WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following opening remarks on March 3, 2021, at a hearing on the nominations for senior State Department posts: * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the following opening remarks at this morning's committee hearing on the nominations of Wendy Sherman to serve as Deputy Secretary of State and Brian McKeo  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on March 2, 2021: * * * Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement following the Biden administration's announcement that it will impose a new wave of sanctions on multiple Russian government officials and entities in response to the Kremlin's attempted murder of anti-corruption activ  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today announced subcommittee leadership and membership assignments for the 117th Congress. "I look forward to working in close coordination with the incoming subcommittee members to chart forward a path of renewal and reengag  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, issued the following opening statement as part of a virtual hearing entitled "The Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care" on March 2, 2021: * * * Over the course of this pandemic millions of Americans have used telehealth, some perhaps for the first time, to stay connected to their health care providers without increasing their risk  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Leading, independent editorial boards are expressing support for U.S. Senator Bob Menendez's (D-N.J.) efforts to reform the nation's broken immigration system, calling the U.S. Citizenship Act of 2021 "swinging for the upper deck," "a smart, good-faith effort that deserves consideration and support," and a "blueprint of what could amount to a major course correction" after four years of "cruelty" under  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Subcmmittee on Environment, issued the following news release on March 1, 2021: Last Friday, Environment Subcommittee Chairwoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) introduced two bipartisan bills that address flood research, data collection, and communications, the Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support (FLOODS) Act and the Providing Research and Estimates of Changes in Precipitation  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 2, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee and the new Chair of the Securities, Insurance, and Investment Subcommittee, today reintroduced the Shareholder Protection Act of 2021 to ensure public companies are more transparent and disclose their political spending activities to their shareholders. The January 6th violent attack against America's   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release: U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statement on the U.S.-Bulgaria relationship as the country begins the official campaigning period for parliamentary elections: "The United States and Bulgaria have a robust and growing relationship that, like the NATO all  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho: * * * U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) issued the following statement on the U.S.-Bulgaria relationship as the country begins the official campaigning period for parliamentary elections: "The United States and Bulgaria have a robust and growing relationship that, like the NATO alliance as a wh  more

HACKENSACK, New Jersey, March 6 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer announced bipartisan legislation -- Cameron's Law -- to fully restore the Orphan Disease Research Tax Credit, following the 2017 Tax Hike Bill cutting the Tax Credit in half and making treatment for rare diseases even rarer. With Cameron's Law, New Jersey's life sciences leaders will be able to invest more in research and development for cures for orphan dis  more

GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, March 2 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * "Last month, I urged the CDC to prioritize the vaccination of educators and staff, with the goal of safely returning to in-person learning in New Jersey. I want to thank the Governor for today's announcement of expanded vaccine eligibility for educators, school support staff, child care, and transportation workers. Every parent in New Jersey, including me and my wife, wants their child  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) met with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regional Vaccine Task Force Lead to formally request that a FEMA Community Vaccination Center be created in New Jersey to focus on helping underserved communities and to begin vaccinating Jersey residents daily. Earlier this week, the State of New York announced the opening of two New York State-FEMA Commun  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * "The legislation that the House voted on last night includes several important provisions that represent significant progress, including measures to ban chokeholds, changes to no-knock warrants, and requirements for body camera usage by law enforcement. That said, more work is needed on other areas, including the qualified immunity provisions. I urged the House to consider, for instance, a measure  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.-05), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) and Tom Malinowski (N.J.-07) today sent a letter to Gannett CEO Michael Reed standing up for local journalism and urging the company to cease efforts to interfere with the right of employees to unionize at the Record and NorthJersey.com, Daily Record and  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a bill that strengthens election integrity, makes our political system more responsible to every day Americans than big money interests, and strengthens political ethics laws to make politicians accountable to the American people. "I came to Congress two years ago because I saw a system that wasn't working for the people; what I've se  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, H.R. 1280, a bill that would make critical reforms to America's law enforcement systems that would save lives and make our communities safer. "Our criminal justice system simply does not work for too many of our neighbors," said Congressman Kim. "We've seen the impact of these deficiencies on communities of color across our   more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) voted to pass H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, which provides critical resources to help address the totality of the COVID-19 crisis. "The COVID-19 pandemic hasn't just taken lives, it has sparked a year-long crisis that has cost millions their jobs, put millions more into poverty, and put an incredible strain on our communities," said Congressman Kim. "These problems are  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1, the For the People Act -- a transformational legislative package to combat corruption and voter suppression. Representative Malinowski is a cosponsor of the For the People Act and previously cosponsored the bill in the 116th Congress. The bill includes a provision of Representative Malinowski's Anti-Collusion Act that will help insulate future elections in   more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representatives Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), James P. McGovern (MA-02), and Andy Kim (NJ-03) introduced the Saudi Arabia Accountability for Gross Violations of Human Rights Act. Following the Director of National Intelligence report on the targeted assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the bill ensures that travel sanctions are applied equally to all identified complicit parties--inc  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, March 2 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On Friday, Representative Tom Malinowski hosted a 2021 Federal Student Aid virtual information session for students and families in New Jersey's 7th Congressional District. Representative Malinowski was joined by Fred Stennis, Supervisor and Senior Outreach Advisor at the U.S. Department of Education. Watch a full recording of the event here: https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=htt  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion relief package to address the unprecedented COVID-19 public health and economic crisis. This critical legislation will provide direct support to struggling Americans, get vaccines to the people, create millions of jobs, and get local leaders the resources needed to re-open schools. "The legislation passed by the House t  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act. This comprehensive legislation combats racial bias and promotes greater accountability in policing to increase trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they are sworn to protect. The George Floyd Justice in Policing Act will: * Ban all chokeholds; * Ban no-knock warrants in drug cases; * End   more

CAMDEN, New Jersey, March 4 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced today that the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, located in Camden, has been awarded a $408,617 grant from the National Cancer Institute. This grant will go towards a research project aimed at exploring drug resistance in patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML). "South Jersey continues to develop as a center for wo  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) joined House Democrats in passing H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a sweeping anti-corruption package to clean up Washington, protect and expand voting rights, restore integrity to government and put the needs and priorities of the American people ahead of special interests. "I've always supported making voting easier, not harder, and today,   more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) voted in favor of the American Rescue Plan, a comprehensive relief package that includes mounting a national vaccination program, investing in schools so they can safely reopen, providing direct assistance to American workers and families and expanding small business relief. Norcross released the following statement after the bill's passage through the H  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) voted in favor of H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021, which passed through the House of Representatives. This transformative legislation reimagines the culture of policing in America with unprecedented reforms to build greater trust between law enforcement and our communities. "I stand with my community and the millions of Americans   more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on Feb. 27, 2021: * * * Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today issued the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan: "Early this morning, the House passed an American Rescue Plan that struggling families desperately need to help stay afloat during this ongoing public health and economic crisis. "This legislation implements a national plan to crus  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) introduced the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's (CLEAN) Future Act - ambitious new climate legislation that ensures the United States acts aggressively to tackle the climate crisis this decade and achieve net zero greenhouse gas pollution. The CLEAN Future Act would achieve net zero greenhouse gas pollution   more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks on March 2, 2021, at a Health Subcommittee hearing entitled "The Future of Telehealth: How COVID-19 is Changing the Delivery of Virtual Care": * * * Over the course of this pandemic millions of Americans have used telehealth, some perhaps for the first time, to stay connected to their health care providers without increasing their risk of exposu  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on Feb. 27, 2021: * * * Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine: "Today's authorization of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine brings us another step closer to th  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on Feb. 27, 2021: * * * Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today after the House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan: "Tonight, the House passed an American Rescue Plan that struggling families desperately need to help stay afloat during this ongoing public health and econ  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on March 4, 2021: * * * Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today in response to the International Code Council (ICC) announcing that it is replacing the current government consensus process for developing energy codes with a standards-based process: "Today's action by the ICC will upend t  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on Feb. 27, 2021: * * * Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement today after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted an emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine: "Today's authorization of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine brings us another step closer to the light at the end of the tunnel. Notably, this new vaccine is easier to store   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement on House passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021: "For too long, Black Americans have faced systemic racism and unjust force by the police. That is why I cast my vote in support of the Justice in Policing Act. It's past time to end police brutality, stop profiling, and hold police accountable. "The bill b  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Congressional leaders wrote a letter to the Biden Administration urging the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to update ventilation and respiratory protection guidance and standards to address aerosol transmission of the COVID-19 virus. In the letter, the leaders praised   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) announced today that the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee will hold a fully remote hearing on Thursday, March 11, at 10:30 a.m. (EST) on the risks increased time online during the COVID-1  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) announced today that the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee will hold a fully remote hearing on Wednesday, March 10, at 10:30 a.m. (EST) on the critical need to restore the mission of the Environmen  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 2, 2021: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) and Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL) today introduced the Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's (CLEAN) Future Act - ambitious new climate legislation that   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Energy Subcommittee Chairman Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO), Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Rep. Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) wrote to Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) President and CEO Bill Magness tod  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Mike Doyle (D-PA), and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) wrote to Google CEO Sundar Pichai today expressing deep concern over the growing threat of extremist content propagati  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, has written to U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen renewing calls for the U.S. Treasury Department to issue emergency guidance on the participation of tax-exempt organizations in the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The letter follows up on a January 13, 2021 inquiry by Ways a  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 5, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Chairman of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight and a member of the Subcommittee on Social Security, today called on President Joe Biden to fire the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) for their stunning streak of disregard, callousness, and destruction of Social Security. "Tens o  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Chair of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, has written the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) demanding fresh answers on the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) enforcement against tax-exempt organizations engaging in illegal activities. "As you know, the IRS has long held that organizations engag  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today voted in favor of H.R. 1, the For the People Act, a massive civil and voting rights package put forth by Democrats to restore American democracy. Among other important provisions, the bill would block voter suppression laws, ban partisan gerrymandering, establish automatic voter registration, expand voting access, overhaul the campaign fin  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today voted in favor of H.R. 1280, the Justice in Policing Act, a comprehensive package of police reforms. The bill will ban chokeholds during arrests, outlaw racial profiling, establish a national police misconduct registry, and incentivize use-of-force policies that promote de-escalation. "When enshrined in law, the Justice in Policing Act wi  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.-05), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) and Tom Malinowski (N.J.-07) today sent a letter to Gannett CEO Michael Reed standing up for local journalism and urging the company to cease efforts to interfere with the right of employees to unionize at the Record and NorthJersey.co  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. was proud to vote for the American Rescue Plan today to support New Jersey residents and all Americans during the COVID-19 health and economic crisis. The bill was a success for Rep. Payne, Jr. because he fought for efforts to get direct funding to New Jersey and local communities throughout the 10th District. The bill (H.R. 1319) is a $1.9 trillion emergency COVID-19 sti  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021. The historic bill (H.R. 1280) would end racial profiling in law enforcement, ban chokeholds and "no-knock" warrants, and establish a federal standard for police conduct to end police brutality, particularly against African Americans. It comes after thousands of Americans took to the streets last year to protest th  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the "For the People" Act of 2021. The historic bill (H.R. 1) would strengthen and secure the right to vote for all Americans, eliminate political gerrymandering of Congressional districts, make political contributions more transparent, and implement other anti-corruption measures to strengthen American democracy. "Every American has the right to vote and that vo  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) introduced a package of bipartisan bills to address flooding, the most common and widespread of all weather-related natural disasters in the United States. Despite numerous challenges posed by storms, weather forecasting is inherently uncertain. It's particularly important to address the communication of uncertainty and discuss not only predictions of weather variab  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) released the following statement after voting for H.R. 1, landmark legislation to strengthen election and ethics laws: "President Trump's Department of Homeland Security said the 2020 election was the most secure in American history, but we now see states trying to roll back recent gains made to increase voter access to the ballot box. H.R. 1 will improve elect  more

WASHINGTON, Feb. 25 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) today voted to pass H.R. 5, the Equality Act, to extend the anti-discrimination protections under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to LGBTQ Americans in housing, education, employment, credit, public accommodation, federal funding, and federal jury service. Representative Sherrill is an original co-sponsor of H.R. 5 and voted for its passage in the 116th Congress. "No   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on March 3, 2021: * * * Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) today voted to advance the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2021 and released the following statement: "One of the great disappointments of last session was that in a moment of national reckoning, Congress could not come together to address systemic racism in this country. I believe it is critical that Congress pass legislation that take  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on Feb. 27, 2021: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted today for the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to deliver pandemic relief to New Jersey residents. The legislation addresses the continued public health and economic crisis and includes key provisions to get people back to work, help kids return to in-person schooling, expand vaccine distribution, and support small businesses. "As I visit com  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on Feb. 27, 2021: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined today with a bipartisan group of mayors from the 11th District to highlight the importance of state and local funding for New Jersey's municipalities and urge the Senate to include this critical component in the final legislation. The House of Representatives passed the American Rescue Plan including $350 billion for state and local relief, i  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: Yesterday, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) voted in favor of two important pieces of legislation: H.R. 1, the For the People Act, which passed the House by a vote of and H.R. 1280, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act which passed by a vote 220-212. "I was proud to vote in favor of both the For the People Act and the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act," stated Rep. Sires. "The former  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Last night, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) voted in favor of H.R. 1319, the American Rescue Plan Act, a comprehensive COVID-19 relief bill that includes funding to expedite the vaccine rollout, send economic impact payments to Americans, safely reopen our schools, and assist individuals receiving unemployment payments. H.R. 1319 passed the House by a vote of 219-212. "The COVID-19 pandemic has taken so ma  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Autism Speaks--a national advocacy group that promotes research and solutions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD)--presented Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) with their Congressional Leadership Award for his "leadership on behalf of individuals with autism and their families." "The dedicated leaders at Autism Speaks work tirelessly to help raise awareness and advocate for those with autism," said Rep. Smith, co-fou  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following remarks on Feb. 28, 2021 in the House during the debate on COVID-19 appropriations bill on Feb. 26, 2021: An analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget shows that approximately $1 trillion of previously appropriated COVID-19 relief funds have not been spent. Let me say that again, Madame Speaker, about a trillion dollars appropriated by Congress for COVID relief has not been spent. Yet today, the House  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) today asked the Speaker of the House to investigate and take immediate action on credible reports of tainted food that has made several National Guard members sick, including at least 30 from New Jersey. "This is outrageous," Smith said. "The women and men deployed here from New Jersey and elsewhere to protect the Capitol deserve meals that are absolutely safe and   more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 5, 2021: Congressman Jeff Van Drew issued a letter to National Guard Bureau Chief General Hokanson, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer urging immediate action to address the substandard quality of food being served to National Guard members stationed at the United States Capitol. Congressman Jeff Van Drew has previously voiced concern over the continued pres  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 2, 2021: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) and Congresswoman Lori Trahan (MA-03) led a bipartisan group of House members in calling on the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to take serious action to stop the dangerous and disproportionate spread of COVID-19 in U.S. Bureau of Prison (BOP)-managed institutions that has led to the death of employees and at least 220 inmates. "As of this writing, according to   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho) today announced subcommittee leadership and membership assignments for the 117thCongress. "I look forward to working in close coordination with the incoming subcommittee members to chart forward a path of renewal and reengagement for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," Ch  more

WASHINGTON, March 2 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 1, 2021: U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Patrick McHenry (R-NC-10) today re-introduced their American PPE Supply Chain Integrity Act. As the United States has contended with devastating shortages since the beginning of the pandemic, this bipartisan legislation will help end America's over-reliance on personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from China and other for  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 2, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Nydia Velazquez (D-NY-07) today led their colleagues in the New York and New Jersey congressional delegations urging the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to extend the deadline of a water resources management study critical to the region. The approvals for the New York and New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries focus area study are needed to   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with Representative John Katko (NY-24) this week to introduce the Fund for Innovation and Success in Higher Education (FINISH) Act to help students succeed in our community, technical, and four-year colleges and universities. The legislation authorizes innovation grants to develop and scale evidence-based initiatives that improve outcomes in higher education,  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congressman John Katko (NY-24) announced the reintroduction of the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act (H.R. 1475). The Act was originally introduced in 2019 following a report from the Congressional Black Caucus's Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health chaired by Congresswoman Watson Coleman. The report - "Ring the Alarm: the  more

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Tom Malinowski, D-New Jersey: * * * "We are concerned by early indications that the Biden Administration does not intend to impose a visa ban on all those responsible for Jamal Khashoggi's murder, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. "U.S. law is unequivocal: section 7031(c) of H.R.133, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 requires that "officials of foreign governments a  more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on March 2, 2021: * * * Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement following the Biden administration's announcement that it will impose a new wave of sanctions on multiple Russian government officials and entities in response to the Kremlin's attempted murder of anti-corruption activist Alexei Navalny: "Today's announcement sends a c  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Congresswomen Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.-12) and Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) today called on the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to fully utilize its enforcement authority under the Health Breach Notification Rule to crack down on menstruation-tracking mobile apps that share women's personal health information with third parties without their consent  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ranking Member and Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, as well as Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in reintroducing legislation authorizing the tenth general capital increase for the Inter-  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.-05), Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) and Tom Malinowski (N.J.-07) today sent a letter to Gannett CEO Michael Reed standing up for local journalism and urging the company to cease efforts to interfere with the right of employees to unionize at the Record and NorthJersey.com,  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, along with Sens. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Todd Young (R-Ind.), today int  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, issued the following news release on March 5, 2021: Senator Rick Scott sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg urging the department to prioritize projects that keep Americans safe, while boosting the return on investment for every taxpayer dollar. In his letter, Senator Scott highlights the need for the department to address the insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund without raising taxes on the American peopl  more

WASHINGTON, March 6 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Jim Risch (R-ID), both members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern about the state of democracy and ongoing human rights abuses in Uganda. The letter also urges the Treasury Department and the State Department to utilize the authority of the Global Magnitsky Human Right  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced a bipartisan bill, the Department of State Student Internship Program Act, which will address the lack of diversity within the State Department's internship program by requiring the creation of a paid internship program that ensures interns are paid a minimum wage and provided housing and travel assistance. For years, the St  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker yesterday joined a group of their colleagues in introducing the Background Check Expansion Act, which will expand federal background checks to all gun sales. Under current federal law, unlicensed or private sellers are not required to conduct a background check prior to transferring a firearm. Research indicates that as many as a quarter of al  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and a group of 38 senators introduced legislation to stop the use of unfair forced arbitration clauses, which are widely used to limit Americans' access to justice. The FAIR (Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal) Act would eliminate forced arbitration clauses in consumer, antitrust, employment, and civil rights cases, and would allow consumers and workers to fr  more

WASHINGTON, March 4 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 3, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today questioned the U.S. Bureau of Prisons' (BOP's) failure to provide Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Fort Dix with the federal resources needed to help contain and respond to the spread of COVID-19 within the facility. In a letter they led on behalf of the New Jersey delegation, the lawmakers called on the BOP to ensure FCI Fort Dix   more

WASHINGTON, March 3 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 2, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and John Cornyn (R-Tex.) today introduced the Providing Adequate Resources to Enhance Needed Time with Sons and Daughters (PARENTS) Act, which will ensure children of separated or divorced parents have a set schedule that will allow them to spend frequent quality time with both of their parents. "A solid foundation for children of divorced parents i  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today are introducing new legislation authorizing the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) program to combat the growing threat of terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa. Entitled The Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today are introducing new legislation authorizing the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership (TSCTP) program to combat the growing threat of terrorism in the Sahel region of Africa. Entitled The Trans-  more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) introduced a bipartisan resolution (S.Res.81) honoring Las Damas de Blanco, a women-led peaceful nonviolent movement that supports freedom and human rights in Cuba and actively urges the release of all political prisoners   more

WASHINGTON, March 5 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on March 4, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ranking Member and Chairman of the SFRC Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, as well as Senators Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Ben Cardin (D-Md.) in reintroducing legislation authorizi  more