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Mike Lawler and Mondaire Jones disagree over federal government abortion policy

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As the issue of reproductive rights becomes increasingly prominent in federal elections, voters in the 17th Congressional District have a clear choice between candidates in this important race.

In the Lower Hudson Valley district, Republican Rep. Mike Lawler of Pearl River, who describes himself as “pro-life,” is running against former Rep. Mondaire Jones of Sleepy Hollow, who supported abortion rights during his tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Voters in the district are already receiving campaign mail on the issue. The nonprofit House Majority Forward is attacking Lawler for supporting the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. Vice President Kamala Harris is making support for abortion rights a central theme of her presidential campaign, while former President Donald Trump, who boasted that he appointed three Supreme Court justices who overturned Roe, now says Florida's abortion laws are too restrictive.

In ten states, including New York, measures to enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution or law are on the agenda for the November elections.

Lawler supports abortion for a few, but tax breaks for IVF treatments

On the issue of abortion, Lawler's stance – which he describes as a “common sense, mainstream view” – has not changed, according to his campaign website. Lawler believes abortion rights should be reserved for a tiny subset of American women: those who experience “serious health problems” during pregnancy or are victims of rape or incest.

For healthy women, Lawler wants to provide more funding for adoption programs and contraception.

Lawler, whose wife suffered a miscarriage in 2020, believes life begins in the womb, said his spokesman Chris Russell.

More: NY 17: Has Mondaire Jones moved to center? What he says about trying to dethrone Mike Lawler

Lawler's position on reproductive rights has evolved in the post-Roe era. The Pearl River Republican is now calling for a tax credit of up to $40,000 for couples to cover out-of-pocket medical costs for IVF treatments. His bill would create the nation's first tax credit for a medical procedure: $20,000 for a single woman and $40,000 for a couple filing their taxes jointly.

A $40,000 tax credit is enough to wipe out the federal tax liability of a couple with annual income of up to $220,000.

Lawler proposed the bill after the Alabama Supreme Court, interpreting the overturned Roe v. Wade decision, found that IVF fertilization treatments would be prohibited under the state's strict abortion law, which bans abortion in almost all cases. Support for IVF has become a talking point for Republicans, including Trump, who have been criticized on the abortion issue.

“We know the science works, we know we have world-class health care right here,” Lawler said at a news conference at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla. “We want to make sure women have access to it.”

Jones supports the restoration of Roe abortion rights at the federal level

He is running against Jones, who supports federal legislation that would enshrine abortion rights once protected by Roe v. Wade in all 50 states. At an Aug. 8 news conference in Nanuet, Jones said Lawler's appearance in the state Assembly and Congress shows he wants to make it harder for women to get an abortion – whether in the U.S. military or by supporting the right of states to restrict access to abortion.

According to the New York Times, abortion is banned in almost all cases in 14 states, in four states even after the sixth week of pregnancy, and in another four states it is limited to the 12th to 18th weeks of pregnancy.

“Mike Lawler and Donald Trump want to control women by telling them what to do with their bodies,” Jones said. “But I trust women to make the right decision for themselves and will fight to ensure that women in every zip code in the United States have that right.”

During her time in Congress, Jones twice voted for the Women's Health Protection Act, which would have restored Roe v. Wade protections nationwide.

“Passing this legislation will be my highest priority when I return to Congress,” he said.

Lawler would prefer a more restrictive law in New York, but is not seeking change

Lawler supported the U.S. Supreme Court's overturning of the national standard for legal abortion in Roe v. Wade in 2022 and supports the right of states to set their own abortion limits. He opposes a national abortion ban. While Lawler is not seeking to change New York State's legality of elective abortions by April 24,th Since the abortion deadline is in the first week of pregnancy, he believes it is “reasonable” to shorten the deadline for an abortion to 15 weeks, Russell said.

More: Abortion rights in the race for the 17th Congress: What distinguishes Mike Lawler and Sean Patrick Maloney

This is similar to the law currently in place in Arizona – and is slightly more liberal than what is allowed in Norway, where abortions are limited to the 12th week of pregnancy.

Lawler also believes that New York State should pass a law requiring pregnant teenagers to inform their parents before having an abortion.

He has a presence in the anti-abortion community. Lawler brought Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Florida), co-chair of the U.S. House Pro-Life Caucus, to a fundraiser in the Hudson Valley in late July. And he spoke at this year's fundraiser for Care Net, a Rockland-based organization that supports women in crisis pregnancies.

“He comes every year,” said Eileen Peterson, president of the Rockland Catholic Coalition, which opposes abortion rights. “He has been extremely supportive of women experiencing crisis pregnancies.”

Jones' abortion rights supporters at the Nanuet press conference derided Lawler's “mainstream” approach and called him anything but moderate.

“If we can't control our own bodies and make our own health decisions, we are not free,” said Robin Chappelle Golston, president of Planned Parenthood Empire State Acts. “Mondaire Jones understands and appreciates what is at stake.”

Draft bill “Born Alive” with focus on doctors remains controversial

Lawler's votes in Congress include his support for the Born Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act. It passed the House in early 2023 when Republicans took control and received support from Republicans and one Democrat. The Democratic-controlled Senate never voted on it.

The bill would require doctors to treat a child who survives a botched abortion. Health care professionals who fail to do so or fail to report the incident to law enforcement could face up to five years in prison. The threat to imprison doctors for failure to do so appeared in letters and television ads attacking Lawler.

Critics said the bill was unnecessary because doctors are already required to care for newborns. The Jones campaign cited a statement on the bill from Dr. Iffath Abbasi Hoskins, president of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

“The offensively named 'born alive' law is yet another cruel and misguided attempt to interfere with evidence-based medical decisions between patients and their doctors,” Hoskins said. “This law is based neither on science nor medicine. It is designed to stir emotions rather than reflect the reality of evidence-based clinical care.”

Russell, Lawler's spokesman, said opponents had mischaracterized the bill.

“Recent dishonest statements by Mondaire Jones and campaign ads by his allies attack this law and falsely suggest that it punishes doctors for performing legal abortions,” he said. “It doesn't, and they know it.”

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David McKay Wilson writes about tax issues and government accountability. Follow him on Twitter @davidmckay415 or email him at [email protected].

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