Hudson Valley Ratepayers Sound the Alarm on Rising Utility Bills, Call on Rep. Lawler to Lower Energy Costs
MAHOPAC, NEW YORK — Today, New Yorkers rallied outside Congressman Mike Lawler’s Mahopac Office, highlighting their increasingly high energy bills and calling Rep. Lawler out for raking in thousands of dollars from utility companies while supporting legislation that is raising energy costs.
In recent weeks, New Yorkers have received some of their highest utility bills of the year, up 10% since 2025. And under Donald Trump and Rep. Lawler, New Yorkers are paying $190 more for electricity.
NY-17 constituents Joe, Dee, Alan, and more brought their recent energy bills to Rep. Lawler’s office to make sure he understands that these record-high numbers, alongside rising grocery, gas, and healthcare costs, are hurting hardworking families.
Dee, a retired teacher on Social Security, is paying $400 per month for her energy bills.
Joe, a veteran, has seen his bill go up 22% over the last year.
Alan has spent over $2,000 in the past year on electricity.
Recent reporting details that some people are using “Buy Now, Pay Later” options for energy, or making the difficult decision not to cool their homes at all this summer in response to new, higher bills.
This rally is part of Empire State Voices' ongoing “Mike Spike” campaign to hold Rep. Lawler accountable for his continued votes that are raising costs for New Yorkers. Last week, mobile billboards went up around Rockland and Westchester counties detailing Lawler’s role in raising costs for NY-17 constituents, and the billboards continued circling during today’s event.“I am out here and bringing my energy bills to Rep. Lawler because everyday essentials feel more and more out of reach every day, and we cannot keep up with the Mike Spike much longer,” said Alan from Brewster. “When our leaders in Washington deliver tax breaks to billionaires, my neighbors and I are left to foot the bill, and that’s not fair. We need Congressman Lawler to do better.”
“Rep. Lawler repeatedly promised not to raise our energy bills, but when push came to shove, he voted for a bill that did just that,” said Dee from Peekskill. “Hudson Valley families are already struggling to keep up with rising grocery and gas prices, and turning on the AC in August shouldn’t be something we are giving up too. We need our congressman to choose us and our livelihoods over partisan politics.”
“The campaign finance reports don’t lie, and while Rep. Lawler was raking in donations from energy companies, they were getting enormous tax breaks on our dime,” Empire State Voices Senior Organizing Director Dylan Wheeler said. “Rep. Lawler can say or do anything he wants to try and convince NY-17 that he cares about our rising day-to-day expenses, but it is meaningless until he starts voting against tariffs, reversing his cuts to SNAP and Medicaid, and taking other actions that will actually lower our costs.”
To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org###
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
