Episode Details
Back to EpisodesI Live Here Westchester | Rep. Mike Lawler on SALT, Data Centers, and Working Across the Aisle
Description
Congressman Mike Lawler represents New York's 17th District, which covers Rockland and Putnam, northern Westchester, and part of Dutchess, in one of the most closely watched House races in the country. Lawler talks about raising two young daughters in a targeted race, the 2008 Ponzi scheme that cost his parents nearly everything, and why his best friend in Congress is a Democrat. He also takes questions on the SALT deduction and its 2030 expiration, congestion pricing, data centers in Rockland, and his call to reopen Indian Point.
In This Episode:
0:08 Family, Pearl River, and keeping life normal in a targeted race
2:05 Growing up, 9/11, and what pulled him into politics
4:52 Reflections on 9/11 at 25 years
8:21 Inside a week in Washington
12:06 Bipartisanship and breaking with his party
14:24 Voters who will never vote for a Republican
15:59 What a tough town hall taught him
18:14 Albany versus Washington
21:16 Foreign Affairs, Financial Services, and the Middle East subcommittee
23:45 Housing affordability in Westchester and Rockland
25:29 How the SALT negotiation actually worked
27:48 The 2030 SALT deadline
29:34 His opponent and the debates
30:31 Congestion pricing
32:54 AI and data centers
35:53 Indian Point and electricity costs
37:47 What he wants Westchester homeowners to point to
I Live Here Westchester is a production of I Live Here Media.
We spotlight the voices, visionaries, and stories that make Westchester County more than just a place to live—it’s a place to belong.
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