Government & Politics

Mondaire’s Battle Plan Against Mike Lawler: “Just Look At His Record”

Published 2 months ago2m ago • Bookmarks: 134 • Comments: 1

Mondaire Jones at event in Croton-on-Hudson — Mondaire Jones at a campaign event in Croton-on-Hudson

August 7, 2024

By Solace Church—

At a press conference in Croton-on-Hudson Monday, former Rep. Mondaire Jones denounced incumbent Congressman Mike Lawler’s recent vote on a budget bill that included cuts in funding for clean drinking water. “This would be a total cut of 25%, or $700 million, for safe and clean water assistance from current funding levels,” said Jones, “in other words, the lowest level in more than 15 years.”

The event and the critique fit a pattern in which Jones calls out Lawler for his voting record, his history as a fossil fuel lobbyist and his support for ultra-conservative Republicans.

Support our Sponsors

Jones previously represented New York’s 17^th District for one term prior to the recent round of redistricting and before former 18^th District Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the time, commandeered the candidacy but then lost to Lawler in the general election.

Much as Maloney did in his unsuccessful 2022 bid, Jones repeatedly stresses Lawler’s ties to the MAGA-dominated Republican Party. “Mike Lawler has never shown an appetite to stand up to MAGA extremism or the Republican Party,” Jones said in Croton, “because he sincerely believes in the extremism. All you have to do is look at his voting record.”

“This most recent bill he voted for further attempts to dismantle an organization that used to have bipartisan support,” Jones said of Lawler. “The idea of safe and clean drinking water and air used to be bipartisan in nature.”

“This is someone who takes hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars from the fossil fuel industry,” Jones charged. “We should not be surprised then, that he votes against environmental regulations that keep us safe every single day.”

In his effort to regain his seat, Jones has targeted Lawler’s position on reproductive choice, on Social Security cuts, on Republican attempts to impeach President Biden and on his general fealty to Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson. He also blames his opponent for the failure of the Republican-led House to offer meaningful solutions to the immigration problem and to pass legislation repealing the State and Local Tax penalty (SALT), an issue particularly important to Westchester County voters.

As previously reported by the Hudson Independent, Lawler defends what he describes as his bipartisan record by pointing out that he voted with fellow Republicans just 68 percent of the time, while Jones voted with Democrats in 99 percent of the votes during his one term in Congress.

The Croton event was attended by more than 50 supporters, environmental advocates and several locally elected officials. A similar event designed to focus on Lawler’s anti-choice position is scheduled for Thursday in Nanuet.

Read or leave a comment on this story...

Support our Sponsors