WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following opening remarks on May 19, 2021, at a hearing to consider the nominations of the Brian A. Nichols to be an assistant secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs and Michele Jeanne Sison to be an assistant secretary of State for International Organization Affairs: * * * "When we shun our responsibilities and fail to lead, other countries take note and seek to   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today took to the Senate Floor to deliver remarks on the Strategic Competition Act. Introduced by Chairman Menendez and SFRC Ranking Member Jim Risch (R-Idaho), the legislation is an unprecedented bipartisan effort to mobilize all of the United State  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- 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 Fiscal Year 2022 Health and Human Services Department's Budget": * * * At last year's hearing with the Trump Administration, Democrats highlighted the implications of massive cuts that were being proposed to vital health programs while, simultaneously, hearing federal witnesses attest to th  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, issued the following opening statement as part of a virtual hearing entitled "The Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation's Future Act: Superfund Proposals to Advance Cleanups, Equity, and Climate Resilience": * * * The Superfund program is critical to cleaning up the most toxic sites across our country. Investments and improve  more

WASHINGTON, May 13 -- The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, House and Urban Development and Related Agencies issued the following statement by Rep. Jeff Van Drew, D-New Jersey, as part of a virtual member's day hearing on community improvement projects: * * * I am here to advocate for $1 million in Community Project funding from the Economic Development Account for the rehabilitation of the recreational complex in Little Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey. This project has rec  more

WASHINGTON, May 12 -- The House Natural Resources Committee issued the following testimony by Rose Cuison-Villazor, vice dean and professor at Rutgers Law School, as part of a remote hearing entitled "Insular Cases Resolution (H.Res. 279)": * * * My name is Rose Cruz Cuison-Villazor. I am Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School in New Jersey. Thank you for inviting me to provide testimony on the Insular Cases and territorial incorporation doctrine. As you may know, I am a legal   more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, issued the following joint statement with Reps. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Kay Granger, R-Texas, Grace Meng, D-New York, Randy Weber, R-Texas, Ted Lieu, D-California, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, on May 20, 2021: * * * The eight co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism issued the following joint statement in response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's antisemitic comments:   more

WESTWOOD, New Jersey, May 18 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 17, 2021: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County, which received two rounds of PPP investment, to help local volunteers build affordable housing for local veterans and families. Gottheimer and Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County also marked "Women Build Week," which brings together women from throughout local communities to volunteer. The   more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) was named as the Vice Chair for the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy within the House Financial Services Committee. "I'm honored to be named Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy at a time when the safety and security of our nation and our financial system  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) announced that Kathleen Palmer, a senior from Shawnee High School in Medford, is the winner of the Congressional Art Competition from New Jersey's Third Congressional District. A photo of Palmer's painting, entitled "Dolce", can be found by clicking here: https://kim.house.gov/sites/kim.house.gov/files/documents/2021%20Congressional%20Art%20Competition%20Winning%20  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Rep. Ted Lieu, D-California, issued the following joint statement with Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, Marc Veasey, D-Texas, Kay Granger, R-Texas, Grace Meng, D-New York, Randy Weber, R-Texas, and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pennsylvania, on May 20, 2021: * * * The eight co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism issued the following joint statement in response to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's antisemitic comments:   more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, May 22 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * The Office of Representative Tom Malinowski released the following statement in response to recent AP coverage: "The charge that Congressman Malinowski abused his office is categorically false. The AP story acknowledges, "there is no indication that Malinowski acted on insider information to make his investment decisions." These trades were made solely by his broker based on publicly   more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congress passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to take action on the dramatic increase in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans since the onset of the public health crisis. The bill would help to facilitate the Department of Justice's collection of data on hate crimes against Asian Americans and would drastically improve hate crime reporting and accountability within law enforcement. The COVID  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: The House of Representatives voted to establish a bipartisan 9/11-style commission to examine and report upon the actions that took place at the United States Capitol on January 6th. The Commission will be required to issue a final report by December 31, 2021 on its investigative findings and recommendations to prevent similar attacks from happening again. Representative Malinowski vote  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSRes) -- Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued the following joint statement on May 19, 2021, with Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, after the Government Acco  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that New Jersey will receive over $78 million to support mental health services and substance use disorder needs. New Jersey will receive $39,121,366 from the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) Program to provide comprehensive community mental health services and address needs and gaps in existing treatment service  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks on May 19, 2021, at an Energy Subcommittee hearing entitled "The Fiscal Year 2022 DOE Budget": * * * Secretary Granholm, welcome to the Energy and Commerce Committee. We have so many issues that we can work on within the Department of Energy, from clean energy deployment and energy cybersecurity, to overseeing our nation's nuclear weapons stockpi  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following opening remarks on May 18, 2021, at a Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee hearing entitled "Promises and Perils: The Potential of Automobile Technologies": * * * Last year, more than 42,000 people died in the United States as a result of automobile accidents and nearly 4.8 million were injured. These deaths and injuries are preventable and demand actio  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on May 20, 2021, after the Department of Energy announced it is seeking public input to initiate the rulemaking process for lightbulb energy efficiency standards: * * * "Energy efficiency standards are one of the best, most impactful tools we have for combating the climate crisis and saving consumers money on their energy bills - and that's particularl  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 (TNSRes) -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement on May 19, 2021, with Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, Rep. Richard E. Neal, D-Massachusetts, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-New York, chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, after the Government Acco  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Full Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Ranking Member Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) announced today that the Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee will hold a fully remote legislative hearing on Tuesday, May 25, at 11:30 a.m. (EST) entitled, "The CLEAN Future Act and Drink  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on May 18, 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, May 26, at 11:00 a.m. (EDT) on building confidence in COVID-19 vaccines in order to vaccinate  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 21, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today pushed back on a decision by the U.S. State Department to lift sanctions against the Russian Federation involving the Nord Stream 2 pipeline as new diplomatic talks are set to open between Washington and Moscow. "Now is no moment to lift congressionally mandated sanctions aimed against Vladimir Putin's government and influence operations,"   more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on May 17, 2021: * * * U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today condemned the continuing firing of deadly rockets into Israel by the terror group Hamas and the growing regional violence. In a statement last week, Rep. Pascrell called for an end to hostilities. "The continued violence in the Middle East is horrifying the entire world. The Israelis and Palestinians must each urgently de-escalate to av  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: To combat the surge in discriminatory attacks on Asian American communities during the pandemic, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today voted in favor of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. Rep. Pascrell cosponsors a companion bill in the House. This legislation establishes greater federal government oversight of COVID-19 hate crimes, and requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to pro  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) celebrated reintroduction of the Partner with Korea Act, bipartisan legislation that encourages greater ties between American and Korean businesses. This legislation directly supports the Biden administration's efforts to deepen relations with South Korea and its introduction precedes the May 21 summit between President Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-i  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today touted over $78 Million in grants to New Jersey as part of the watershed American Rescue Plan. Dispersed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Garden State will receive get $39,121,366 for the Mental Health Block Grant Supplement and $38,907,646 for the Substance Abuse Block Grant Supplement. "The American Re  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following remarks on May 19, 2021: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the first member of Congress to demand consequences for seditious members, today voted in favor of forming a landmark bipartisan panel to investigate the January 6, 2021 terror attack on the United States Capitol. Pascrell has been outspoken in demanding accountability for the terror riot and Republican attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential elec  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. wants to speed up travel through Newark Liberty International Airport to prepare for the increased airplane traffic after COVID-19. The Congressman wrote a letter to Steve Dickson, Administrator for the Federal Aviation Administration, and asked him to support rules to decrease congestion at the airport, which leads the country in flight delays. "Airline traffic is startin  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for a bill today to conduct a full investigation into the January 6th Insurrection on Capitol Hill. The bill, the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act (H.R. 3233), would create a bipartisan Congressional commission to research the facts and circumstances relating to the attack, evaluate what c  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 17, 2021: Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. released the following statement today regarding the House Resolution (H.Res. 215) on the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre. In 1921, locally-sanctioned white supremist mobs killed as many as 300 African-Americans, destroyed more than 1,200 homes and businesses, and caused more than $2 million (or more than $32 million today) in property damage fr  more

MONTCLAIR, New Jersey, May 18 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined Michael Gray from Representative Donald Payne's (NJ-10) office, Essex County Commissioner Brendan Gill, and Montclair Mayor Sean Spiller at the announcement of the formation of a task force created by Mayor Spiller focused on full time, in-person instruction for the Montclair Public School system. The task force will be chaired by Debra Jennings, wh  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The House passed Representative Mikie Sherrill's (NJ-11) bipartisan GI Bill NEED Act (H.R. 2167), which protects access to veterans' GI Bill and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) educational and vocational programs from expiring due to national emergencies. This bill also ensures family members of those who die from service-connected disabilities automatically qualify for in-state tuition rates wit  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) voted today for H.R. 3233, authorizing a bipartisan National Commission to investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol.This final version of the commission includes many of the elements in the commission legislation co-authored by Rep. Sherrill and Rep. Jackie Spier. Common items include ensuring the commission has an equal number   more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on May 17, 2021: * * * After Chileans voted on May 15th and 16th to elect the members who will serve on their constitutional convention, Congressman Albio Sires, Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, Migration, and International Economic Policy, issued the following statement: "I applaud the Chilean people for exercising their fundamental right to vote this weekend. "Thi  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, May 18 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Albio Sires celebrated the opening of a new health center in the city's North Ward designed to improve access to health care for Newark's low-income and uninsured residents. The Hope & Esperanza Community Health Center located at 788 Mount Prospect Avenue will be operated as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). "The opening of the Hope & Esperanza Community Health Center in the N  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Tonight, Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) voted in favor of H.R. 3233, the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act. This legislation would create a nonpartisan commission to find the facts behind the events leading up to the January 6th Capitol attacks. H.R. 3233 passed the House by a vote of 252-175. "Over four months after the horrifi  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Representatives Albio Sires (D-NJ), Chair of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Michael McCaul (R-TX), House Foreign Affairs Committee Lead Republican, Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mark Green (R-TN), Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, issued the following statements after their bipartisan resolution urging the Gove  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 17, 2021: On Tax Day, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) introduced the Filer Voter Act to make it easier to register to vote. The bill would allow voters to register to vote when they file their taxes. Forty-nine states require Americans to register to vote. One of the best ways to make it easier for people to register to vote is to create more opportunities for people to easily a  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) voted for H.R. 3233, legislation to establish an independent, bipartisan 9/11-type commission to examine and report upon the facts, causes and security relating to the terrorist mob attack on the United States Capitol on January 6th, 2021. The Commission would also be charged with making recommendations to prevent future attacks on our de  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: Representatives Tom Malinowski (D-NJ), Jim Langevin (D-RI), and Mike Waltz (R-FL) sent a letter with eight colleagues to President Biden urging a comprehensive strategy to ensure the survival and success of the Afghan government and protection of vulnerable Afghans as our troops withdraw from the country. The lawmakers emphasized that the United States government needs to maintain robu  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following joint statement on May 19, 2021, with Rep. Anna G. Eshoo, D-California, chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Health, after the House passed the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act (H.R. 1629): * * * "The bipartisan Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act will help address soaring prescription drug costs by closing a loophole that has been used to unfairly bloc  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: Congressmen Albio Sires (NJ-08) and Steve Cohen (TN-09) introduced the School Bus Safety Act, requiring school buses to be equipped with three-point seat belts, emergency braking system and other modern safety equipment. Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois plans to introduce companion legislation in the Senate in the weeks ahead. Congressman Sires is a senior member of the Transportation and  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) have teamed up again and reintroduced their bipartisan legislation--the Get the Lead Out Act (HR 3300)--to combat the life-threatening risk of lead in drinking water systems in their districts and across the country. First introduced in 2020, the legislation would provide $66.2 billion over ten years and direct every utility in America to develop a plan   more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, Sens. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, and Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada condemning the antisemitic incidents across the globe: * * * "As co-chairs of the bipartisan congressional task forces for combating antisemitism, we are alarmed and deeply concerned by the growing number of antisemitic incidents in the United States, Canada, and across Europe related to the current violence in t  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) joined Representatives Barbara Lee (CA-13) and Alma Adams (NC-12) with to introduce the Real Education and Access for Healthy Youth Act (REAHYA), which addresses both education and access to care for young people, with a focus on those most impacted by barriers to sex education and sexual health services. Currently, only 29 states and the   more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ),Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (D-IL), and Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-CT) reintroduced the Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve outcomes For Youth (DIVERSIFY) Act, legislation that would complement the important administrative fixes to the TEACH Grant proposed in the College Affordability Act by ensuring the grant amount closely m  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and a group of 29 Senators in calling for an immediate ceasefire agreement in Israel and the Palestinian territories to prevent further loss of life and further escalation of violence. Senators Booker and Ossoff, along with Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tom Carper (D-DE), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Zahid N. Quraishi, to be United States District Judge for   more

NEWARK, New Jersey, May 18 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 17, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the highest ranking Latino in Congress, today urged members of the Latino and Black communities to sign up to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Speaking at the grand opening of the Hope & Esperanza Community Health Center in the North Ward of Newark, Sen. Menendez noted that minority communities have borne the brunt of the pandemic but in ord  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on May 19, 2021: * * * Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following statement after Congress received a mandatory report from the State Department regarding entities involved in sanctionable activity by the builders of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Citing U.S. national security interests, the Biden   more

JERSEY CITY, May 18 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement on May 15, 2021, on the developments in the escalating violence across Israel and Gaza: * * * "I am deeply troubled by reports of Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of innocent civilians in Gaza as well as Israeli targeting of buildings housing international media outlets. "In response to thousands of rocket attacks fired by Hamas aime  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, chair of the Sandy Task Force and the leading voice in Congress for sweeping reform to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), today pressed expert witnesses during a Banking Committee hearing on the need to make the program more affordable, to revamp a broken claims process that left many Superstorm Sandy survivors holding the bag, and to invest more in m  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, today secured a commitment from U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg to advance the Gateway Project, including finishing the Portal Bridge and building a new trans-Hudson rail tunnel. "Will you commit to working with the project sponsors and Congressional   more

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, May 15 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: * * * Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following statement on the latest developments in the escalating violence across Israel and Gaza: "I am deeply troubled by reports of Israeli military actions that resulted in the death of innocent civilians in Gaza as well as Israeli targeting of buildings housing international media outlets.   more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in introducing an amendment to the China legislative package currently being debated on the Senate Floor. The amendment seeks to add a provision to the bipartisan Strategic Competition Act to ensure Hong   more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following news release: The Senate Judiciary Committee today advanced the nominations of Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit; Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit; Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Zahid N. Quraishi, to be Unite  more

WASHINGTON, May 18 -- The Senate Judiciary Committee issued the following information for a executive business meeting at 10 a.m. on May 20, 2021, at Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 106: AGENDA I. Nominees * Ketanji Brown Jackson, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit * Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Seventh Circuit * Julien Xavier Neals, to be United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey * Zahid N. Qur  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, and Chris Smith, R-New Jersey: * * * Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, and Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, released the following statement condemning  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 18, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced $43,391,818.73 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to support New Jersey's COVID-19 response and recovery. After Sen. Menendez's years-long push to reform how FEMA responds to disasters, last month the agency answered his call to eliminate the cost-sharing requirements for disaster grants. "The COVID-19 pandemi  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 21, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced $6,723,212 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to support veterans living in New Jersey's state veterans homes. This funding, which the senators secured in the American Rescue Plan, can be used to purchase personal protective equipment for veterans and staff, enhance cleaning services and expand s  more

WASHINGTON, May 19 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) joined 41 Senate Democrats in urging Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Xavier Becerra to quickly finalize the proposed rule for the Title X family planning program that would reverse the Trump Administration's gag rule, commit to health equity, and ensure that patients who depend on Title X providers can get the critical care they need-  more

WASHINGTON, May 20 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 19, 2021: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today introduced bipartisan legislation to encourage early assessment and diagnosis of Alzheimer's. There are over 6 million Americans over 65-years-old living with the disease. "Early detection and intervention can help improve and prolong the lives of those with Alzheimer's. My mother Evangelina battled Alzheimer's  more

WASHINGTON, May 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined today by Senators Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, in calling on the Biden Administration to develop a comprehensive strategy that addresses the severe COVID-19 crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean and focuses on vacci  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 21, 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 commemorated the 100th anniversary of Nobel laureate Andrei Sakharov's birthday by announcing they will introduce a bipartisan resolution lauding the renowned physicist's legacy of activism and impass  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and the highest-ranking Latino in the U.S. Congress, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women's Issues, today reintroduced the bicameral, bipartisan No  more

WASHINGTON, May 21 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on May 20, 2021: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), and Chris Coons (D-Del.) in introducing an amendment to the China legislative package currently being debated on the Senate Floor. The amendment seeks to add a provision to th  more

WASHINGTON, May 22 -- Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nevada, issued the following joint statement with Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Florida, and Chris Smith, R-New Jersey: * * * U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and James Lankford (R-OK), co-founders and co-chairs of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, and Representatives Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Chris Smith (R-NJ), two founding co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, released   more