ICYMI: Cancer Survivor Ad Drops as Congressman Lawler, Fresh Off Overseas Trip, Lives Large on Donor Dime
As Tracey’s story airs, New York faces a coverage cliff for hundreds of thousands of residents
ROCKLAND COUNTY, NEW YORK — In case you missed it: Empire State Voices this week launched a new ad featuring Hudson Valley cancer survivor Tracey, putting a spotlight on the real-life consequences of Rep. Mike Lawler’s vote to cut health care for families in NY-17. Recently, Congressman Lawler has been living the high life, traveling abroad and enjoying a lavish, campaign-funded lifestyle. All while Hudson Valley families face higher costs and the very real risk of losing their health coverage.
“Rep. Lawler has spent $150,000 in campaign funds on lavish hotels, chartered boats, and extravagant sushi dinners, and his vote could lead to local hospitals in this district closing their doors,” said Tracey, a constituent and Rockland County cancer survivor. “This is a congressman who has chosen party over constituents, and whose idea of an affordability crisis is whether to order the spicy tuna. Every dollar he spends on excess is a reminder of exactly whose comfort he is protecting, and it is not ours.”
“When the ACA marketplace opened in 2013, it changed everything for my family. For the first time, we had coverage without restrictions on pre-existing conditions. My kids qualified for Medicaid. I could finally sleep at night knowing we could handle the basics and survive an emergency. Rep Mike Lawler needs to stop cutting Medicaid,” said Tracey.
For Hudson Valley families, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Federal health care cuts are forcing New York State into impossible decisions, with nearly half a million New Yorkers at risk of losing coverage through the Essential Plan as early as this summer. The program currently serves more than 1.6 million residents and has been a cornerstone of affordable coverage across the state. In NY-17 alone, 211,500 residents benefit from Medicaid, residents whose coverage is now threatened because of Rep. Mike Lawler.
The ad, now in rotation across NY-17, underscores what’s at stake: when politicians like Rep. Mike Lawler cut health care, it’s working families who are left to pick up the pieces.
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.
