War Over Care: Lawler’s House Republicans Push Plan to Raise Health Costs to Fund War Spending
Hudson Valley families could pay more for coverage as constituents foot the bill for Iran War
WESTCHESTER, NEW YORK — Rep. Lawler and Washington Republicans are floating a simple tradeoff: your health care for their war. As Congress eyes up to $200 billion in new war spending, GOP leaders are considering more cuts to Medicare and Affordable Care Act subsidies—raising premiums and putting coverage at risk for families in New York’s 17th District—to help pay the bill.
In New York’s 17th Congressional District, that means families who rely on Medicare or ACA coverage could see their costs spike or their coverage disappear altogether. It’s a raw deal: Hudson Valley residents pay more, while Washington shifts priorities abroad.
Combined with broader Republican health care changes, millions could lose coverage nationwide—driving up the uninsured rate and putting care further out of reach. Families here could lose their coverage, so Congress can cover the cost of the war. This is compounding the problems from the Republican Tax Law, in which as many as 860,000 middle-income New Yorkers could lose their health coverage.
“I rely on already-barely affordable health coverage to stay healthy and keep my family secure,” said Michelle, a mother and NY-17 constituent from Putnam. “Now we’re being told our costs could go up—or our coverage could disappear—just to pay for a war we don’t want. That’s not right. Rep. Lawler and Washington Republicans should be focused on fighting for Hudson Valley families' healthcare, not eliminating it to send more bombs to Tehran.”
If coverage disappears, the damage doesn’t stop there. Hospitals could face rising uncompensated care costs, local economies take a hit, and patients delay or skip care until it’s too late.
And it fits a broader pattern: cutting basic needs while prioritizing other spending and tax breaks for the wealthy—forcing working families to pay more and get less.
Empire State Voices is calling on Rep. Lawler to reject any plan that makes Hudson Valley families pay more for health care to fund war spending—and instead protect affordable coverage for New Yorkers.
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.
