Rep. Mike Lawler on Banning Gerrymandering and Child Care Access

The Push to Ban Gerrymandering

• 🎯 Gerrymandering is described as a disaster for the country, leading to a lack of competitive congressional seats and increased partisanship.
• 💡 Congressman Mike Lawler is introducing legislation to ban gerrymandering and mid-decade redistricting, aiming for fairer elections and more competitive districts.
• ⚠️ The current system, where only 35 out of 435 House seats were decided by five points or less, highlights the need for reform.
• 📉 New York's attempt to gerrymander maps in 2022 was struck down by the court of appeals for violating the state constitution.

Undocumented Immigrants and Census Counts

• ⚖️ The debate over whether undocumented immigrants should be counted in the census is ongoing, with Lawler stating they should not be counted.
• 📊 Concerns are raised that counting undocumented individuals can lead to increased congressional seats and electoral votes for certain states.

Child Care Accessibility

• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Lawler advocates for affordable and available child care, citing its impact on families and the economy.
• 💰 He supports expanding the child care tax credit and employer-provided child care access as part of a bipartisan effort.
• 📉 Declining birth and marriage rates are linked to the high cost of living and child care, making it difficult for people to raise families.

Tariffs and Economic Impact

• 📈 Tariffs are viewed as a short-term negotiating tool for fair trade, with successes noted in deals with Japan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
• 🤝 Long-term cooperation between Canada and the United States is desired, with an acknowledgment of the reliance of North Country and Western New York on Canadian economic engines.
• ⚠️ Despite potential short-term slowdowns in tourism and business, Lawler believes economic growth will occur with finalized tax bills, deregulation, and increased domestic energy production.
• 📉 New York's high cost of living, business regulations, and tax burden are identified as primary drivers of out-migration, not weather or tariffs.