Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., disagreed this afternoon with Trump’s decision to fire all three sitting members of the bipartisan U.S. Election Assistance Commission just months ahead of the midterms.
“I would not have done it at this moment, heading into the midterms,” Lawler said in an interview on NBC News’ “Meet the Press NOW.”
Tom Williams / Getty Images
Lawler, who has presented himself as a centrist since entering office in 2023, is up for re-election in November, set to face off with Democratic nominee Cait Conley, a Biden-era National Security Council official and Army veteran. The pair will vie for the New York City-area seat in one of the most competitive districts in the country.
The Republican congressman also said today that he believes Trump should have signed a bipartisan housing bill that Congress passed by wide margins last month.
“I think the president should sign it and should declare victory,” Lawler said. “This was a bill that we worked hard on with his administration, with a Republican-led Senate and House, and we’re able to get broad bipartisan support.”
The White House said today that Trump, who repeatedly said he would not sign the housing bill unless Congress passed the SAVE America Act, will not veto the measure and will allow it to become law without his signature.
“I understand his position on the SAVE Act. I support, you know, photo ID. I support proof of citizenship,” Lawler said this afternoon. “But the fact is that when we’re talking about the American people and what they are most concerned about, most Americans are concerned about the cost of living, and that remains my priority and my focus.”
Lawler, who has voted against Trump’s agenda on issues like temporary protected status for Haitian immigrants, needs a strong turnout from staunch Trump supporters in order to earn re-election this fall.
