News

Pearl River, NY – November 6, 2025… Today, Congressman Mike Lawler slammed New York Democrats for attending the lavish SOMOS Puerto Rico Conference while New York families face skyrocketing costs of living and a state government shutdown.

The 2025 SOMOS Conference, hosted this year at the upscale Caribe Hilton in San Juan, features days of luxury events and political panels led by top Albany Democrats, including Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. The conference schedule lists nearly a hundred sessions on extreme partisan topics like “Disentangling NY from Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda” and “Colonialism, Resistance, and Solidarity: Puerto Rico & Palestine,” leaving out any mention of the affordability crisis or government waste.

“If Zohran Mamdani is truly serious about helping working families, he wouldn’t be jetting off to a luxury resort the moment he wins an election,” said Lawler. “Are Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, Hakeem Jeffries, and Kathy Hochul attending too? And if so, why? Who’s looking out for New Yorkers while they’re on the beach? Why are Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand going on vacation after voting to shut down the government 14 times?”

“Instead of voting to reopen the federal government and deliver relief to New Yorkers, they’re working on their tans. It’s a disgrace—and why New Yorkers are leaving this state in droves. I’m calling on every reporter covering SOMOS to demand answers from these Democrats. Ask them why they’re partying in Puerto Rico while New Yorkers are suffering through an affordability crisis and a government shutdown. The public deserves to know where their priorities really lie,” concluded Congressman Lawler.

Read more in Fox News here: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-slammed-jetting-luxury-resort-puerto-rico-conference-during-shutdown

 

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