Mike Lawler

Michael Vincent Lawler (born September 9, 1986) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 17th congressional district since 2023. From 2021 to 2022, he was a Republican member of the New York State Assembly from the 97th district in Rockland County.

In 2024 he was ranked as the 4th most bipartisan member of Congress by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy Bipartisan Index.

Early life and education
A native of Rockland County, Lawler graduated from Suffern High School. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance from Manhattan College in 2009. Lawler was named valedictorian of his graduating class. Lawler is of Irish and Italian descent.

Career
Lawler was a partner at the political communications firm Checkmate Strategies from 2018 until 2022. He previously worked in the Westchester County Executive's Office as an advisor to Rob Astorino and executive director of the New York State Republican Party. Before winning his election, he served as deputy town supervisor of Orangetown, New York.

Lawler was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 for a two-year term, defeating Democratic incumbent Ellen Jaffee.

2022
Lawler was the Republican nominee in the 2022 general election in New York's 17th congressional district, having won the August 2022 primary. He narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent and DCCC chair Sean Patrick Maloney in the November general election in a major upset.

Tenure
On January 4, 2023, Lawler called then-newly sworn Representative George Santos's conduct "embarrassing and unbecoming" and "certainly a distraction". On January 12, he called for Santos to resign.

Lawler voted for Kevin McCarthy in the 2023 Speaker of the United States House of Representatives election. McCarthy was unable to win the speakership on the first 14 ballots. Lawler said of the matter, "It's time for everybody to unify. It's time for everybody to move forward because the reality is the American people didn't elect us to fight over rules."

On January 9, Lawler voted in favor of the House rules package. Afterward, he gave his first House speech, in favor of a bill that would defund the IRS of the money allocated in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Lawler was one of five Republicans to vote against the Parents' Bill of Rights in March 2023, and the only Republican not part of the Freedom Caucus to vote against it. He co-sponsored the bill, but decided not to vote for it after he said an unspecified amendment "went too far".

On June 21, Lawler voted with 212 other House Republicans in favor of the censure of Rep. Adam Schiff.

Along with Claudia Tenney, Lawler introduced a bill to prohibit Washington, D.C. from adopting ranked-choice voting.

For much of 2023, Lawler had a policy of banning television news cameras from his town hall meetings; he rescinded the ban in early 2024.

Caucus memberships

 * Republican Main Street Partnership

Committee assignments

 * Committee on Financial Services
 * Subcommittee on Capital Markets
 * Committee on Foreign Affairs

Political positions
Politico described Lawler as an avowed moderate.

Abortion
Lawler personally opposes abortion except in cases of rape or incest or if the mother's life is at risk, but also opposes a federal ban on abortion.

Congestion pricing
In 2023, Lawler opposed a plan by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to enact congestion pricing in Manhattan, New York City, one of the most traffic congested areas of the world. The plan would charge most cars $15 per day to drive in Manhattan below 60th Street. Lawler argued that the congestion pricing plan was not intended to reduce congestion, but was instead an "outrageous cash grab."

Personal life
Lawler lives in Pearl River with his wife, Doina, and their daughter. Lawler is Catholic.