Taxation Without Representation

Today, hundreds of fed-up NY17 constituents turned-out to tell Mike Lawler just how unhappy we are with the government funding bill he voted for on Tuesday. Instead of a "clean" continuing resolution, this one had provisions added at the last minute that cut $13 billion in domestic spending and added $6 billion in defense spending.

What's more, the long-term package Republicans are pushing would cut $880 billion from programs overseen by the Energy and Commerce Committee, which is mathematically impossible without cuts to Medicaid and other important programs.

The more insidious section in last week's bill however, is one that is receiving less attention. Specifically, a provision that effectively abdicates Congressional authority to Trump for anything he declares to be an emergency:

This language gives Trump and DOGE permission to spend our tax dollars however they want to without Congressional approval by blocking anyone in Congress from challenging Trump's immigration and border "emergency" declaration, which was used as the excuse for all the tariff chaos we've witnessed over the last two weeks.

The last time I checked, a tariff is a tax that we have to pay on imported goods. And by ceding his Congressional authority to challenge the tariffs, Mike Lawler is no longer representing us. That sounds a lot like taxation without representation to me. Where have I heard that before?

Mike Lawler has checked-out and no longer represents NY17. Constituents have every right to be furious. We spoke loud and clear today in Tarrytown and will continue to protest until Lawler wakes up or is voted out.