes after hundreds of my constituents in New York’s 17th district were illegally signed onto ballot petitions without their knowledge. This is identity theft. Unfortunately, the biased New York State court system is not taking full action against the perpetrators. With these petitions impacting who appears on a ballot for a federal office, the federal government itself should have jurisdiction. No one is above the law, and no one defrauds New Yorkers and gets away with it,” &lt;strong&gt;said Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;“From partisan gerrymandering across the country to the growing threat of artificial intelligence generating disinformation and bias in America’s marketplace of ideas, this is a pivotal year for election integrity. I’ve seen firsthand in my own district how this petition fraud racket is rotting our federal elections from the inside, continuing to erode the trust constituents place in the process and undermining the very foundation of democracy,” concluded&lt;strong&gt; Congressman Lawler.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Full text of the bill is &lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_184_xml.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8204-689211" data-linkindex="1" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/LAWLER_184_xml.pdf"&gt;HERE.&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;Congressman Lawler is&lt;a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8205-689211" data-linkindex="2" title="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.thelugarcenter.org/ourwork-86.html__;!!Fr0YZsIsFWxTZsBm-qTAg68!k3OFI1uZc44QQ1HPHamspRfuP7W2PJvRa33cEV-iuRCntmGDnOMGmWbcIF_t6d1g8YShS0rq7iyQJP9X-jnWv1s5dHHmLFDkRzPzKEDt$"&gt; one of the most bipartisan members of Congress&lt;/a&gt; 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. He was rated the&lt;a href="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-auth="NotApplicable" data-cke-saved-href="https://lawler.house.gov/components/redirect/r.aspx?ID=8206-689211" data-linkindex="3" title="https://lawler.house.gov/UploadedFiles/118th_highlights_FINAL_03_24_2025.pdf"&gt; most effective freshman lawmaker&lt;/a&gt; in the 118th Congress, 8th overall, surpassing dozens of committee chairs.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p style="text-align: center;"&gt;###&lt;/p&gt;</description>
      <link>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5944</link>
      <guid>http://lawler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5944</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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