Hudson Valley Congressman Mike Lawler highlighted his break with President Trump during the fight over the state and local tax deduction cap, arguing that his push on SALT could save New York families thousands of dollars at tax time.
Appearing Sunday opposite his Democratic challenger, military veteran Cait Conley, Lawler (R-NY) pushed back on criticism that he is too closely aligned with Trump, saying his relationships in Washington have helped him secure results for constituents.
“In order to get anything done, you have to be able to reach across the aisle and also work within your own party,” Lawler said on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“When Joe Biden was president, I was able to get things done. When Donald Trump is president, I’m able to get things done.”
“I have been able to bring back tens of millions of dollars to my district, and I delivered one of the biggest wins for New York by standing up to President Trump on the issue of SALT.”
Lawler was among the most vocal Republicans from high-tax blue states during the difficult negotiations over the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, pressing party leaders for a higher SALT deduction limit and at one point warning he could oppose the sweeping legislation if the cap was not raised.
His hardball approach briefly drew criticism from Trump, but the final agreement gave Lawler and fellow GOP members of the SALT Caucus a major policy win: raising the cap on state and local tax deductions from $10,000 to $40,000, a significant boost for homeowners in states such as New York.
Lawler also pointed to his broader legislative record, saying he had a hand in 17 bills that were signed into law during the most recent session of Congress.
Lawler is vying for reelection in one of the toughest House races in the country, a contest that is among the Cook Political Report’s list of 21 toss-up seats. Conley has tried to paint him as a Trump sycophant.
Later this week, Lawler is slated to speak at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, dubbed by the Republican National Committee, “Trump-a-Palooza.”
“Part of what I will be highlighting in my remarks is the ability to not only agree when we must, but disagree and deliver for my district and stand up for the people that I was elected to represent, including the Gorman family, who will be speaking at the convention,” he teased.
Lawler has been advocating on behalf of the family of slain 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, a Loyola University Chicago student from Yorktown Heights, whose alleged killer was an illegal immigrant.
During her appearance on “State of the Union,” Conley was pressed on attacks her party has faced over the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
But Conley declined to firmly disavow the DSA in the way that Long Island Dem Rep. Tom Suozzi recently did, outright calling on Dems to reject the insurgent leftist group.
“I look at what we’re trying to do, which is unite this country, where we have seen partisanship, to include partisanship within our own party, absolutely divide people to render government dysfunctional,” she replied.
“What I see coming out of Washington is corruption on both sides, extremism on both sides that is fueling hate, fueling dysfunction.”
The DSA’s platform calls for eliminating the Senate, making the president and Supreme Court subservient to Congress, and defunding the Pentagon.
The libertarian-leaning CATO Institute recently published a study concluding that the DSA’s proposed spending spree could cost some $200 trillion over a decade. For context, the size of America’s gross domestic product was about $30.77 trillion last year.
