“LAWLER CUTS HEALTHCARE AND FOOD FUNDS”
Highway Banners in Yorktown, Armonk, and Peekskill Lay the Blame Squarely at Congressman Mike Lawler’s Feet
YORKTOWN, ARMONK, & PEEKSKILL, NEW YORK — Today, motorists on I-684, Route 9, and the Taconic State Parkway may have spotted one of three banners hung by local advocacy groups, highlighting Congressman Mike Lawler's complicity in the ongoing government shutdown. With the Republican shutdown now in its second month, New Yorkers across the Hudson Valley are starting to feel serious pain.
The coalition of groups responsible for the banners includes Empire State Voices, Indivisible Yorktown, Coop-On Indivisible, Peekskill Progressives, and Putnam Progressives.
Motorists on I-684, Route 9, and the Taconic State Parkway may have spotted one of three banners highlighting Congressman Lawler's complicity in the ongoing government shutdown. | CREDIT: Empire State Voices
As we enter the second month of a government shutdown, Congressman Lawler continues to refuse to support a funding deal that would roll back Republican cuts to Medicaid and SNAP and permanently extend key healthcare tax credits. On Saturday, SNAP officially ran out of funds, and families across the Hudson Valley began receiving letters notifying them of severe premium hikes for their 2026 insurance plans. Over 66,000 New Yorkers in the 17th Congressional District rely on SNAP benefits to afford their groceries, with nearly half being children.
"With SNAP having run out of money because of the shutdown, I don't know what I'm going to do for food this month. I guess I'll have to try and stretch what I have," said Lila Hines, a retired medical and personal aide from Peekskill. "I rely on these benefits, which keep getting less, to be able to afford my groceries. I’m in my eighties, and I can’t really work anymore. Now, because Congressman Lawler won’t open the government, I might be left with nothing. He's supposed to fight for seniors, not make our lives even harder than they already are."
On Saturday, SNAP officially ran out of funds, and families across the Hudson Valley began receiving letters notifying them of severe premium hikes. | CREDIT: Empire State Voices
“We needed to get loud here today because folks need to see what’s happening,” said Marni Rabin-Marron, a resident of Yorktown. “New Yorkers are being squeezed dry from every direction because of the health crisis that Mike Lawler created. What happened to being a public servant and serving our neighbors who live here in the 17th district? We are hurting, and our families here in the Hudson Valley need healthcare and access to food assistance. Lawler’s not anywhere in sight, fixing this horrible mess. As always, his only priority is bowing down to Trump and his MAGA allies and chasing his own political gain.”
“Over the past month, the Republican House has refused to even come into session and debate a possible funding deal,” said Dylan Wheeler, NY-17 Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “As his constituents have pleaded with him to roll back cuts and permanently extend health care tax credits, Rep. Lawler has instead taken to prowling the halls of the Capitol and cable news, attempting to point the blame at anyone but himself. It’s time for him to do his job and actually work to protect the people of his district.”
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
