New Yorkers Gather for a Community Forum on the Skyrocketing Cost of Living, Including Housing and Health Care
NYACK, NEW YORK — On Thursday, local residents gathered at the Nyack Center in Nyack for a community forum on the skyrocketing cost of living with a focus on the housing and health care affordability crises facing Hudson Valley families. The event featured a moderated panel discussion with local advocates and policy experts who discussed different aspects of the rapidly increasing cost of living and the policy decisions that have made it worse.
The forum was kicked off by Robert, a Rockland County senior who paid into Medicare for nearly 50 years. Without Medicare, Robert wouldn’t be able to enjoy his retirement - but that is now under threat as Rep. Lawler has voted to cut Medicare.
The panel discussion included Ravo Root of Citizen Action, Dr. Pablo Sadler from the Committee to Protect Health Care (CPH), and Rashida Tyler, the Deputy Executive Director of the New York State Council of Churches and Project Manager for the Interfaith Affordable Housing Collaborative.
Photo Credit | EMPIRE STATE VOICES
Rep. Mike Lawler voted for the Republican Tax Law, a budget and tax package that nonpartisan analysts say includes roughly $1 trillion in healthcare spending reductions over time. After months of uncertainty for families facing rising premiums, constituents warning him about the terrible consequences of his vote, and urging him to act, Rep. Lawler voted to restore ACA tax credits only at the final hour. Those credits have now expired due to his failed leadership.
One important area of focus was the tariffs implemented by President Trump, which Rep. Mike Lawler voted to support, only to be found illegal by the Supreme Court. Studies show that American consumers are bearing a staggering 96% of the burden of Republicans’ failed economic scheme, with small businesses paying billions in tariffs and passing the vast majority of those costs onto New Yorkers. On average, working- and middle-class families in New York’s 17th Congressional District are now paying nearly $2,000 more each year because of tariff-led price increases. Tariffs have raised the cost of lumber, steel, electrical components, and home appliances. Those increases raise the price of new construction and home repairs. For working- and middle-class families in the Hudson Valley, that means higher rents and higher home prices at a time when budgets are already stretched thin. Rep. Lawler has been silent in the face of growing calls for that money to be repaid to New York families.
“Costs keep going up on the hardworking families of the Hudson Valley and unfortunately Congressman Lawler only seems to be working hard at getting on tv,” said Zachary Tirgan, Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “As families struggle to pay for groceries, electricity, and everyday expenses - the growing burden of health care and housing is proving to be insurmountable for many. We organized this forum so local community members could come out, share their stories and learn more about how we got here and the options ahead.”
“I worked hard my entire career and want to be able to enjoy my retirement with my wife,” said Robert, a Rockland County retiree. “Medicare makes that retirement possible. If Medicare gets cut like Congressman Lawler has voted for, I might have to go back to work just to afford my health care bills. I know I’m not alone in this struggle and am glad we have the opportunity to speak with our neighbors in a setting like this to understand the facts and hopefully work towards some solutions. If our member in Congress isn’t willing to fight for us, we’re going to have to do it ourselves”
“I talk to people every day who are struggling to pay their medical bills, struggling to pay rent or buy a house,” said Preach, a local preacher. “Unfortunately, Congressman Lawler has repeatedly voted to make that harder for people here in his district. He’s voted to make health care more expensive, he’s voted to support tariffs that make pretty much everything including housing more expensive, he just keeps voting to make life more expensive. Community is about working together and that’s why I’m glad we could come together for this forum.”
Photo Credit | EMPIRE STATE VOICES
To learn more about Empire State Voices, contact press@empirestatevoices.org
###
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.
