By Keith Shikowitz & Tom Ossa
Clarkstown, NY – On Sunday evening, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) held a town hall style meeting at Clarkstown South High School, drawing a crowd of over 500 attendees, eager to engage directly with their District 17 representative in Washington.
The event, co-moderated by Deputy Supervisor Brenda Logan Charles of Ramapo and Supervisor Teresa Kenny of Orangetown, opened up the event with a request for civility and order, as well as laying out strict rules against disruptions, standing, or yelling.
These common sense instructions didn’t work for long.
A good number of the attendees seemingly did not show up to listen. They showed up to stand up, yell and disrupt – as if Town Hall meetings were some sort of UFC event. Weeks prior – they had openly planned protests on Reddit, Facebook and other locations, in part organized by local activist chapter Indivisible Rockland. Posters and commenters in these groups planned to covertly record, to let other attendees know that they were angry, and to paint the Congressman in an unfavorable light.
Despite Indivisible Rockland’s own instructions on its own page to its own followers, some people in the room showed up to yell, cajole and voice their disdain – inside the event if ticketed, and outside the event if not ticketed.
Once again as in previous Town Halls and events, this led to efforts by the 2-term Congressman to connect with his District 17 constituents, nearly impossible. Still, the Congressman stayed in the fray for nearly 2 hours, and attempted to answer as many questions as time permitted – in between numerous interruptions. All in all, it was a tense session which likely would have tried the patience of the late Mitch Hedberg. Because as a good speaker knows, timing is everything.
Still, as tense as it was – there were no physical altercations, as in other protests that have occured – notably the recent altercation at the RBA’s business meeting at the Hotel Nyack. While there were protests outside of Clarkstown South, they were generally orderly.
Afterward, local Rockland and Westchester-based journalists press led with images, video and sound bites that focused on derision and division. Some writers even attempted to provide instructions for elected Government officials on how to connect with audiences.
But one statement by Mike Lawler seems to have been missed by the general press. In response to an audience member berating a staff member, Lawler said this: “Folks, you can take your anger out on me, that’s fine…treat my staff with respect. They show up everyday to serve this community. They don’t need to be attacked, yelled at, berated…it’s unnecessary.”
This article will aim to cut through the noise and focus on one thing: Actual answers to actual questions.
LISTEN: ROCKLAND NEWS INTERVIEW WITH MIKE LAWLER (Recorded Feb 2025)
What Congressman Lawler Actually Said
Despite the tension and outbursts, the town hall provided a platform for robust discussion, highlighting the passionate engagement of Rockland County residents in national and local issues. Questions were picked randomly by staff members. Question #058111 included a very insightful question about budget reconciliations on the $880 billion, which would affect Medicaid and other social programs.
Congressman Lawler opened his part of the evening by highlighting his legislative accomplishments, noting his ranking as the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress and the most effective freshman in the 118th session.
Throughout the evening, Lawler fielded questions on a broad array of topics, ranging from Congressional stock trading bans, Medicaid and Social Security funding, immigration and deportation controversies, to U.S. support for Ukraine and concerns about anti-Semitism on college campuses. Not all responses were met with derision.
Tension first spiked when Lawler defended his record as a bipartisan moderate in response to a pointed question criticizing his alignment with what the questioner called “an authoritarian administration.” Despite citing his bipartisan ranking and legislative successes, some audience members shouted interruptions, challenging his framing of inflation, tariffs, and tax policies. “I have been rated the fourth most bipartisan member of Congress.” Lawler stated. “There’s not a single local elected official who can honestly say that I have not sat down with them and worked with them regardless of their party.”
Lawler also asserted his record of passing 11 bills, with six signed into law by former President Biden, and stressed his commitment to working across the aisle to address key issues.
Medicaid, Taxes, Budget Cuts
Another flashpoint came during discussions about Medicaid and budget cuts. Constituents pressed Lawler on how $880 billion in projected mandatory spending cuts could be achieved without harming Medicaid recipients. Lawler attempted to reassure the audience that he would not support cutting benefits for eligible recipients. “I am not cutting benefits for any eligible recipient, period.”
Lawler also reminded the audience that no cuts have been authorized by Congress. “There have been no cuts. Nobody has received a cut to Social Security or Medicare that can honestly stand here and say that they have received a cut.”
Lawler also stated to the attendees that he would oppose any reconciliation bill that slashes benefits for eligible recipients, vowing to protect vital programs for seniors, the disabled, and low-income families. He also reaffirmed his support for lifting the cap on the State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction to alleviate tax burdens in high-cost areas – such as Rockland County. “I do support lifting the cap on SALT, which directly impacts all of us in this room.”
There was a moment that had an interesting but uncomfortable reaction by the audience. Lawler’s comments regarding “able-bodied adults” and “work requirements” for Medicaid eligibility also drew sharp murmurs and audible disapproval from the crowd. His follow up insistence that fraud reduction and spending control could safeguard Medicaid benefits was met with skepticism – and more heckling.
“We are $36 trillion in debt. We are spending $7 trillion on an annual basis with $2 trillion in deficit spending and $1 trillion in interest payments.” Lawler stated in another reply, related to the broader United States economy, but tying it into local economic results. “In Rockland County, the average mortgage cost went up $1,000 a month.”
Immigration and Deportations
Responding to questions about deportations of U.S. citizen children and broader concerns about executive overreach, Lawler emphasized the importance of upholding court orders and maintaining the balance of power among the branches of government. He promised to continue Congressional oversight if necessary.
The issue of deportations under previous and current administrations, particularly the deportation of young U.S. citizen children undergoing cancer treatment, stirred strong emotional reactions. Although Lawler condemned these deportations and stressed the need for adherence to court rulings, many attendees remained frustrated with what they perceived as an insufficiently forceful response from Congress as a whole. For his part, Lawler stated “With respect to the deportation of U.S. citizens, that should not happen. They should be immediately returned.”
The Congressman notably faced pointed challenges on proposed budget cuts to healthcare agencies, FDA inspections, and education. Lawler acknowledged the need for fiscal responsibility, but maintained that key health and safety services must remain protected.
As an example, Lawler addressed proposed cuts to agencies like the FDA and NIH, as well as claims about declining federal workforce numbers. One retired software engineer and ambulance worker emotionally charged that cuts would endanger public health and lives, accusing Lawler and Congress of failing if these reductions moved forward. Lawler’s calls for dialogue over resistance seemed to inflame rather than calm the room, much like the instructions for civility and order at the beginning of the presentation elicited the opposite effect from some. Much like in domestic conversations, where the words “calm down” – while well meaning – may not achieve the intended result.
Federal Law Enforcement and International Issues
A number of constituents expressed concern over America’s global standing, the handling of military leadership, and the integrity of federal law enforcement agencies like the FBI. Lawler stood firm in his support of law enforcement and reiterated his belief in American institutions while recognizing the need for continuous improvement and oversight.
Later, broad generalization questions about financial ties to Elon Musk and AIPAC led to accusations of hypocrisy concerning Lawler’s stand against antisemitism, which he defended while reiterating his legislative efforts against recent campus discrimination. Lawler also announced his introduction of the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act, and proposed measures to hold universities accountable when accepting federal funding. “I absolutely would strip any of these institutions of federal dollars if they promoted or sanctioned anti-Semitism on their campuses.”
Congressman Lawler concluded the event by thanking the audience for their participation, and promised to carry their concerns back to Washington.
Reactions by Local News and Social Media Groups
Lohud had a fascinating photo gallery:
On Facebook, a recent article by RC Biz Journal incited numerous backlash comments on Facebook, which led to the story seemingly being pulled from groups.
Stony Point Community Group Admin Kevin Nolan, had the following to say:
I would like to personally thank our Congressman Mike Lawler for entering the lions den tonight and hosting the first of four of his scheduled town halls. Those that opposed him suggested that the questions asked may be rigged in his favor. They were not. I don’t believe a single supporter of Mike got to ask a question. Some adults in attendance acted like children and were asked to leave. Mike brought his A Game tonight and it showed. He once again came across as the smartest man in the room. And he gave Jenn Woodfield-Nolan a bottle of water because she was thirsty and almost made me walk all the way back to the car.
On the flip side, one Redditor – who will remain nameless to protest the person’s identity – added this analysis in a comment in a subgroup:
It seemed that the his detractors were about 60% of the attendees. They often booed and shouted him down whenever he obsfucated and misrepresented his views and actions. There was a heavy police presence that were backed up by civilian security guard goons. About five people got kicked out. Lohud posted a couple photos of that happening. He’s one of the most endangered congressmen. For a couple reasons I highly doubt that he’d run for governor.
Another Redditor did an Ai analysis of the Congressman’s responses to certain questions, and listed several questions as not fully answered. There was no analysis done by the Redditor on the questions that were fully answered.
Lawler is planning more Town Hall events. In response, protestors are planning their next moves, on subreddits, on Indivisible Rockland, and on Signal chats. No word yet if Pete Hesgeth is participating.
In the interim – to learn more about current activity by the NY-17 District Representative, visit Representative Lawler’s website.