‘Hey, Don’t Speak To My Staff Like That’: Mike Lawler Calls Out Audience For Mistreating His Team

Forbes Breaking News

During a town hall event on Sunday, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) had a tense moment with an audience member about the treatment of his staff.

Transcript

00:00Okay, the next number is 2-8-0-0-2-8.

00:10Can you repeat that please, Teresa?

00:142-8-0-0-2-8.

00:30Thank you so much, I'm very nervous, and I appreciate you taking my question.

00:55My father did serve in the military, and I presently have family that's in the military.

01:00Thank you for their service.

01:02He never wanted thanks.

01:04He fought at Iwo Jima.

01:05So my question is, how can we let somebody head our military who can't even control his

01:12text messages?

01:16So, as I said when that story came out, the use of signal to communicate any classified

01:32or sensitive information was wrong.

01:35Never should have happened.

01:37There should be significant safeguards put in place to ensure that that does not occur.

01:47And folks, folks, the secretary was confirmed by the Senate.

01:58The president is not firing him.

02:01And so the question to me is on the actual military preparedness and readiness, okay?

02:09And thus far, on the operations that the military has conducted under Secretary Hegseth, those

02:17operations themselves have gone well.

02:22If you look at — now, what I find interesting here is that we look at the decision-making

02:32of cabinet secretaries.

02:36When it comes to the military, in the last administration, Secretary Austin oversaw the disastrous withdrawal

02:50in Afghanistan that resulted in the death of 13 U.S. service members.

02:57And if you do not believe that there should be accountability for that, if you do not believe

03:08there should be accountability for military operations, then why are we demanding a resignation

03:19for that?

03:20It is based on a communication.

03:22The communication itself should not — the communication itself should not have occurred.

03:30It should not have occurred.

03:32And my view has been the administration made that clear when it came out.

03:40And they said — the White House said that was wrong.

03:42It should not have occurred.

03:44And so they did.

03:47And so the objective — the objective is to make sure, A, that does not happen again,

03:55but B — but B, more importantly to me, that the military operations are what is paramount,

04:04and that those making the decisions make — they got lucky.

04:12Sir, we have a terrific military of trained professionals — they didn't get lucky, they did their job.

04:20The fact is — the fact is that, as I said, they should not be using signal to communicate

04:36any classified or sensitive information, period.

04:41And that's it.

04:48Four, three, nine, three, oh, five.

05:03And that's it.

05:04One, two, three, oh, five.

05:10One, two, three, oh, five.

05:13Oh, yeah.

05:15Oh, yeah.

05:19Oh, yeah.

05:21Oh, yeah.

05:24Oh, yeah.

05:25You supported a budget that cut Medicaid and education in our district.

05:44How does that serve your constituents?

05:55So the reconciliation process that we're undertaking right now, in order for that process to start,

06:02you have to pass a budget resolution.

06:05The budget resolution put together top-line numbers that talks about potential savings

06:14of $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

06:18Over the next 10-year window, we're spending $86 trillion projected.

06:25This has something to do with Elon Musk.

06:28We're projected to spend $86 trillion over the next 10 years.

06:34We're spending roughly $7 trillion a year.

06:37We're running $2 trillion budget deficits on an annual basis.

06:42And we're paying $1 trillion in interest on our debt at $36 trillion.

06:48Both parties are responsible for this mess that we're in financially.

06:53Both parties, over the last 20 years, over the last 20 years, had both parties ... Sir, ma'am,

07:04I'm giving you the context so that you actually understand the process, okay?

07:10The fact is ... The fact is ... The fact is ... The fact is, over the last 20 years, we have increased

07:18our debt by $30 trillion.

07:21Okay?

07:22$30 trillion in 20 years.

07:25That's not sustainable for any of us.

07:28Our children and our grandchildren are going to be saddled with that debt.

07:33And that will have ... That will have a profound impact ... That will have a profound impact

07:39on the vital services that we all rely on.

07:44So when you're talking about the issue of Medicaid ... When you're talking about the issue of Medicaid,

07:50okay?

07:51Sir, hey, do not speak to my staff like that.

07:56If you want to leave, you can leave now.

08:07Everybody show everybody a little bit of respect here, please.

08:10Okay?

08:11I always show people respect.

08:13All right?

08:14It's a two-way street.

08:15It's a two-way street.

08:16Congressman, can we ask that people please put their ... With the videos of staff?

08:21Folks.

08:22Folks.

08:23You can take your anger out on me.

08:25That's fine.

08:26Treat my staff with respect.

08:28Okay?

08:29They show up every day to serve this community.

08:31They don't need to be attacked, yelled at, berated.

08:35It's unnecessary.

08:38When it comes to Medicaid, I've been very clear.

08:41I am not cutting benefits for any eligible recipient, period.

08:46Period.

08:47And the fact is that our community, our community relies on these vital programs.

08:54The IDD community, our seniors, children, single mothers.

08:59There are a lot of people across our community who need these programs.

09:04And we want to make sure that they are protected.

09:07But the fact is that when you are coming up with a budget resolution, it's a top-line number.

09:13The question is, what can get 218 votes as part of a reconciliation bill?

09:20And I've been very clear.

09:22I am not changing the FMAP floor from 50% federal share to 45% federal share.

09:28I'm not changing it to block grants or per capita caps.

09:33I'm not putting work requirements on the disabled.

09:36Period.

09:37Period.

09:38We are not cutting dish, for instance.

09:41So we will make sure that this program is protected.

09:45There is about 25 of us within the conference who have been very clear with leadership.

09:51We've met with the president about it.

09:52We've met with the administration.

09:54And we will continue to make sure that as we negotiate the tax bill, that we absolutely

10:02safeguard these vital services and programs.

10:05But I will also be clear about something.

10:08If you are an able-bodied adult without any dependents, work requirements are imperative.

10:18Because the objective of Medicaid, the objective of Medicaid, folks, Medicaid is a means-tested

10:26program that is intended to help people who need it.

10:30It is not intended for those who do not need long-term support.

10:35It is not intended for somebody to stay on it permanently.

10:39So if somebody is an able-bodied adult, they should go try, certainly try, to get a job

10:47and work.

10:48And by the way, that is something that Bill Clinton championed in the 90s and Democrats

10:53fully supported.

10:54And they should support.

10:56Now, when it comes to illegal immigrants, in New York State, $1.2 billion of our taxpayer

11:04money has been spent on Medicaid.

11:07I'm sorry.

11:10That is not a proper use of taxpayer money, period.

11:23Furthermore, the Biden administration changed the eligibility verification rules from a quarterly

11:32basis to an annual basis.

11:34If somebody, I'm telling you the facts, you can not like it, but that is the fact.

11:39They changed the rules.

11:41They changed the rules.

11:43And so that alone would save upwards of about $200 billion for the program and the very people

11:50who rely on it.

11:51We want to make sure Medicaid is protected for every single person who needs that vital

11:56service and not losing, which CMS, the Center for Medicaid Services, says on an annual basis,

12:04they're losing $50 billion in fraudulent payments.

12:08And so we want to make sure that you stop that and you protect these vital programs.

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