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Lawler’s Integrity Must Be Questioned
By Mark A. Lieberman
Lawler brands himself as a pragmatic moderate who is focused on results and accountability. But his words and actions don’t reflect his voting record and misdeeds, and therefore his integrity must be questioned.
At a moment when integrity should be foremost, Lawler has permitted the weakening of federal oversight by allowing the closing of hundreds of fraud investigations and removing inspectors general. The inspectors general are the watchdogs meant to protect us from wrongdoing and waste. Lawler never questioned this ongoing travesty. Yet, he claims there is fraud and wrongdoing constantly, without facts backing up his claims.
At a moment when integrity should be foremost, Lawler has continued to align himself with the fossil fuel industry. As wildfire smoke choked the Hudson Valley, Lawler warned us of real health consequences for children, seniors, and people with respiratory illness. But instead of supporting clean energy, Lawler recently voted for the FIRE Act, which allows pollution from wildfire smoke to be ignored in federal air quality standards. When the standards are not met , then Lawler votes to weaken them!
Lawler’s biases are the only thing that’s clear.
At a moment when integrity should be foremost, Lawler promised not to cut Medicaid, yet he voted for a bill that took away coverage for more than 200,000 people in his district.
At a moment when integrity should be foremost, Lawler congratulated himself after winning elections in 2020, 2022, and in 2024. He always accepted election results. His reason for now promoting the restrictive voting SAVE Act is strictly to score points with Trump.
At a moment when integrity should be foremost, Lawler’s past bad acts of wearing blackface, driving drunk, having his aide spy, having an elderly woman forcibly carried out of a town hall, and spending campaign money lavishly on himself has created a long list of additional integrity concerns.
Integrity in public office is about consistency between words and actions, transparency in decision-making, and honesty with constituents over political gamesmanship.
When it comes to integrity, Lawler is lacking.
Mark A. Lieberman is a resident of Yorktown, NY
