WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 30: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national tax policy, urged Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles P. Rettig to audit claimants of the clean air tax credits under section 45Q of the Internal Revenue Code. An investigation by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), requested by Sen. Menendez in 201  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis unveiled a comprehensive congressional climate action framework, which highlights Representative Mikie Sherrill's Mitigate Methane Now Act (H.R. 5542). Representative Sherrill's bill, introduced in January, would help mitigate climate change immediately by encouraging the replacement of old distribution pipelines, which are a major source of methane leakag  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) voted yes to H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, a transformational $1.5 trillion investment in American infrastructure that will create millions of jobs, take bold action on the climate crisis and address disparities in urban, suburban and rural communities across our country. The bill was passed by the House of Representatives and now awaits action in the Senate  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: During a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) condemned the Trump Administration's two-year delay in moving the critical Hudson Tunnel Project forward. The administration refused to meet a March 2018 deadline to approve a required environmental review of the vital infrastructure project, despite repeated urging from Booker and others. "I  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The U.S. House of Representatives passed Congressman Josh Gottheimer's (NJ-5) bipartisan bill, H.R. 5332, the Protecting Your Credit Score Act. The bill creates a new one-stop-shop online portal for American consumers to protect and strengthen their credit. "Today, the House passed my bipartisan bill to give Americans the tools they need to strengthen and protect what they spend a lifetime building: t  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On June 30, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to include Congressman Josh Gottheimer's (NJ-5) amendment -- that would require the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) to publish a "Doomsday" contingency plan if the North River train tunnel underneath the Hudson River would need to be shut down before they allow the construction of the Gateway tunnel to move forward -- in H.R. 2, the House's ne  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On July 1, 2020, the U.S. House of Representatives passed school bus safety provisions as a part of H.R. 2, the House's major infrastructure bill, the Moving Forward Act. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) originally introduced these provisions within his bipartisan Secure Every Child Under the Right Equipment Standards (SECURES) Act -- legislation created in response to the tragic 2018 Paramus bus cras  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, ranking Republican member of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, issued the following news release: On Wednesday, all five Republican members of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, as well as Republican members of the New York, California, Michigan, New Jersey and Pennsylvania delegations, urged the attorneys general of those states to investigate the origins of their governors' deadly nursing home orders and the impact t  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) questioned Admiral Brett Giroir, MD, Assistant Secretary for Health at the Department of Health and Human Services on testing issues and federal preparedness at a hearing of the House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis. Congressman Kim directly asked Admiral Giroir if the United States has 'flatted the curve' on cases; Admiral Giroir stated that, "we are not flattening the  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, H.R. 1425, a bill that would lower health care costs and expand coverage during the largest public health crisis in generations. This vote also comes as the Trump Administration is working through the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish the Affordable Care Act and the pre-existing conditions protection coverage that c  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2021 through the House Armed Services Committee. Congressman Kim worked to secure critical wins for New Jersey through the committee process that would help create jobs, honor our service members and increase readiness for the next generation of national security threats. The bill passed through committee with a full bi  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on July 1: Yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled in favor of landowners who challenged the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) use of tolling orders--an unfair practice that blocks landowners from challenging the legality of a pipeline project, while allowing pipeline companies to seize their land and begin construction. This landmark ruling sets a national p  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 30: Representative Tom Malinowski (NJ-7) along with Representative Adam Kinzinger (IL-16) introduced the Hong Kong People's Freedom and Choice Act, bipartisan legislation to protect Hong Kongers facing persecution under the Chinese government's national security legislation while imposing costs on Beijing for any deepening repression under this new law. The bill is cosponsored by Representatives  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: The House of Representatives passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, legislation that bolsters the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to lower health costs and prescription drug prices. You can find a video of Representative Malinowski's floor remarks in support of the legislation here. Last week the Trump Administration filed a brief with the Supreme Court asking it to strike down th  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed the Moving Forward Act, comprehensive legislation that will invest $1.5 trillion to rebuild America's infrastructure and jumpstart our economy. The Moving Forward Act will designate funding for infrastructure projects of regional and national significance, reducing the discretion that the Secretary of Transportation currently has to block vital projects like the Hud  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House passed the Protecting Your Credit Score Act, legislation aimed at repairing and strengthening the American credit reporting system to better protect and inform consumers. Representative Tom Malinowski voted in favor of the bill. Among other provisions, the Protecting Your Credit Score Act mandates that credit reporting agencies (CRAs) create a single online portal that gives consumers free   more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on June 29: "Today, the Supreme Court rightfully overturned a Louisiana law restricting abortion access, blocking a repulsive attempt by Republicans to suppress women's rights and their access to health care. "This is a victory for women and a victory for our nation, as our highest court has ruled to protect access to critical reproductive services, in spite of this Administration's attempts to restri  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01), Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL) Subcommittee in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), ensured America would bring manufacturing and high-quality jobs back home by authoring provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) to enhance 'Buy American' standards for major defense acquisition programs. "As   more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Forces (TAL) Subcommittee in the House Armed Services Committee (HASC), voted to advance the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21). The act, which passed with a completely bipartisan 56-0 vote out of Committee, supports our servicemembers and their families, as well as our defense civilian wor  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) voted yes today to pass the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act - legislation that builds on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to lower health costs and prescription drug prices. Today's vote comes days after the Trump Administration filed a brief asking the Supreme Court to strike down the entirety of the ACA. "I've been working hard with my c  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) sent a letter urging Senate and House leadership to increase funding dedicated to supporting the unique needs of the children of migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of the next Congressional relief package. Multiple times a year, more than 300,000 children relocate throughout the country with their families   more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Representative Donald Norcross, the highest-ranking member of the New Jersey delegation on the House Armed Services Committee, and U.S. Senator Bob Menendez led the entire New Jersey congressional delegation today in urging the U.S. Air Force to consider the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing to become the new home base for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Air Force is set to ann  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- 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 Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing concern that the Trump Administration has sidelined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the nation's response to the COVID-19 pande  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on the passage of the Moving Forward Act: "The Moving Forward Act modernizes our badly aging infrastructure, stimulates our economy, creates millions of good paying jobs, and addresses climate change. Investment in our infrastructure is critical, especially now that millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also moves us closer to a 100% clean economy  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement after the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), passed the House by a vote of 233-188: "There is no better way to stimulate our economy and create millions of good paying jobs than to modernize our badly aging infrastructure, especially now that millions of Americans have lost their jobs due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. I'm proud that the Moving Forw  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks at a Heath Subcommittee hearing entitled "High Anxiety and Stress: Legislation to Improve Mental Health During Crisis" on June 30: Thank you, Chairwoman Eshoo for convening today's legislative hearing on 22 bills to improve both quality and access to mental health care in America. This hearing is particularly timely as our nation is simultaneously  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following floor remarks in support of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 1425) on June 29: Madam Speaker, as Americans continue to face both the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe economic downturn, they are justifiably concerned about their health and their financial future. Today, we are here to provide more relief to the American people. I ris  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on June 29 in response to the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in June Medical Services vs. Russo that strikes down a Louisiana law limiting access to abortion: "I'm relieved and heartened that the Supreme Court struck down Louisiana's unconstitutional restrictions to limit access to abortion. "If today's decision had gone the other way, Louisiana would   more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) wrote to request information from ten companies and one trade association about their practices and prices for diagnostic and serological tests for COVID-19. The request comes after the Committee conducted an initial examination that has yielded disturbing information about the price o  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- 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), Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior and Environment Chairwoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) letter announcing that its relaxation of e  more

WASHINGTON, July 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) announced that the Full Committee will hold a fully remote hearing on Wednesday, July 8, at 11 a.m. (EDT) on the growing health, environmental and accessibility needs of tribal communities across the country. The hearing is entitled, "Addressing the Urgent Needs of Our Tribal Communities." "For  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced that the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a fully remote hearing on Thursday, July 9, at 12 pm (EDT) entitled "Consumers Beware: Increased Risks During the COVID-19 Pandemic."  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded a $1,111,111 federal grant for last year's construction of the 700-foot taxiway at Teterboro Airport. The taxiway will help increase safety and reduce delays at Teterboro by limiting the likelihood of runway incursions. Funding for this grant was provided by the CARES Act, which Pascrell supported i  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced the awarding of $9,594,806 in federal security grants to New Jersey through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Urban Area (NSGP-UA) and Nonprofit Security Grant Program State (NSGP-S), of which $1,089,000 will go to the Ninth Congressional District. New Jersey received the second largest amount of federal funds given to a state this year through these  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) lambasted the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Seila Law v. Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, which effectively guts the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB). "The Supreme Court's decision to team up with Donald Trump to destroy the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau is a titanic outrage," said Rep. Pascrell, who voted to create the CFPB. "The CFPB was bu  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) has joined a resolution to investigate impeachable offenses committed by U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. Pascrell has been a foremost leader in Congress to demand Barr's impeachment, leading calls for Barr's impeachment since May of 2019. In October 2019, he wrote to the District of Columbia and Virginia state bar associations on the rampant violations by   more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: With the renegotiated North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) coming into force on July 1, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) led 59 of his House colleagues in a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to work to secure the release of Mexican labor lawyer Susana Prieto Terrazas, who was arrested and detained by the State of Tamaulipas in Mexico on June 8, 2020 on trumped-up  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) praised the U.S. Supreme Court's 5-to-4 decision in June Medical Services v. Russo striking down a draconian anti-choice Louisiana law and for now preserving a woman's right to choose in the United States. "This holding is the right one and a good ruling for freedom," said Rep. Pascrell, a longtime supporter of a woman's right to choose. "A woman should have com  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement marking the North America Free Trade Agreement going into effect: * * * "My skepticism of Donald Trump's administration has been validated time again and the rollout of the renegotiated NAFTA is no different. Mexico's new labor law requires protection contracts to be thrown out, but the process for this to occur can be easily rigged. A leading Mexican labor lawyer remains imprisoned on trumped-up charges  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 29: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) voted in support of H.R. 1425, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act, legislation specially crafted to strengthen provisions of the Affordable Care Act against deliberate sabotage by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans. "Americans' health care is under assault by Republicans and today House Democrats moved urgently to prote  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Continuing their crusade against politicization of the COVID-19 drug approval process by the Trump Administration, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) have written a new letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn again urging the FDA to be guided by science and not political considerations in helping find a vaccine. In a separate le  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Clean energy legislation authored by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) has been praised in a report by the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis as a legislative solution to combat climate change. The watershed committee report unveiled today endorses Pascrell's Incentivizing Offshore Wind Power Act (H.R. 4887), which will reduce reliance on dirty energy sources by bolstering America's offshore   more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on the 56th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964: The Act ended segregation and job discrimination based on race, religion, sex or national origin nationwide. * * * "The Civil Rights Act helped resolve an issue that has been a problem in America since the founding of our country. "It was a bill that helped fulfill the promise made in the Declaration of Independence that all men (and women) are  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for a bill to extend the popular Paycheck Protection Program yesterday. The application deadline for the program, designed to help small business owners pay to retain employees as well as expenses, had expired. The new bill would extend the application deadline for new loans until August 8, 2020. "We needed to extend the deadline because companies are still st  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the Moving Forward Act. The $1.5 trillion bill (H.R. 2) would repair and build roads, bridges and other infrastructure throughout the country. The bill would allocate almost $12 billion for New Jersey's highway and transit improvements as well as at least $7.6 billion for rail projects along the Northeast Corridor, such as the Hudson River Tunnel. Also, it   more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act. The bill (H.R. 1425) would allow more middle-class individuals and families to qualify for health care subsidies through tax credits to lower Americans' health insurance premiums. Under the bill, a family of four earning $40,000 would save nearly $1,600 every year and a 64-year-old earning $57,420  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted for the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2), which reauthorizes surface transportation programs through Fiscal Year 2025 and provides significant investment in America's infrastructure. It includes transportation infrastructure priorities that Rep. Sherrill urged the committee to support that will move the Gateway Project forward, bring construction dollars back to New  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted to advance the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 in the House Armed Services Committee. Representative Sherrill fought to include strong provisions in support of Picatinny Arsenal, sustainable energy, COVID-19 response, and justice for service members who have survived sexual assault. The NDAA passed unanimously, 56-0. "  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on House passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 1425): "The coronavirus pandemic has emphasized the importance of robust, affordable, and accessible health care coverage, as the United States surpasses 2.5 million reported positive cases. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expanded coverage to millions of Americans and for too long, the President and my republican colleagues hav  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: Congressman Sires expressed his outrage over reports that Russia has been paying Taliban-linked militants to harm U.S. troops. * * * "I am disgusted and appalled, though ultimately not surprised, by reports that Russia has been running a bounty program to incentivize Taliban-linked militants to attack U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. "These actions will not stand and demand a response from the U.  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement regarding his vote for the Moving Forward Act (H.R. 2): "In the years I have served on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I have been working to give our states the resources they need to bring their transit infrastructure into the 21st century. Our states have the need, the know-how, and the labor to move on big infrastructure investments, all they lack is the federal financial help. As my co  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 30: Last night, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) voted in favor of H.R. 7301, the Emergency Housing Protections and Relief Act, which passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 232-180. "Residents of New Jersey's 8th District, along with families across the country, are struggling to pay their rent and mortgages as the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic continues," said Rep. Sires. We ne  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ), a longtime leader on human rights issues in Congress, condemned as "genocide" efforts by the Chinese Communist government to forcibly suppress the birth rates of ethnic minority populations on Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) through forced sterilizations, abortions, and detention. Smith also renewed his call for the International Olympic Committee to remove the 2022   more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: At a congressional hearing today, Rep Chris Smith (R-NJ), author of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act said "the great people of Hong Kong had a sweeping, draconian, anti-democracy policy imposed upon them yesterday--the so-called National Security Law." Smith said, "President Xi Jinping has today massively broken his government's solemn promise embedded in the Basic Law and in an internationally  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on Gov. Phil Murphy stopping restaurants from opening: This is no longer about safety. This is Governor Murphy forcing businesses to die; businesses that just spent months investing and preparing to open at a time he gave his word to them on. The restaurants placed food orders, bought PPE, hired staff back, and started advertising. How is going to a busy big-box store any safer than a prepared restaura  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, ranking Republican member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-OR) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA) sent a letter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting the OIG initiate an investigation into whether or not five states - California, Michigan, New  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) and Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) were joined by Democratic members of the New Jersey House delegation in calling on the chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, to expand eligibility of the Main Street Lending Program to additional businesses to help save jobs and bolster economic growth during the current crisis. The letter was signed by Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03)  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) introduced, alongside Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21), the Military Spouse Student Loan Deferment Act, bipartisan legislation to allow a military spouse of an active duty servicemember to defer their student loans for 90 days while they are transitioning through a permanent change of station (PCS) move. Servicemembers must conduct a PCS move every two  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), chair of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee for Indigenous Peoples, U.S. Senators Tom Udall (D-N.M.), vice chairman on the Senate Committee o  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congresswomen Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced the introduction of (H.R. 7477) the Workforce Promotion and Access (WPA) Act, legislation aimed at getting more Americans back to work in living-wage jobs created directly by the federal government. The bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Labor to create a job guarantee program through grants to states, localities and tr  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: In response to rising food insecurity and supply chain disruptions witnessed during the coronavirus pandemic and stemming from our hyper-consolidated food system, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Local Food Assistance and Resilient Markets Act, or the Local FARM Act, legislation that expands food assistance to vulnerable Americans and increases support for the local and regional food systems t  more

WASHINGTON, June 29 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement in response to Israel's proposed annexation of territories in the West Bank: "As a long-time supporter of the State of Israel and the unshakable bond between our two countries, I am deeply disheartened by the proposed unilateral annexation of territory in the West Bank. "What happens to the West Bank, with its Palestinian population of almost three million and growing, is fundamentally intertwined with Israe  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) challenged Senate Republicans to publicly condemn President Trump's recent rhetoric and actions that have served to stoke violence in this country--namely retweeting videos of a person screaming "White Power," tweeting to "liberate" states, and ordering peaceful protestors to be tear gassed and shot with rubber bullets, among others. "It is totally unacceptable to ca  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development, introduced the Emergency Housing Assistance for Older Adults Act that would provide $1.2 billion to ensure that federally-assisted senior housing facilities have the necessary resources to effectively protect residents during th  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez introduced bipartisan legislation to require that all Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) small business loans of $150,000 or less to be automatically forgiven. According to the Center for Responsible Learning (CRL), over 85% of PPP loans were for amounts of less than $150,000, and on average, these small businesses have 19 or fewer employees. "Struggling Small businesses in Ne  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following opening remarks at a hearing entitled "COVID-19 and International Pandemic Preparedness, Prevention, and Response: Additional Perspectives" on June 30: "This pandemic presents one of the most complex and novel threats the United States -- indeed the world -- has faced in a generation," Menendez said. "And it's clear that even if we stop the spread of t  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on July 1: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is introducing a new measure to impose costs on Russia for reportedly offering bounties for the killing of U.S. troops and allied forces in Afghanistan. The Senator's effort would require the Trump Administration to impose asset freeze san  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- 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, is introducing a new measure to impose costs on Russia for reportedly offering bounties for the killing of U.S. troops and allied forces in Afghanistan. The Senator's effort would require the Trump Administration to impose asset freeze sanctions on President Vladimir Putin, his Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, and o  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez joined several of his colleagues in urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to examine the potential risks that COVID-19 may pose on individuals exposed to polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals. PFAS, often found in firefighting foam used on military bases, are toxic chemicals and known carcinogens, which can cause cancer, birth defects and immune suppres  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate's housing subcommittee, spoke on the Senate floor to warn his colleagues of a looming foreclosure and eviction crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout if Congress fails to act. "[A]n impending storm ... is brewing and headed our way. It will bring with it enormous financial pain. It will threaten public safety  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez joined Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and a 11 other colleagues to introduce the Judicial Ads Act to combat the rise of anonymous political donations - known as dark money - in judicial nominations. The identity of donors who fund advocacy efforts for judicial nominees, unlike donors who do the same for political candidates, are not required to   more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) and Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) blasted Facebook's inaction to prevent white supremacist groups and its role in providing such groups with the organizational infrastructure and reach needed to expand using its platform. In a letter to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, the senators criticized Facebook for being unable or unwilling to enforce its own Community  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in Congress, joined a group of colleagues in introducing a bicameral resolution honoring the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, known as the Borinqueneers, and designating April 13, 2020 as the National Borinqueneers Day. The resolution recognizes the bravery, service, and sacrifice of the Puerto Rican soldiers of the 65th Inf  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest-ranking Latino in Congress, and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas-20), Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, led a group of colleagues in introducing a bicameral resolution recognizing June 2020 as "Immigrant Heritage Month," a month to celebrate the accomplishments and contributions immigrants and their children have made to the United States. "As the pro  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (N.J.-01), the highest ranking member of the New Jersey delegation on the House Armed Services Committee, led the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in urging the U.S. Air Force to consider the New Jersey Air National Guard 177th Fighter Wing to become the new home base for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The Air Force is set to an  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on July 2: Continuing their crusade against politicization of the COVID-19 drug approval process by the Trump Administration, U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) have written a new letter to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Stephen Hahn again urging the FDA to be guided by science and not political considerations in helping find a vaccine. In a s  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on June 30: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by 11 of his Senate colleagues in calling on four Central Asian Presidents to release detainees imprisoned for peaceful activism who are also at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Citing high-profile cases of detained stude  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on June 30: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,was joined by 11 of his Senate colleagues in calling on four Central Asian Presidents to release detainees imprisoned for peaceful activism who are also at high risk of contracting COVID-19. Citing high-profile cases of detained students, activists, and human rights defenders, the bipartisan letters were s  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- 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, Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to detail their knowledge of and actio  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- 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, Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to detail their knowledge of and actions resulting from the U.S. intelligence community's discovery that  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, introduced a resolution outlining the importance of the U.S. Postal Service and urging increased funding in the next COVID-19 relief package to help the key agency offset losses incurred due to the pandemic. Th  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, issued the following news release: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-Ore.) today sent a letter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting the OIG initiate an investigation into whether or not five states - California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania - violated federal   more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, issued the following news: Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden (R-Ore.) sent a letter to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) requesting the OIG initiate an investigation into whether or not five states - California, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylva  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $5,370,096 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) to support the New Jersey Department of Health's response and recovery efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic. "These funds are absolutely critical as our state continues to battle COVID-19 and prepare for future spikes," said Sen. Me  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced $68,579,836 in U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) funding for the State of New Jersey tobolster security and emergency preparedness efforts at our ports, houses of worship and transit hubs. "Because of our state's location, proximity to large metro areas, airports, seaports and transit hubs, New Jersey must remain vigilant and prepared to res  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) joined a group of Senate colleagues in introducing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (NDAA) that would require President Trump to unlock the full authority and power of the Defense Production Act (DPA) to scale up nationwide production of testing supplies, personal protective gear, and medical equipment ne  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Following the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Ga., which held that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ workers from discrimination, U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) joined a group of Senate colleagues in writing a letter to Attorney General William Barr demanding the Department of Justice (DOJ) reverse its anti-LGBTQ position t  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D- N.J.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) introduced the Coronavirus Housing Counseling Improvement Act to expand access to critical information, assistance programs and services for millions of families struggling to remain in their homes because of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.),  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a Senior Member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Member of the Senate Banking Committee, questioned the ethics policies and procedures at the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR). On June 14,Bloomberg reported that two employees who had been intimately involved in negotiating the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USM  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) introduced the Payment Choice Act to provide customers the freedom to choose how to pay for goods or services. With the increased use of electronic means of payment during the COVID-19 pandemic, many businesses are refusing to accept cash, potentially denying hundreds of customers access to the goods or services they need. The legislation wou  more

WASHINGTON, July 3 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representatives James P. McGovern (D-MA) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) were joined by 74 members of the Senate and the House in sending a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin regarding the ongoing atrocities in the Xinjiang Uyghur   more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- 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, and Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), were joined by Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) in introducing the Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act. This bipartisan legislation would provide those Hong Kongers who peacefully prot  more

WASHINGTON, June 30 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) welcomed today's United States Supreme Court ruling in USAID v. Alliance for Open Society upholding a key amendment he wrote in 2003 to the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act that provides federal funding to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provided they have a policy explicitly opposing sex trafficking and prostitution. Smith said  more

WASHINGTON, July 1 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis unveiled a comprehensive climate action plan to build a prosperous, clean energy economy that values workers, advances environmental justice, and puts the U.S. on a path to net-zero carbon pollution by 2050. The Select Committee's plan references key legislation to act upon to address the climate crisis, including four bills introduced by Representativ  more

WASHINGTON, July 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM), representing more than 1400 cities across the country, passed a resolution endorsing U.S. Senator Bob Menendez's (D-N.J.) bipartisan State and Municipal Recovery and Transition (SMART) Act and calling on Congress to quickly pass legislation that would provide direct, flexible, federal assistance to states, cities and counties to help address the unprecedented public  more