Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) isn’t known to mince words.
So it was only a tad surprising when Lawler told us on Fly Out Day this week that the three-year extension of Obamacare subsidies that he helped nudge toward the House floor was “bullshit.”
Lawler was the second Republican to sign House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ discharge petition. That total later reached 218, and the measure will now come up for a vote in January.
Here’s Lawler:
“It’s not a serious proposal by the Democrats, but what it will do is allow a vehicle by which the Senate can come back with a bipartisan compromise, which I think will be very much in line with the [Rep. Brian] Fitzpatrick bill.”
Lawler said he has had “many conversations with senators” over the past few weeks.
These senators have given Lawler the impression that they’ll tweak the bill by expanding health savings accounts and sending health care money to individuals instead of insurance companies. This would involve President Donald Trump getting engaged, which hasn’t happened so far.
Lawler’s support for the discharge petition, while not surprising, was a gigantic middle finger to his leadership. Signing any discharge petition is a way of circumventing the leadership. Signing one filed by the House minority leader is on a whole other level.
After he signed onto Jeffries’ petition, Lawler huddled with Speaker Mike Johnson on the floor. From our vantage point in the gallery, it looked pretty animated. Here’s what Lawler told us:
“I have a job to do. He has a job to do. I didn’t take it [personally.] But I was very direct about what I viewed as political malpractice, not to put a bill on the floor. We had a very extensive exchange after the discharge was signed, obviously figuring out if there’s a pathway forward on a compromise bill.”
One more interesting nugget: Lawler said he would consider running for Senate in 2028 if Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) challenges Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“If AOC is running, I would strongly consider that,” Lawler said. “Chuck Schumer’s done.”
