Last week, Congressman Mike Lawler, who represents New York’s 17th Congressional District, sent a letter expressing his position on gun safety and crime policy. In the letter, Lawler affirmed his support for universal background checks and noted that he is a cosponsor of H.R. 18, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2025. The letter was written in response to New York Democratic Members of Congress who had called for him to back the legislation.
“Crime in New York is a serious problem. And unfortunately, many of you, my Democratic colleagues in Congress, as well as the Governor and state legislators, ignore the underlying problems in favor of trying to score cheap political points,” Congressman Lawler wrote.
Lawler criticized several state policies related to criminal justice reform. He stated: “Cashless bail is an unmitigated disaster in the state, coddling criminals and allowing them to miss their court dates and reoffend. The Clean Slate law… hides the records of millions of convicted felons from the public… Raise the Age has failed miserably in its intent… the Governor’s lackeys on the Parole Board continue to grant parole to dangerous criminals like child rapists and cop killers, including monsters like Robert McCain.”
The congressman cited data indicating that more than half of firearms used by criminals are obtained illegally and that most do not come from retail sources. According to Lawler’s letter, only a small percentage—1.2%—of guns used by criminals were acquired from private retail sellers and just 0.8% from gun shows.
“Instead of addressing actual gun violence and violent crime in New York, many of you continue to hyper-fixate on partisan exercises and downplay Governor Hochul’s misguided soft-on-crime policies,” Congressman Lawler concluded.
He added: “I invite you to stop playing partisan politics and focus on real, actionable solutions — start by demanding a full repeal of New York’s cashless bail law, raise the age, and discovery ‘reforms’ that have released dangerous criminals back onto the street.”
Congressman Lawler represents an area north of New York City that includes all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties. He has been recognized as one of Congress’s most bipartisan members and was rated as the most effective freshman lawmaker in the 118th Congress.
A full copy of Congressman Lawler’s letter can be found HERE.
