WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on June 1: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Energy and Commerce Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-OR), Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Energy Subcommittee Ranking Member Fred Upton (R-MI), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) today sent letters to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC)   more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) announced that the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee will hold a fully remote hearing on Tuesday, June 9, at 12 p.m. (EDT). The hearing is entitled, "Pollution and Pandemics: COVID-19's Disproportionate Impact o  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on June 2: Twenty-four Democratic Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee sent a letter today to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to delay a vote on a Declaratory Ruling that would limit local governments' role in the deployment of wireless infrastructure. The Declaratory Ruling would grant companies the right  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 2: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a member of the House Financial Services Committee, requested that the nation's largest credit card issuers present detailed plans for emergency assistance programs for customers who may face immediate hardship in making timely payments on their credit accounts due to the ongoing pandemic and global economic crisis. "Many borrowers, at no fault of the  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On Thursday, June 4, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) spoke at a demonstration of unity with the Warren-Sussex County NAACP, Washington Township Police Department, Washington Borough leadership, and North Jersey residents -- to gather peacefully in solidarity for racial justice. "Not only is our country coping with the loss of more than 100,000 lives to COVID-19, including more than 2,800   more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) convened key leaders from the African American, Jewish, and Muslim faith communities, as well as other community leaders to conduct a listening session on the issues of discrimination and bias impacting minority communities. "We have seen hate on the rise and the structural inequalities that have been laid bare in the past weeks right in our own backyard. As a member of Congress,  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives introduced the Investing in a New Vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation in America Act (INVEST in America Act), a comprehensive bill to revitalize America's aging infrastructure, accelerate our economic recovery, and meet the challenge of climate change. The bill invests hundreds of billions of dollars in America's roads, bridges, and transit systems, and in  more

LONG BRANCH, New Jersey, June 4 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) held a discussion with community leaders to discuss the urgent need to end racial injustice in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. Pallone outlined legislation in Congress that would help stop the disproportionate use of force, reform the criminal justice system, and end racial disparities in the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Pallone is w  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following remarks on June 2 at the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing entitled "On the Front Line: How Governors are Battling the COVID-19 Pandemic": This virtual hearing will continue our work to confront COVID-19, and to hear from Governors about what more the federal government can and should be doing to help in our nation's response. It's essential that  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: A new U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) report analyzes how federal agencies use infectious disease modeling to help guide decisions to fight outbreaks and how these models can be improved. The report was requested by Energy and Commerce Committee leaders in 2017 after learning about challenges with infectious disease modeling during the Z  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: The Chairmen and Ranking Members of the Committees of jurisdiction over the Medicaid program wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing concern over prolonged delays in disbursing funds from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund (PHSSEF) for Medicaid-dependent providers. The letter was   more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on June 4 marking the anniversary of the death of democracy protestors in Tiananmen Square by the Chinese Communist Party and important parallels to observe: "Thirty-one years ago, the repressive Chinese Communist Party violently attacked peaceful protestors. Even today, we do not know how many were murdered in Tiananmen Square for their pursuit of liberty. "Not much has changed with China's record of hu  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) recognized the beginning of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, a four-week celebration of the work, sacrifices, and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. "North Jersey is blessed to have a large and vibrant LGBTQ+ community," said Rep. Pascrell, who last month celebrated the Pride Flag Raising in Rutherford. "Our national marking of Pride Month is a breathing symbol of Americ  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, June 6 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Bob Casey (D-PA), and Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Jimmy Panetta (D-CA-20) pushed the Trump Administration for greater federal resources and guidance to support nursing homes and long-term care (LTC) facilities throughout the country as they combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 9,600 nursing homes and LTC facilities across the U.S. have rep  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding the death of George Floyd and protests across the country: "I, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr., want to extend my sincere condolences to the family of Mr. George Floyd, who was brutally murdered by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 28th. Thankfully, Chauvin has been fired and arrested for his actions. But I call upon the Minneapolis authorities to file charges against the other   more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. issued the flowing statement regarding the announcement that Keith Ellison, Minnesota's Attorney General and a former U.S. Congressman (MN-5), would be responsible for cases related to the murder of George Floyd. * * * "I am very pleased to hear that Keith Ellison will handle the prosecution of the individuals involved in the horrific murder of George Floyd. "In our   more

PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, June 5 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with a bipartisan group of Members to introduce the Great American Outdoors Act, bipartisan legislation to permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and address the nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks and other land management agencies. Rep. Sherrill was joined by author Representative Joe Cunningham (D-S  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement after the introduction of the investing in a vision for the Environment and Surface Transportation Act: "As a senior member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I have worked for years to ensure that Congress provides New Jersey with the resources it needs to complete the Gateway Project. This project to repair and upgrade century-old infrastructure connecting New Jersey to New York and facil  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement after the announcement of additional charges in the death of George Floyd: "We all watched Derek Chauvin kill George Floyd, including the three officers who should have acted to stop the blatant brutality. "They should have done their duty to protect and serve but instead, they restrained Mr. Floyd or stood by while he died. "The new charges against the three other officers involved, as well as the elevated c  more

WEST NEW YORK, New Jersey, June 1 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding the death of George Floyd: "George Floyd was killed by the very people who are supposed to protect our communities. When Derek Chauvin ignored his pleas of "I can't breathe", he ignored Mr. Floyd's humanity, something that happens far too often in this country. "We cannot pretend to be a just and fair nation when our brothers and sisters cannot go for a jog, sleep in their own home, or  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following op-ed published in the New Jersey Globe: Thirty-one years ago, the world watched with a mixture of hope and anticipation as over a million people gathered peacefully to demand democracy and human rights in the streets of Beijing and over 400 other Chinese cities. The promise of those heady days ended tragically with broken bodies and broken dreams. Dreams that were brutally suppressed by a Chinese Communist Party that   more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following statement: The murder of George Floyd while in custody by a Minneapolis police officer demands justice--and an absolute recommitment by law enforcement and policymakers to always ensure that any person taken into custody is treated with respect, nonviolence and professionalism. I watched the video of Derek Chauvin kneeling on the neck of Mr. Floyd who pleaded "I can't breathe" with horror and disbelief. Chauvin not onl  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Key bipartisan legislation to extend and enhance the Paycheck Protection Program, which is helping sustain businesses and pay workers during the economic devastation wrought by COVID-19, passed the House of Representatives May 28 and the Senate June 4. Rep. Chris Smith, who supported the creation of the PPP and subsequent legislation nearly doubling its funding, said the new Paycheck Protection Program Fle  more

WASHINGTON, May 30 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on death of African-American man George Floyd: "Our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line, and some die in service to their community and nation every year. "The malicious conduct that we saw from some police officers, one of whom took George Floyd's life, do not represent law enforcement and they need to be punished to the full extent of the law for their actions."  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on moving forward as a nation: "We have come a long way in terms of equality for every race, sex and creed in this nation. "We still have a ways to go to before we are there for everyone, but we must find peaceful and meaningful solutions that offer positive outcomes for all."  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement on June 3 with Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia, chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, issued the following joint statement on June 4 with Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia, chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chairman of the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member of  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced the following framework for comprehensive legislation to stem the tide of racialized police violence in the wake of last week's horrific murder of George Floyd by law enforcement. "Persistent, unchecked bias in policing and a history of lack of accountability is wreaking havoc on the Black community." Booker said. "Cities are literally on fire with the pain and an  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that expands protections for family caregivers from discrimination by their employers. The Protecting Family Caregivers from Discrimination Act would prohibit employers from firing, demoting, mistreating, refusing to hire, or taking other adverse employment action against workers who are caregivers for their loved ones. The bill would also prohibit empl  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, issued the following joint statement with Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, and Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, in recognition of the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre: "Thirty-one years ago, pro-democracy protests drew hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens to Tiananmen Square. These protestors - many of whom were students and young professionals - risked their lives in the hope of living in a free China. Instead, they were met with the brut  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following joint statement on June 3 with Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia, chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, chairman of the Foreign  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 2: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) blasted Facebook for its continued failure to fact-check posts by politicians. In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Sen. Menendez expressed concerns for potential harmful or false content that often distorts our political conversations, especially during a presidential election year. The letter comes days after Twitter began adding warning labels to r  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC), sent a pair of letters condemning the State Department's decision to provide thousands of pages of documents to Republicans in response to inquiries seeking to smear President Trump's political rivals while ignoring requests from Democrats on critical national security matters, and calling on Secretary of Sta  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced two bills aimed at presenting coherent strategies to preserve and build upon the arms control frameworks that constrain Russia's strategic nuclear forces, and develop a strategic arms control agenda with China around its nuclear arsenals. "At a time when Russia and China continue to develop and moderniz  more

WASHINGTON, June 3 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced two bills aimed at presenting coherent strategies to preserve and build upon the arms control frameworks that constrain Russia's strategic nuclear forces, and develop a strategic arms control agenda with China around its nuclear arsenals.   more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following joint statement on June 4 after State Department Inspector General Steve Linick voluntarily appeared for a transcribed interview with the Committees: The statement was co-authored by Reps. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, Gerald E. Connolly, D-Virginia and Joaquin Castro, D-Texas. "Mr. Linick testified that he was 'shocked' when he found out he was being fired, that his removal came withou  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following floor remarks on June 4: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today spoke on the Senate Floor in opposition to the nomination of Michael Pack to be CEO of the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Speaking ahead of the confirmation vote, Menendez laid out in detail his serious and outstanding concerns regardi  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on June 3: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in Congress, expressed support for the peaceful demonstrations across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and called on Congress to take concrete action to end the systemic racism, injustice and inequality that continues to plague the nation and hurt communities of color. * * * "Monday night, the world witnessed   more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) led a group of colleagues in introducing a bill that would help put more money in the pockets of hardworking low-and moderate-income American families living in Puerto Rico. Similar legislation was included in the Heroes Act (H.R. 6800) that passed the House of Representatives last month. The bill enhances Puerto Rico's local Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by providin  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, formally requested that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) open a review of U.S. assistance provided to the Government of Azerbaijan through the continued use of an exemption waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act. Section 907, which  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) today announced the awarding of $11,816,087 to the State of New Jersey in Byrne-JAG funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to support the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will allow the state to hire additional frontline workers and first responders, purchase personal protective equip  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by a group of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General World Health Organization (WHO), to advance a productive relationship between the U.S. and the WHO as well as inquire about the organization's ongoing response to the COVID-1  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by a group of Senate Foreign Relations Committee Democrats in sending a letter to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General World Health Organization (WHO), to advance a productive relationship between the U.S. and the WHO as well a  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on June 3: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in Congress, expressed support for the peaceful demonstrations across the country in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, and called on Congress to take concrete action to end the systemic racism, injustice and inequality that continues to plague the nation and hurt  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) announced the awarding of $11,816,087 to the State of New Jersey in Byrne-JAG funding from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to support the state's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding will allow the state to hire additional frontline workers and first responders, purchase personal protective equipment, trai  more

WASHINGTON, June 2 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rob Portman (R-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and James Lankford (R-OK) introduced the Paycheck Protection Program Second Chance Act, which will allow small business owners with criminal records to apply for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP provides forgivable loans to small businesses that keep their employees on payroll during the COVID-19 public health and econom  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, May 30 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced that health care service providers across New Jersey have been awarded a combined $3.25 million in federal funding through the Federal Communications Commission's COVID-19 Telehealth Program to expand telehealth services throughout the state during the pandemic. The program was created as part of the CARES Act passed by congress in April. "E  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, June 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congressman Albio Sires (N.J.-08) and Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10) announced NJ Transit (NJT) was awarded $7,074,310 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to purchase up to eight, zero-emission and low-emission transit buses, and to build the necessary recharging, refueling and maintenance facilities. "These gre  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, June 6 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 5: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Bob Casey (D-Penn.), and Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) and Jimmy Panetta (Calif.-20) pushed the Trump Administration for greater federal resources and guidance to support nursing homes and long-term care (LTC) facilities throughout the country as they combat the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 9,600 nursing homes and LTC facilities across the   more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on June 4: Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today led a bipartisan group of Senate Foreign Relations Committee members in recognizing the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Senators Menendez and Risch were joined by Senators Marc  more

WASHINGTON, June 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, led a bipartisan group of Senate Foreign Relations Committee members in recognizing the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Senators Menendez and Risch were joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Chris Coons (D-D  more

WASHINGTON, June 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) urged Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) to include their bipartisan Child Tax Credit Equity for Puerto Rico Act (S. 698) in the next stimulus package. Nearly 60 percent of children in Puerto Rico live below the federal poverty line. "This common sense legislative solution has bipartisan su  more

WASHINGTON, June 6 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) wrote to Senate leadership about the information they received as part of their inquiry into mortgage servicers' practices during the current crisis. As a result, they are urging leaders to include additional protections for homeowners in any upcoming coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) relief   more