BY: Keith S. Shikowitz, Editor in Chief/Investigative Reporter
I had the opportunity to interview the Congressman who was ranked as the 4th most bipartisan member of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 2023 Bipartisan Index from The Lugar Center and the McCourt School of Public Policy. Our time was limited so we just cut right to the chase.
As the chair of the House Foreign Relations Sub Committee, what’s the committee looking into in the areas of Russia/Ukraine War, the Middle East, South America and Mexico?
“As chair of the Middle East and North Africa subcommittee, my focus is on what’s happening in the Middle East, addressing the challenges between, our allies, and the threats, posed from Iran and its terror proxy network. The larger committee obviously has broad jurisdiction and focused heavily on the State Department reauthorization as well as looking at China, the Russia-Ukraine War and of course, what’s happening, in the Western Hemisphere with these narco-terror states.
Are there any plans to give Ukraine, any more weapons, from us, or we be selling, giving, are we trading?
“Well, you know I’m a very strong supporter of Ukraine. We’d like to see this war come to an end, and, certainly, see the conflicts stop, but, you know, the challenge here is, is that you don’t have a willing participant in Vladimir Putin. He is, vile, he’s evil, he’s a dictator, and he is solely responsible for what has happened, in Ukraine. In the absence of him negotiating a peace it’s imperative that the US continue to support Ukraine, and that NATO continue to support Ukraine, and I think that we implement secondary sanctions on Russia.”
Drugs coming in from South America have been a problem here for many years, killing tens of thousands of Americans. President Trump declared the cartels bringing this stuff into the USA as international terrorists. He has given the green light to our navy to take out any boats that are carrying drugs to this country and they have been doing so. I believe the count now is around 22 boats and 83 individuals taken out. Government officials have said that each boat taken out and the drugs they were carrying, saves around 10,000 American lives. We have sent a number of ships into the Caribbean to bolster our efforts in stopping the drugs. Nicolas Maduro, Venezuelan leader, seems to be ramping up his military to respond to our ships being there. What else is Lawler’s committee looking into doing about this problem.
After serving only one term in the New York State Assembly, Lawler decided to run for the US House of Representatives. He has served 1.5 terms as of now and in that short period of time has skyrocketed to national prominence. He is on practically every news channel including some not so Republican friendly ones. There are people who go many terms in Congress and are never known at all. How does he feel about being a national figure? Does this help him in representing the district?
“I don’t think about it in, in that in those terms. I look at it from the standpoint of how best I can represent my district and how best I can ensure that we’re getting things done on behalf of the people who elected me to represent them. Part of my strategy has been to be omnipresent on media, not to hear myself talk, but because that is one of the best ways to be able to communicate, A to the general public, but B, to be able to advocate for the policies and the and the issues that matter. We’ve been able to effectively do that and use those opportunities to advocate for my district. I think part of it is if you don’t engage, if you don’t go on every network, if you don’t talk to the press then the people that everyone hears from are the extremes.”
He added that it’s important to, to balance that. It’s important to be heard in the debate and in the conversation. So that’s a big part of why he does it.
Now that the shutdown’s over, what’s next? Schumer’s still saying the shutdown was caused by Republicans. They’re running ads against you saying that you voted to cut Medicaid, Social Security, and SNAP monies. As far as I know, Medicaid and Social Security are under mandated spending, it can’t be cut short of a sixty-vote, majority in the Senate. What do you have to say about these accusations?
“Well, it’s just more lies by those that really don’t care about the truth or the people. The fact is, I have always voted to protect Social Security and Medicare. I’ve never cut Social Security or Medicare. In fact, I fought to get the Social Security Fairness Act passed and signed into law to ensure that retirees who worked as federal employees and those in law enforcement, first responders, that they are not being unfairly penalized because of their pension systems and that they get their full Social Security benefits. So, the idea that somehow we cut that is a baldfaced lie.”
The Big Beautiful Bill, which became the Big Beautiful Law, on July 4, 2025, cut a lot of spending and waste from the federal budget. It got people who do not deserve to be on programs like Medicare, Medicaid and SNAP off of them which made them stronger and longer lasting because there is more money available to those who do deserve it.
There was only one person in Congress who voted against releasing the Epstein files. Why do you think the Democrats were so apoplectic about releasing them when they had 4 years in the previous administration to do so and didn’t? Do you think they have something to worry about Democrats being exposed regarding Epstein Island visits or things like that?
“Look, as I’ve said repeatedly, anybody who committed a crime, anybody who was involved in furtherance of Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, sex trafficking, human trafficking, sexual exploitation and abuse of minor children, they should be prosecuted. I don’t care who it is, what party they belong to. They should be prosecuted. Obviously, as these files come out, and I voted in support of releasing the files, but as these files come out, I’m sure there’s going to be things we learn that are embarrassing to people that raise serious questions of, of conduct, and people will need to answer for it, no matter who it is.” Lawler explained.
Illegal immigration. I know, yeah, this kind of relates to your committee because they’re coming in from all these foreign countries. What are you doing to work with the rest of the Congress to deal with the human trafficking and illegal immigrants, especially the ones here in New York?
“I think obviously illegal immigration is a major challenge. Since President Trump took office, net border crossings are at zero. We have had zero illegal immigration over the last 6 months because they have enforced the law and they have sealed the border and stopped the massive influx that was occurring under Joe Biden and the strain that created on the social safety net in cities and states all across America. Obviously from the standpoint of enforcement and the deportations, they are going after criminal aliens and those who have previously availed themselves of the court system going to deport them. Long term though, we need an immigration fix.”
He continues, “You cannot continue to have a system that doesn’t work and doesn’t address the economic needs of our country. When you look at the fact that there are probably over 20 million people who are in this country undocumented, You have to deal with the reality of that. People who have been here 5, 10, 15, 20 years whose children and grandchildren may be American citizens, are those the people that we want to round up and kick out? In my opinion, no. There should be a pathway to legalization, not citizenship, not amnesty. They have to abide by certain terms. That’s why I am a co-lead on the Dignity Act. They can’t commit a crime. They have to pay a fine. They have to pay back taxes. They have to have a job, and they can’t collect government benefits.
I think most people think that is a reasonable approach to deal with this situation.”
He says that’s his objective he is trying to work towards a solution as opposed to just this continued broken system that does nothing to help anybody.
That goes down to the idea of birthright citizenship. The Democrats and others are claiming under the 14th Amendment that birthright citizenship is in that, amendment. I was a history teacher. I know that the 14th Amendment just talks about the former slaves getting citizenship and their children. I mean, do you think that the idea of birthright citizenship is a good thing, bad thing?
“Birthright citizenship obviously has been an issue that has been discussed for 160 years. The objective going back to the Civil War and making sure that slaves, formerly enslaved people were in fact given citizenship rights, and absolutely, they should have been. I think there are abuses in the system today. Where people are coming into the country illegally, and having, children for the express purpose of making them an American citizen. I think there’s a kind of common-sense reform to this, that can be handled which is to say if you come here legally and you are an immigrant on a green card, on a visa, etc. and you end up having a child here, that child is an American citizen. If you are not here legally and you have a child, that child is not. I think that there’s probably a, reasonable, approach that can be taken on this that I think would have consensus and support.
Let’s end this with the, on the more on the local scene. You held a press conference about the Stony Point Bridge, and soon after that, the work on the bridge was done, and the bridge was reopened. Now we have the 9W corridor with CHPE, (Champlain, Hudson Power Express) doing a lot of work there and disrupting businesses. They’re losing tens of thousands of dollars, and like, Stephanie Melowsky said at your press conference, it was about $10 million. That was almost two months ago, so it’s probably gone up by a few million. What can you do on the federal level to help them recoup some of their losses so they can survive?
Can you talk to Hochel and to get her to declare this area a disaster so that all the other aid can come in?
“Well, I’ve pushed for the governor to declare a state of emergency and an economic disaster, to help, ensure more resources can come in to support the small businesses. I’ve also been working with CHPE, with their financial backers, including Blackstone to see what can be done to support the small businesses with a more robust small business fund. We’re in the process of having those discussions and working to find a, a positive resolution here.” Lawler explained.
“Mike Lawler has been attacked from many groups in his time in public office. From his days in the NYS Assembly to his current job as a Congressman. He has been called every name in the book and so many lies have been said about him with regards to defunding Medicaid, Social Security and SNAP. Through all of it, he has maintained his composure and not gotten down and dirty with his opponents. He answered them with facts and data, not innuendos and speculation. I was at some of his town hall meetings and the vitriol that was being spewed at him, and the disrespect people showed him by not even letting him answer a question that was asked and them booing someone who asked a question that went against their narrative disgusted me. The one thing he has always done was to look out for his constituents, EVERYONE OF THEM regardless of political party. This is from his days in the Orangetown government through is congressional job today.” A constituent who asked to be referred to as SJ stated emphatically.