Rep. Mike Lawler R-NY Talks Government Shutdown

Summary

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Bloomberg Talks: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) on the Government Shutdown

Date: October 14, 2025
Host: Bloomberg
Guest: Rep. Michael Lawler, U.S. Representative for New York's 17th District

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Episode Overview

In this fast-paced interview, Rep. Michael Lawler discusses the ongoing government shutdown, blaming Democratic leadership for a lack of compromise. He addresses the downstream impacts on everything from the military to infrastructure projects in New York, shares candid criticisms and observations about both parties’ approaches to negotiations, and offers his own proposed solutions. The interview is direct and confrontational, with Lawler forcefully defending his positions and explaining the political gridlock from his perspective.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. State of Negotiations and Blame Assignment

• Lawler strongly blames Democratic leadership, specifically calling out Hakeem Jeffries, AOC, and Zoran Mamdani, for letting fear of progressive primary challengers drive the current shutdown.
  • "The Democrats refused to do their job...They are holding the American people hostage." – Lawler [00:43]
• He explains that House Republicans passed a "clean continuing resolution" (CR) more than three weeks ago to fund the government and essential services, but Senate Democrats have repeatedly blocked it.
• Action taken: Lawler directly confronted Hakeem Jeffries to push for bipartisan healthcare legislation, but claims Jeffries refused to cooperate.

2. Framing of Political Motivations

• Lawler accuses Democrats of leveraging the shutdown to appeal to their progressive base and ‘resist’ President Trump, rather than focusing on policy outcomes.
  • "This really is not about healthcare. It's not about a specific policy outcome. This is about Democrats showing their progressive base that they're fighting back against President Trump." – Lawler [01:49]
• Contrasts this with President Trump’s foreign policy efforts, suggesting the President is leading on global affairs while Democrats play politics in Washington.

3. Affordable Care Act (ACA) & Health Premium Subsidies

• Host asks if Lawler would support structural changes or an extension to ACA premium subsidies as a temporary 'off ramp.'
• Lawler is critical of ACA’s effectiveness, blaming it for skyrocketing health premiums.
  • "Obamacare...didn't actually do what it was intended to do, which is reduce healthcare costs in America. And in fact, it has exploded since its inception." – Lawler [03:25]
• He supports a one-year extension of enhanced tax credits to avoid a premium spike, but insists permanent solutions are required.
• Emphasizes bipartisanship, while denouncing “stomping feet and demanding their way” as an approach to governance.

4. Impact on Financial Data and Federal Operations

• The host prompts discussion about vital government data (e.g., BLS jobs report) being held up by the shutdown—critical to the Fed and financial markets.
• Lawler reaffirms his opposition to government shutdowns for both parties, stating operational disruptions only worsen existing challenges.
• He urges Democrats to pass the clean CR to restore full government functionality, which would release the data.
  • "The fastest way for all of this to come to an end...is for my Democratic colleagues...to vote yes to open the government up and pass the clean cr." – Lawler [05:51]

5. New York Infrastructure Funding and Political Risks

• The White House has frozen $18 billion in NYC infrastructure projects due to the shutdown, affecting invaluable projects such as Gateway.
• Lawler is pressed on concerns about electoral backlash in his swing district due to stalled progress.
  • "I've already spoken out against the freeze on that project and have been in touch with the administration to get that project back up and running." – Lawler [06:42]
• He asserts that reopening the government via a clean CR would allow these infrastructure projects to resume without delay.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Congressional Dysfunction:
  "AOC and Zoran Mamdani and the progressive left are who's driving the ship here...Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have been petrified to do their jobs." – Lawler [00:43]

• Healthcare Policy Critique:
  "Obamacare...it didn't actually do what it was intended to do...it has exploded since its inception." – Lawler [03:25]

• Urging Action:
  "If you open up the government, a lot of this stuff will be resolved." – Lawler [07:37]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:30] – Introduction & opening question: "How would you characterize current negotiations?"
• [00:43] – Lawler blames Democratic leadership for the shutdown, describes interactions with Hakeem Jeffries.
• [02:38] – Host asks about ACA premium subsidy negotiations and possible trade-offs.
• [02:51] – Lawler critiques ACA, discusses health premium extensions, and governing philosophies.
• [04:36] – Impact of shutdown on economic data and the Federal Reserve’s functioning.
• [04:51] – Lawler’s support for ending shutdowns, regardless of party, and emphasis on clean CR as the solution.
• [06:17] – Host shifts focus to New York infrastructure project freezes and electoral implications.
• [06:42] – Lawler’s response about combating project freezes and his engagement with the administration.
• [06:56] – Lawler reiterates: reopening government is key to unfreezing projects.
• [07:47] – Interview wraps up.

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Summary

This episode provides a sharp, partisan lens on the government shutdown crisis, with Rep. Lawler forcefully asserting that progressive Democrats are to blame, advocating for prompt, clean funding legislation, and dismissing the shutdown as an unnecessary, politically motivated disruption. Lawler’s arguments focus equally on process and policy, covering everything from healthcare to the essential functioning of New York’s infrastructure, and he closes by reinforcing the need for bipartisan pragmatism to keep government running.

Transcript

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

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[Narrator/Announcer]

Bloomberg Audio Studios Podcasts Radio news.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm happy to say we can extend the conversation with New York Congressman Michael Lawler. Congressman, welcome back to the program. Sir, the good news, the military looks like it's getting paid. Can you just walk us through how you would characterize current negotiations?

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

Well, the Democrats refused to do their job. You know, Hakeem Jeffries talks about getting permission. The reality here is that AOC and Zoran Mandani and the progressive left are who's driving the ship here. Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries have been petrified to do their jobs. And so they shut the government down for fear of a primary challenge from the left and to show their progressive base that they're, quote, unquote, fighting back, resisting, you know, President Trump and it's fundamentally wrong. They are holding the American people hostage. House Republicans passed a clean continuing resolution over three weeks ago to keep the government funded to pay for all of these critical programs, to ensure that our troops are paid, to ensure that Border Patrol agents are paid. And yet Democrats have voted over eight times against the clean cr and we'll see what Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats do today. But it doesn't look good. And you know, when I was in Washington last week, I went and confronted Hakeem Jeffries to his face and pointed out that if he's serious about tackling the healthcare challenges in our country, sign on to the bipartisan legislation that would do that. And he refused. So this really is not about healthcare. It's not about a specific policy outcome. This is about Democrats showing their progressive base that they're fighting back against President Trump. Meanwhile, look at the juxtaposition. President Trump on a 24 hour trip to the Middle east secured peace. And Democrats are playing patty cake here in Washington, D.C. shutting the government down and holding the American people hostage.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, two weeks. There needs to be some off ramp at some point. Would you support structural changes to the Affordable Care act premium subsidies in exchange for an extension to get the government back up and working.

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

Well, to be clear, the off ramp is the clean CR that's been sitting in the Senate for over three weeks with respect to the Affordable Care act, number one, since Obamacare took effect in 2010, you've seen premiums skyrocket across the country. And Democrats put in place these enhanced tax credits during COVID They were slated to expire at the end of this year. Democrats knew that they passed it into law and they knew that they couldn't extend it beyond that period because of the cost associated with it. I have signed on to legislation to extend it by a year because we don't want Americans health care premiums to spike. But it speaks to the fundamental problem with Obamacare, which is that it didn't actually do what it was intended to do, which is reduce healthcare costs in America. And in fact, it has exploded since its inception. So look, I am open to obviously solving the issue, both short term and long term. We have to address the cost of healthcare in this country. But Democrats just, you know, pounding their fists on the table, stomping their feet and demanding their way is not the way to govern. You don't hold the American people hostage. And by the way, don't take my word for it. Go look at every quote from Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi and name the Democrat. They all previously believed that you don't use government shutdowns to exert policy outcomes. And now, fundamentally, they have changed their view because Donald Trump is president.

[Interviewer/Host]

Congressman. Also being held hostage right now is data which the financial services industry, the Fed, we all rely on. You are on the Financial Services Committee. Do you think the White House should deem the BLS data like the jobs report we're still waiting on essential?

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

Look, obviously that information is critically important for the Fed and others to do the work that is required. But this is the fundamental challenge. They're trying to figure out how to pay for, for instance, our troops, which is vital. They're trying to figure out how to pay for critical programs like WIC and snap. And so these are the very difficult decisions that any administration is put in because of the incalcitrance of my Democratic colleagues here. Look, I've been opposed to government shutdowns regardless of who has tried to do it. I criticized my Republican colleagues last Congress when some of them wanted to shut the government down over Joe Biden's disastrous open borders. While I agreed with them on the merits of the fact is, shutting the government down wasn't going to solve that problem. And the same applies here. What the Democrats are doing is creating more problems. The Fed, to your point, needs to be able to do its job. They need to cut rates. They need the information with respect to jobs, for instance, that is critically important. So yes, we want them to be able to get that information. The fastest way for all of this to come to an end, the fastest way to ensure that government does its job is, is for my Democratic colleagues to go back to Washington today in the Senate and vote yes to open the government up and pass the clean cr.

[Interviewer/Host]

The White House has also taken aim on projects in New York City, $18 billion worth of new York City infrastructure projects. You are in a swing district and you are facing a lot of challenges. A lot of Democrats are lining up to try to flip that seat come the midterms. Are you concerned about potentially the pushback you're going to get from things like this, billions of dollars being frozen right here in New York?

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

Well, look, I've already spoken out against the freeze on that project and have been in touch with the administration to get that project back up and running.

[Interviewer/Host]

Are they going to.

[Congressman Michael Lawler]

But again, the fastest way to do that is to pass a clean cr. And that's the point that I've made over the last week to my New York colleagues and to the press, that these projects can easily come back online when the government is open and running. Gateway is a critical project for my district. We don't have a one seat ride from Rockland county where I live. Gateway will provide that. So this is a critical infrastructure project not just for New York City or New Jersey, but for the region. But you know, this is something that I have fully supported in terms of getting the funding for that project and we'll continue to fight to do it. But again, based on conversations, it's not that hard to figure out. If you open up the government, a lot of this stuff will be resolved.

[Interviewer/Host]

Congressman, we got to go. Appreciate your time as always. I'm sure you've got to go to Michael that the New York Congressman on the latest situation down in Washington, D.C.

[Narrator/Announcer]

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