As Gas Prices Climb, Hudson Valley Families Tell Mike Lawler: Stop Making Life More Expensive

Photo by Empire State Voices

YORKTOWN HEIGHTS, NEW YORK — Hudson Valley families are paying more every time they fill up their gas tanks, buy groceries, or pay their monthly bills. Gas prices remain nearly $1.20 per gallon higher than this time last year, while inflation and other household costs continue to strain family budgets across New York's 17th Congressional District.

Yet Rep. Mike Lawler continues to support the very policies making life more expensive for the people he represents. Lawler has backed tariffs projected to cost New Yorkers an average of $2,512 in 2026—a 44 percent increase from last year—and supported the Republican Tax Law's cuts to Medicaid and SNAP. He has also defended higher gas prices tied to the Iran conflict, arguing they are "absolutely worth it."

That is why constituents joined Empire State Voices on Tuesday outside the BJ's gas station in Yorktown Heights to demand accountability and call on Rep. Lawler to focus on lowering costs for Hudson Valley families rather than making excuses for rising prices.

"Every time I stop for gas, I'm reminded that working families are the ones paying the price for Rep. Lawler’s failed policies," said Eve, a Hudson Valley resident and retired health care worker. "We're paying more at the pump, more at the grocery store, and more for everyday necessities. We need leaders focused on lowering costs, not policies that make life even more expensive."

"For families like mine, the affordability crisis isn't something you read about in the news—it's something you feel every day," Baila, a Hudson Valley resident who drives long distances to pick up prescriptions. "Every trip to the gas station costs more. Every trip to the grocery store costs more. You work hard, do everything you're supposed to do, and still feel like you're falling behind. We need leaders focused on lowering costs for working families, not supporting policies that make life even more expensive."

The action is part of Empire State Voices' Hudson Valley Summer Costs Series, a campaign highlighting how rising costs and recent Republican-backed policies are affecting working families throughout the region. Future actions will continue throughout the summer as residents demand accountability and solutions to the affordability crisis.
 

To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org

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About Empire State Voices 

Empire State Voices is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. We are 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. To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org