Lawler’s congestion pricing victory lap

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Aug 14, 2024 View in browser   By Nick Reisman, Jeff Coltin and Emily Ngo Presented by  With help from Rich Mendez In a new ad, Rep. Mike Lawler is taking credit for helping stop congestion pricing. | Francis Chung/POLITICO NEW YORK MINUTE: Prominent elected Democrats and their labor allies are set to descend on Harlem this evening for a massive rally supporting presidential nominee Kamala Harris and her running mate Tim Walz. It’s not an officially sanctioned campaign event, but it’s official enough judging from the guest list that includes Gov. Kathy Hochul, Mayor Eric Adams, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Adriano Espaillat and the United Federation of Teachers. Organizer Corey Ortega told Playbook optimism in the party is sky high. — Emily Ngo CONGESTION CREDIT: Rep. Mike Lawler claims credit in the first TV ad of his reelection bid for helping stop congestion pricing. The vulnerable freshman Republican and the National Republican Congressional Committee are putting $5 million behind the spot, which is being released today. It is the first commercial of the campaign cycle to reference Gov. Kathy Hochul’s decision to pause the unpopular plan to toll cars entering parts of Manhattan. The ad casts Lawler, who represents a Hudson Valley seat that President Joe Biden won in 2020 by 10 points, as a bipartisan lawmaker who is above the fray in Washington and addresses issues like the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions — commonly known as SALT. And Lawler’s claim in the ad that he “brought Democrats and Republicans together to stop the MTA’s congestion pricing tax” will certainly raise eyebrows. Hochul in June announced she was placing the toll program on an “indefinite pause” shortly before it was scheduled to take effect. She called the $15 toll too costly for working people driving into Manhattan and public polling has consistently shown the program to be unpopular with most voters. And while the rollout of the decision cost Hochul some goodwill with her fellow Democrats and key business leaders, she has stood by it. (Her allies have vented privately that she deserves more credit for the move.) But political pressure was applied by Democrats and Republicans alike with the narrowly divided House at stake and half a dozen seats in New York in play. Republicans had signaled early they would make the toll program a key argument in the elections this year. And some Democrats, including battleground freshman Rep. Pat Ryan, pushed for occupational exemptions to the toll. Five of the six House seats in New York considered competitive — including Lawler’s — fall within the New York City MTA region. Hochul seemingly defused the electoral dilemma when she paused the program — a decision that came after speaking with prominent Democrats like Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, though he’s denied seeking the change. Lawler’s spot claiming credit is a sign of how potent congestion pricing can remain as an issue. “Congressman Mike Lawler is getting things done in DC — from stopping congestion pricing to fighting to lift the cap on SALT to returning tens of millions of federal dollars to the Hudson Valley, he’s been the bipartisan fighter NY17 elected him to be,” Lawler campaign spokesperson Chris Russell said. “We look forward to reminding voters of Mike’s strong record and his opponent’s non-existent one. The contrast is clear.” The campaign of Lawler’s challenger, former Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones, accused the GOP lawmaker of “lying again.” “Thankfully, no one is at risk of believing he’s responsible for the Democratic Governor of New York pausing congestion pricing,” Jones spokesperson Shannon Geison said in a statement. “Likewise, no one is at risk of believing the extreme Republican majority in Congress has been productive for Lower Hudson Valley families.” Geison pointed to the failed effort by some of New York’s freshman GOP lawmakers, including Lawler, to address the state and local tax deduction amid the House’s broader dysfunction last year. “Whether it’s claiming credit for things that never happened or hiding the fact that he voted repeatedly against women's access to abortion and opposed lower prescription drug costs, Mike Lawler simply can’t be trusted," she said. And Hochul spokesperson Jen Goodman added: “Instead of delivering results, Lawler spends his time cozying up to Donald Trump and ignoring the needs of New Yorkers.” — Nick Reisman  IT’S WEDNESDAY: Got news? Send it our way: Jeff Coltin, Emily Ngo and Nick Reisman.   A message from Equinor: Can offshore wind power America’s energy transition? Yes, and Equinor is playing a key role. Empire Wind 1 will be the first offshore wind project to connect directly into the NYC grid. It will help New York deliver its climate goals, create more than 1,000 union jobs, boost local economies, and decrease emissions. Equinor is proud to be a global leader in the innovation and advancement of offshore wind. Learn more.   WHERE’S KATHY? Making a health care announcement in Elmhurst. WHERE’S ERIC? Making a public space- and small business-related announcement, then hosting a town hall for older adults. Later he'll deliver remarks at a flag-raising ceremony for Pakistan, then appearing live on Fox5’s “The 6 O’Clock News." QUOTE OF THE DAY: “When I endorse, I roll out an endorsement. I don’t do it here at ‘off topics.’ ‘Off topics’ are not announcements of endorsements.” — Adams when asked about ally Jenifer Rajkumar’s bid for city comptroller. City Council Member Justin Brannan has also filed for a campaign for the office, the Post reported, and Mark Levine is another top contender. ABOVE THE FOLD A new organization is working to register Puerto Rican New Yorkers to vote. | Andres Kudacki/AP PR PUSH: A new organization is trying to register Puerto Ricans who’ve moved to the suburbs, thinking their vote could be key to Democrats running in some of the swing seat congressional districts surrounding New York City. First in Playbook, La Brega y Fuerza — Struggle and Strength, in English — is launching a program called Despierta New York — Wake Up — focused on registering and turning out Puerto Rican voters across the state. The aim is to register 20,000 new voters, with events and actions in the Lower Hudson Valley and the Bronx and on Long Island. As the Puerto Rican population has fallen in the five boroughs, it has grown in the suburbs — particularly the Hudson Valley. Some 29,000 in Orange County, according to La Brega, are eligible to vote as American citizens. Republicans have made gains among Latinos, and the Trump campaign targeted Puerto Ricans with the South Bronx rally in May. Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, a first-term GOP member on Long Island, is himself part Puerto Rican. But La Brega polling from June found mainland Puerto Ricans back progressive policies. Organizers include progressive political consultant Camille Rivera and lobbyist Teresa Gonzalez, who have set a $1.2 million goal for the registration effort. This is La Brega’s first major action, but the group has a larger goal of building political power for Puerto Ricans, both on the island and among the diaspora. “At our core, we believe that empowering the Puerto Rican community through voter registration is not just about participating in elections,” Gonzalez said in a statement. “it's about reclaiming our voice and shaping our future.” — Jeff Coltin   WELCOME TO THE CNN-POLITICO GRILL AT THE DNC! If you are in Chi-Town next week, join us at the CNN-POLITICO Grill just steps from the United Center for daily events and live programs. Featuring an all-star lineup of the most influential Democrats including Governor JB Pritzker, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Sen. Chuck Schumer, Mayor Eric Adams and many more TBA special (AND SECRET!) guests, don’t miss out on the buzziest conversations and newsworthy events hosted by POLITICO’s top reporters and editors. RSVP HERE.     CITY HALL: THE LATEST Former Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim is joining Oaktree Solutions as managing director of international ventures. | Benny Polatseck/Mayoral Photography Office. REVOLVING DOOR: Former Small Business Services Commissioner Kevin Kim is joining Frank Carone’s lobbying shop, Oaktree Solutions. Kim left the office at the end of June, and had been in talks to join Carone’s firm for weeks before that, the Daily News first reported. But first in Playbook, Oaktree confirmed that Kim will be joining as managing director of international ventures, with plans to grow the company overseas. Carone’s move from government to lobbying has raised eyebrows, particularly since Carone himself reversed his decision to personally register as a lobbyist. The Daily News reported that Carone’s wife treated the mayor’s romantic partner Tracey Collins to thousands of dollars of gifts last year, which City Hall chalked up to a longtime friendship. Adams’ Senior Adviser Joel Eisdorfer was also talking with Carone about a job after leaving City Hall in June but isn’t joining Oaktree yet. Eisdorfer told Playbook he was still considering his next move. — Jeff Coltin HOTEL TELL: Adams signaled support for the hotel licensing bill Tuesday, in his first public comments on the controversial council proposal. “Anything public safety is important to me,” and Council Member Julie Menin, the lead sponsor, “really believes that this has something to assist in public safety,” Adams said. His team would make a determination once the bill language is finalized, “But I love working with the City Council when they talk about how we make our city safer.” Adams has close political advisers working on both sides of the lobbying effort, including Carone, Playbook previously reported. — Jeff Coltin WANNA BUY A PROCLAMATION: Longtime Queens pol Tony Avella is selling a signed proclamation from the late Mayor Ed Koch on Facebook. Koch “hereby proclaim(ed) June 28 and 29, 1986, to be ‘Queens Festival Weekend.’” Avella was an aide to Koch and went on to serve in the City Council and state Senate. “Saved it from the garbage after the event,” Avella told Playbook. “Hope someone can appreciate it.” The proclamation is going for $150. Avella is also selling vintage campaign buttons going back to Mayor John Lindsay, and issue buttons, including ones from 1992 promoting Queens secession. — Jeff Coltin More from the city: — The city’s campaign watchdog is scrutinizing donations to Adams’ 2021 campaign by owners and employees of a Queens waste-hauling company that later won coveted Sanitation Department licenses from the sanitation department. (Gothamist) — City Council member Yusef Salaam, a member of the Exonerated Five, has been invited to speak at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Semafor) — New York has likely surpassed $5 billion in spending on services for migrants, including nearly $2 billion alone on housing, according to city data. (New York Post) — The city is suing National Floors Direct, alleging “a litany of complaints,” including consistent violations of consumer-protection laws and deceptive business practices. (Newsday)   A message from Equinor:   NEW FROM PLANET ALBANY Attorney General Tish James is getting involved in a federal gun case that could affect New York. | Bebeto Matthews/AP LAWYERS, GUNS AND BRIEFS: Attorney General Tish James is weighing in on a federal gun case that could have implications for New York as state officials try to combat illegal firearms trafficking. James on Tuesday filed an amicus brief in the case stemming from the case of Steven Perez, who was convicted after illegally purchasing firearms from an unlicensed South Carolina dealer. The guns were later transported to New York. It’s illegal on the federal level to transfer or receive a gun from out of state, except through a federally licensed dealer, importer or manufacturer. Perez is appealing the conviction and claims it violated his constitutional right to own a gun. The case has concerned attorneys general from mostly blue states like New York, where some of the most stringent gun laws are already on the books. But New York officials have long complained the flow of illegal weapons into the state has made it harder to address gun violence. In the brief, James and 21 state attorneys general argued the federal law for transferring guns preserves Second Amendment rights. And prior to the federal law on the books, states struggled to regulate firearms from outside their borders, the brief stated. “States and the federal government should be allowed to enforce basic regulations about who can buy and sell guns to ensure they don’t end up in the wrong hands and to protect our communities,” James said. “We know that these common sense laws work and have prevented people from illegally obtaining firearms that could pose a significant threat to others.” James previously sued the National Rifle Association in a case that ultimately led to the ouster of the pro-gun lobby’s leadership as well as changes to its governance. — Nick Reisman More from Albany: — One of the state’s largest cannabis trade groups lost most of its board of directors. (New York Upstate) — The state agency that provides oversight of vulnerable people found more than 1,000 complaints were substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. (Capitol Pressroom) — “Veep” and “Seinfeld” star Julia Louis-Dreyfus is going to be headlining an event at the DNC with women governors. (Hollywood Reporter) NEW YORK STATE OF MIND — The fraud trial against former Rep. George Santos is set to begin next month with an anonymous jury after a judge’s ruling Tuesday. (AP) — Democrat House candidate John Avlon has a history of missing property tax payments and is apparently netting more than $2,000 per year in abatements by claiming his primary residence is in Manhattan. (New York Post) — RFK Jr. plans to appeal a ruling that disqualified him from being on the ballot in New York. (NY1)   A message from Equinor: The energy transition is the defining opportunity of our time. Our world needs reliable and accessible renewable power that reduces emissions and stabilizes the grid. Offshore wind is part of the solution, and Equinor is doing its part. Equinor has deep experience in this industry and is already powering more than a million homes worldwide with offshore wind. Now, we’re building Empire Wind 1 for New York. Homegrown energy and homegrown jobs. The project serves the people who live and work in the community. And we’re just getting started, from clean air and innovations to investments that make Equinor in New York a wind-win. Plug in at www.equinor.com/US.   SOCIAL DATA Edited by Daniel Lippman MAKING MOVES: The NYC Department of Environmental Protection has appointed Alfonso Lopez as borough commissioner for Queens, Mario Bruno as borough commissioner for Staten Island and Eleftheria Ardizzone as borough commissioner for the Bronx. … Jersey-based public affairs firm MAD Global Strategy is expanding into New York by buying up boutique consulting firm Millennial Strategies. Millennial’s Jeff Guillot and Alex Voetsch are staying on as managing directors, along with staffers Jenny Kate Schlagel and Tiffany Bryant. HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rob Flaherty … NYT’s Adam Goldman and Katrin Bennhold … NYC Council’s Mara Davis … Boris Epshteyn … Elliott Hulse of the World Bank … Eric Wohlschlegel … Gabe Chaleff … Edelman’s Jere Sullivan … Missed Tuesday’s New York Playbook PM? We forgive you. Read it here.   During unprecedented times, POLITICO Pro Analysis gives you the insights you need to focus your policy strategy. Live briefings, policy trackers, and and people intelligence secures your seat at the table. Learn more.       Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our political and policy newsletters Follow us

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