Friday - March 29, 2024
U.S. Congressional Tipoffs Involving New Jersey Newsletter for Sunday April 12, 2020 ( 81 items )  

A Message From Rep. Van Drew to Salem County Residents for Coronavirus Resources
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: Friends, This is Congressman Jeff Van Drew with an update for you with some important information about what resources are available to you currently. Over the last several weeks, my colleagues and I have passed significant legislation to address the Coronavirus pandemic. Here are some of the resources that are available to you right now, ALL ELIGIBLE SALEM COUNTY RESIDENTS WILL RECEIVE THE FOLLOWING:  more

GAO Issues Report on FDA Drug Approval
WASHINGTON, April 7 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-301) is entitled "FDA Drug Approval: Application Review Times Largely Reflect FDA Goals". The report was sent to Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman, Rep. Greg Walden, R-Oregon, Republican leader of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. John Shimkus, R-Illinois, Republican leader of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change, and Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif  more

GAO Issues Report on Maternal Mortality
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-248) is entitled "Maternal Mortality: Trends in Pregnancy-Related Deaths and Federal Efforts to Reduce Them". The report was sent to Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland, Sen. Thomas Carper, D-Delaware, Sen. Richard J. Durbin, D-Illinois,   more

Rep. Gottheimer Announces Federal CARES Act Investment for Newton, Hackettstown Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 9, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced that Zufall Health Center locations in Newton and Hackettstown will receive federal investment from the bipartisan CARES Act rescue and relief package to support their ongoing work in telehealth, COVID-19 testing for health care workers and first responders, and community care. Zufall Health Center, Inc. in New Jersey will receive $1  more

Rep. Gottheimer Asks FEMA to Add Coronavirus Testing Site for Warren County, Sussex County Residents
NEWTON, New Jersey, April 6 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) requested the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) establish an additional drive-through COVID-19 testing site to serve the residents of Warren and Sussex Counties, New Jersey. The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has reported that the pandemic has not yet peaked in New Jersey and is expected to worsen in the coming weeks. New Jersey alread  more

Rep. Gottheimer Requests Federal Support for North Jersey Schools Providing Free, Reduced Price Meals to Students
WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 6, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) asked that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) waive restrictions on North Jersey schools so they can continue to receive federal investment for providing free and reduced price meals to students in need throughout scheduled spring breaks, given that students will continue to be home in light of the coronavirus public health crisis. As No  more

Rep. Kim Statement on Removal of Acting IG Glenn Fine
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement in response to the removal of Acting Inspector General Glenn Fine as Chairman of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee: "The American people deserve to know why the Acting IG was removed. Does his removal ensure taxpayer money is going towards helping people hardest hit by this crisis get back on their feet? No. Does his removal ensure big corporate executives aren't abusing the system to enrich themselv  more

Rep. Malinowski Introduces Legislation to Support Smaller Municipalities With Coronavirus Stabilization Funds
SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 8 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Tom Malinowski (NJ-07), along with Assistant Speaker Ben Ray Lujan (NM-03), Congressman Andy Levin (MI-09) and Congressman Joe Neguse (CO-02) introduced the Coronavirus Community Relief Act, new legislation to provide $250 billion in stabilization funds for mid-sized local communities, cities and towns across the United States that are struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. T  more

Rep. Malinowski Provides Updates on Constituents Stranded Abroad
SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 10 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: This week, Representative Malinowski announced the return of 32 constituents and family members who were stranded abroad as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Without notice, many countries closed their borders, severely limiting commercial flights, and leaving constituents with few options of return. Since the crisis began the Congressman and his staff have been in close contact   more

Rep. Norcross Announces More Than $9M for Medical Research at Coriell Institute
CHERRY HILL, New Jersey, April 8 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, located in Camden, has been awarded a $9.2 million grant through an open competition from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). This five-year award keeps Coriell in place as the steward of the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository, a world-renowned collection of high-  more

Rep. Norcross Statement on $630M Contract Secured for Philly Shipyard
CHERRY HILL, New Jersey, April 10 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on $630 million contract secured for the Philly Shipyard: "This new shipbuilding contract is a major win for South Jersey and the Philadelphia region, and it is truly welcome news for all of us who have supported the effort for years. "This work will generate jobs for over a thousand skilled workers during these difficult times. "I'll continue to work closely with the Maritime Administra  more

Rep. Norcross Statement on Allocation of CARES Act Funds to NJ Colleges and Universities
CHERRY HILL, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) released the following statement on the U.S. Department of Education's release of a plan for distributing $14 billion of the CARES Act funding to colleges and universities: "New Jersey's higher education students and institutions are facing severe economic strains, and the CARES Act funding will provide them with assistance and resources during th  more

Rep. Pallone Blasts Trump Administration's Decision to Suddenly End Support for Community-Based Testing Sites
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on April 9: * * * - Federal Government Set to Transition Coronavirus Testing Sites to States * * * Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement blasting the Trump Administration's unilateral decision to end federal support for Community-Based Testing Sites (CBTS) for COVID-19. According to an advisory issu  more

Rep. Pallone Joins Schakowsky, Cicilline, Nadler in Introducing Bill to Protect Americans From Price Gouging During COVID-19 Health Crisis
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), along with Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Congressman David N. Cicilline (RI-01), and Congressman Jerrold Nadler (NY-10), introduced the COVID-19 Price Gouging Prevention Act to protect American consumers from price gouging during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill would prohibit the sale of consumer goods and services at an unconscionably excessive price d  more

Rep. Pallone: Democrats Argue Supreme Court Should Protect Birth Control Coverage for Women Across Country Against Trump Administration Rule
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on April 9: * * * - Bicameral group of Democrats files amicus brief in Supreme Court case challenging Trump Administration rule meant to undermine birth control coverage requirement * * * Yesterday, a bicameral group of Democratic Members of Congress submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Supreme Court in support of Pennsylvania's lawsuit chall  more

Rep. Pallone: House Chairs Condemn President's Assault on IGs
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on April 10: Today, the chairs of multiple House Committees sent a letter condemning President Donald Trump's assault on Inspectors General (IGs) and requesting direct input from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency on legislative and other proposals to increase the independence of IGs and protect them from retaliation.  more

Rep. Pascrell Calls on Federal Reserve to Aid States
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 7 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) wrote to Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell calling on the Fed to begin buying up municipal debt to give state and local governments flexibility to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic. "The burdens weathered by our state, city, and local governments will be astronomical. Many are already now contemplating significant budgetary cuts, many of which will li  more

Rep. Pascrell Leads 159 Colleagues Demanding Support for First Responders
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), Co-Chair of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus and Law Enforcement Caucus, , today led 159 of his Democratic and Republican House colleagues urging the chamber's leadership to ensure strong additional support for the nation's first responders who work in one of the highest risk occupations for COVID-19 exposure in future emergency stimulus fundin  more

Rep. Pascrell Praises Murphy Leadership to Keep Open Testing Sites
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 7 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) praised New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy for his work to keep open two COVID-19 testing sites in New Jersey, located at Bergen Community College in Paramus and the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, that were slated to be closed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Following Governor Murphy's intervention, FEMA will continue administering th  more

Rep. Pascrell, Sen. Menendez Demand FDA Heed Science Over Politics
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 9 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) wrote to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn calling on his agency to be guided by science and not politics or political interference in granting approvals for therapeutics to combat COVID-19. "The FDA must maintain its global status as the gold standard for drug approval and review. It mu  more

Rep. Pascrell, Sens. Menendez, Booker Announce School Lunch Extension for Needy Children
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 9 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accepted their request to allow all New Jersey School Food Authorities to continue feeding students in the Summer Food Service Program through June 30. "The impact of this continuing crisis is especially devastating on needy families who   more

Rep. Pascrell, Sens. Menendez, Booker Lead Whole New Jersey Delegation Demanding Fair Share of Hospital Funding
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 10: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) led the entire 14-member New Jersey congressional delegation calling on the Trump administration to begin immediately allocating more support provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Garden State's frontline hospitals and health care prov  more

Rep. Payne Announces HHS Funding of Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. announced that six health care facilities in Newark and Jersey City received more than $5 million in funding from the recent CARES Act stimulus bill to help Americans through the coronavirus crisis. The facilities are Horizon Health Care and Metropolitan Family Health Network in Jersey City, Newark Community Health Center and St. James Health in Newark, Rutgers Univ  more

Rep. Payne Leads Effort to Get Emergency Ventilators to New Jersey and U.S.
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. is pushing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve an emergency ventilator design to help New Jersey and the rest of the county treat patients with COVID-19. Rep. Payne, Jr. and Rep. Collin Peterson (MN) co-wrote a letter to Stephen Hahn, FDA commissioner, to review and authorize a new device to supply hospitals and health care facilities during this glob  more

Rep. Payne Wants to Protect Dialysis Patients During Coronavirus Crisis
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. wants to keep dialysis patients, one of the most vulnerable populations to infection, from contracting coronavirus. Rep. Payne, Jr. said he wants to make sure all "reasonable and necessary measures" are taken to get preventative medical supplies, such as masks, to patients and workers at dialysis treatment centers in a letter sent to Peter Gaynor, administrator of t  more

Rep. Sherrill Backs Legislation to Provide $250 Billion to Local Communities in Coronavirus Stabilization Funds
PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, April 10 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) announced her co-sponsorship of the Coronavirus Community Relief Act to provide $250 billion in stabilization funds for local communities, cities, and towns across the United States that are struggling amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act, or the CARES Act, signed into law on March 27th, provided $150 bill  more

Rep. Sherrill Joins Effort Urging Treasury Department & SBA to Fix Issues With Paycheck Protection Program
PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, April 8 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined an effort calling on the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to take immediate steps to encourage additional lenders to issue Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans to small businesses struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The PPP--launched last Friday--is meant to distribute fully forgivable loans  more

Rep. Sires Announces COVID-19 Funding to Additional Community Health Centers Serving the 8th District
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) announced additional community health centers serving the 8th District of New Jersey also received critical CARES Act funding to combat the coronavirus from the CARES Act. * Horizon Health Center, Inc., which serves Jersey City, received $831,650 * Saint James Health, Inc., which serves Newark, will receive $546,695 "These Health Centers are essential to community efforts  more

Rep. Sires: 8th District COVID-19 Testing Sites and Information
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Bergen County Bergen New Bridge Medical Center - Drive Thru - BERGEN CO. FIRST RESPONDERS ONLY 230 East Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652 By appointment only, this testing center is for first responders and hospital employees in Bergen County. Complete the self-assessment here: https://www.newbridgehealth.org/bergen-covid19-screening/ and if you meet the qualifications, you will be scheduled for a tes  more

Rep. Sires: Coronavirus CDC Funding Update
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have announced that New Jersey will be receiving an additional $5.6 million in funding to bolster its COVID-19 response efforts. This funding will supplement an existing cooperative agreement and is third round of funding awarded to the state, whose total CDC funding amounts to $21.2 million dollars. This recent award was provided by the Coronavirus Pr  more

Rep. Sires: Information on Individual Payments in the CARES Act
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The recently passed CARES Act includes provisions to provide direct financial assistance to millions of Americans across the country. These payments, or rebates, will come from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and for those who filed a federal income tax return in 2018 or 2019, processing will be based on the payment and address information already on file. The payment for each adult is $1,200, or $2,40  more

Rep. Smith Announces $2.4M in CARES Act Emergency Funds for Lakewood Health Centers
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Two community health centers in Lakewood have been awarded an added $2.4 million in federal funds to help combat the impact of the coronavirus, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) announced. Smith said the funding--which will help pay for coronavirus expenses, including costs associated with prevention, preparedness and response to COVID-19--comes from the comprehensive, bipartisan $2 trillion stimulus bill to help   more

Rep. Smith Bill Seeks Help for Towns and Relief for Citizens Punished by So-Called 'Duplication of Benefits' Policy
WASHINGTON, April 6 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: As Jersey Shore residents, businesses and towns face a whirlwind of economic upheaval at the hands the growing coronavirus outbreak, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04) renewed his fight for victims still struggling financially from Superstorm Sandy as a result of the federal government's unfair implementation of "assistance" programs established after the 2012 superstorm. Smith's legislation, introduced Friday with  more

Rep. Smith Calls Out China's Human Rights Record, Blasts Appointment of PRC Gov't Official to UN Human Rights Body
WASHINGTON, April 6 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, released the following statement on news that that Jiang Duan, a representative of the People's Republic of China to the United Nations in Geneva, has been named to the Human Rights Council's Consultative Group. "It is both appalling and ironic, that a representativ  more

Rep. Smith Leads on NJ Delegation Letter to Keep Feds at NJ Coronavirus Test Sites
WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Vice President Mike Pence informed NJ Gov. Phil Murphy this afternoon that federal officials will remain at two testing sites in the Garden State into May, only days after the congressional delegation worked together to send a letter expressing serious concerns that the officials were intending to leave this week. On Saturday, Members of the New Jersey congressional delegation pressed the Federal Emergenc  more

Rep. Smith: Coronavirus in NJ - Lakewood Health Centers Get $2M in Federal Aid to Fight COVID-19
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Two community health centers received millions in federal funds to fight the spread of COVID-19, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-4, announced. Ocean Health Initiatives, located on Second Avenue, will receive $1.18 million and the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center, on Madison Avenue, will receive $1.28 million, Smith said. The funding was included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and. Economic Security Act,   more

Rep. Smith: Federal Coronavirus Testing Sites Extended Through May
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The federal government will continue to run and support two free coronavirus test sites in New Jersey despite original plans to turn them over to state and local authorities, said Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), who led congressional efforts to keep the sites open beyond, Friday, April 10, the date federal emergency officials had planned to leave. "I was pleased to co-lead this bipartisan effort with Rep. Josh  more

Rep. Smith: NJ Health Center's Get $25M in CARES Act Emergency Funds to Serve Residents
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Two dozen community health centers in New Jersey, including two health centers in Lakewood, have been awarded an added $25 million in federal funds to help combat the impact of the coronavirus, said Rep. Chris Smith. Smith said the funding--$25,132,155 which will help pay for coronavirus expenses, including costs associated with prevention, preparedness and response to COVID-19--comes from the comprehensi  more

Rep. Van Drew Offers Input Into Next Coronavirus Stimulus Package
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Jeff Van Drew offered his support of, and ideas for the next round of stimulus funding being discussed. The enactment of the third round of stimulus is up and running, however we are still waiting on the total rollout to be fully enacted. We still need to receive on guidance from certain agencies regarding process and application (e.g.-Social Security Disability recipients process from   more

Reps. Engel, Smith, Sens. Reed, Menendez Issue Statement on Open Skies Treaty
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in response to reports that the Trump administration intends to withdraw the U.S. from the O  more

Reps. Gottheimer, Pascrell Ask Congressional Leadership to Address New Jersey's Doctor Shortage in Upcoming Coronavirus Relief Package
NORTH JERSEY, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 10, 2020, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-9) requested that measures to increase graduate medical education slots for hospitals be included in the forthcoming coronavirus economic relief package, as New Jersey continues to rank as the second largest outbreak in the nation by total number of COVID-19 cases. Increasing graduate medical educat  more

Reps. Gottheimer, Pascrell Call for Federal Investigation and Emergency VA Support for Paramus Veterans Home COVID-19 Outbreak
PARAMUS, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-9) urged the VA Inspector General to open an immediate federal investigation into the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, New Jersey (NJVHP) facility and the conditions that have resulted in the deaths of 13 veterans and 29 residents and 17 staff testing positive for COVID-19. Gottheimer and Pascrell also urged VA Secreta  more

Reps. Gottheimer, Sherrill Lead Entire N.J. House Delegation Call for Cost-of-Living Adjustments to Future Coronavirus Stimulus Funds
GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 10, 2020, U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) led all of New Jersey's House delegation to urge Congressional leadership, as further negotiations for coronavirus relief packages take place, to make regional cost-of-living adjustments to stimulus funds to Americans and businesses. Cost-of-living adjustments were not included in the initial wave of d  more

Reps. Pallone, Schakowsky, Cicilline, Nadler Introduce Bill to Protect Americans From Price Gouging During COVID-19 Health Crisis
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Commerce Chair Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Commercial and Administrative Law Chairman David N. Cicilline (D-RI), Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the COVI  more

Reps. Pallone, Smith, Thompson Urge President Trump to Coordinate Production and Acquisition of COVID-19 Response Supplies
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) sent a letter to President Donald J. Trump to express their concern about the lack of a clear, coordinated strategy to produce and acquire the med  more

Reps. Sherrill, Gottheimer, Malinowski Announce Additional $1.7 Million in Funding for Zufall Health Center From the CARES Act
PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, April 10 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Tom Malinowski (NJ-07) to announce that Zufall Health Center will receive an additional $1.7 million in federal funding to support their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administra  more

Reps. Sires, Payne, Jr. Announce CARES Act Funding to Local Community Health Centers
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Albio Sires (D-NJ) and Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ) announced that HHS has awarded two Community Health Centers (CHCs) that serve North Jersey residents with much needed funding to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Newark Community Health Centers, Inc. was awarded $1,608,965 and North Hudson Community Action Corporation received $2,547,890. This funding was provided through the Coronavi  more

Reps. Smith, Engel, Sens. Reed, Menendez Issue Joint Statement on Open Skies Treaty
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following joint statement with Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in response to reports that the Trump administration intends to withdraw the U.S. from the O  more

Sen. Booker, Colleagues Urge Senate Leaders for Full USPS Funding in Fourth Relief Package
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 7: * * * - Without additional resources, U.S. Postal Service may have to reduce services as early as June, lawmakers warn * * * U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led more than a dozen of his colleagues in urging Senate leaders to provide full funding for the U.S. Postal Service in the next COVID-19 relief package. Without such funding, the lawmakers warned, the USPS "may have to reduce or limit it  more

Sen. Booker, Graham, Quigley, McCaul Urge International Organizations to Shut Down Live Wildlife Markets, Ban International Wildlife Trade
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - 'Wet' markets linked to deadly diseases, including SARS, and suspected to be COVID-19 source * * * U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Congressmen Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Michael McCaul (R-TX), led more than 60 of their Senate and House colleagues in urging leading international health and wildlife organi  more

Sen. Booker, Menendez, Pascrell Lead Whole New Jersey Delegation Demanding Fair Share of Hospital Funding
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 11 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 10: U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) led the entire 14-member New Jersey congressional delegation calling on the Trump administration to begin immediately allocating more support provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for the Garden State's frontline hospitals and health care providers.  more

Sen. Booker: Lawmakers Urge HHS to Address Racial Disparities in Access to Testing, Treatment During Coronavirus Pandemic
WASHINGTON, April 11 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: United States Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) along with Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), and Congresswoman Robin Kelly (D-Ill.), chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, sent a letter urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to collect racial and ethnic demographic data on testing and treatment for  more

Sen. Menendez Blasts Appointment of Marshall Billingslea as Special Envoy for Arms Control
NEWARK, Ohio, April 11 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement after President Trump announced he will name Marshall Billingslea as a special envoy for arms control, a position to lead arms control negotiations with the Russia and China; The Senate-confirmed positions that would normally lead arms control negotiations, the Under-Secretary for Arms Control and International Security (T) and the Assist  more

Sen. Menendez Calls for Clear Guidance to Help Cash-Strapped Small Businesses, Lenders Access $349B in COVID-19 Aid
WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - SBA began accepting applications Friday for forgivable Paycheck Protection Program loans, but lack of clear guidance is delaying delivery of financial assistance * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, urged U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza to immediately provide lenders and borrowers as  more

Sen. Menendez Calls for U.S. Leadership at U.N. to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, April 6 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on April 6: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to UN Ambassador Kelly Craft, urging her to take a leadership role at the UN Security Council to pass a resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations' Security Council has not yet held any meetings about the crisis,  more

Sen. Menendez Calls for U.S. Leadership at United Nations to Respond to COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, April 7 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 6: Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, sent a letter to UN Ambassador Kelly Craft, urging her to take a leadership role at the UN Security Council to pass a resolution on the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations' Security Council has not yet held any meetings about the crisis, contrasting its current inaction with its robust response during   more

Sen. Menendez Calls on Facebook to Halt Spread of Coronavirus Misinformation on WhatsApp
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Dangerous, false information about the coronavirus reportedly circulating among two billion WhatsApp users worldwide * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J) called on WhatsApp parent company Facebook to stop the spread of misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic on the instant messaging app. The letter sent by Sens. Menendez, Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Kamala Har  more

Sen. Menendez Calls on OSHA to Provide, Enforce Safety Standards for All Essential Businesses, Workers Amid Covid-19 Pandemic
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 10 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) called on the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupation Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to utilize its emergency enforcement mechanism to require employers to develop and implement comprehensive plans to keep all essential workers who continue to perform their jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic safe. The senator joined colleagues Richard Blumenthal   more

Sen. Menendez Joins Bipartisan Call for Action to Stave Off Housing Finance System Crisis Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Failure to address liquidity challenges faced by mortgage servicers could have broad, long-term effects on the economy * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, along with Senators Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) called for the Financial Stability Oversi  more

Sen. Menendez Leads N.J. Delegation's Call for Trump to Approve State's Request to Fund Quarantine Housing for COVID-19 Patients
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 10 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) led the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in urging the Trump Administration to approve the state's request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund an individualized housing program the state is seeking to create to provide quarantined sheltering for COVID-19 patients and frontline healt  more

Sen. Menendez Leads NJ Delegation Push for Trump Admin to Swiftly Disburse COVID-19 Higher Ed Funds
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 10 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) led the New Jersey congressional delegation's call for the U.S. Department of Education to expedite delivery of emergency COVID-19 funding for eligible colleges and universities that continue to suffer tremendous losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, reported that it stands to lose $200 million "from fewer clinical   more

Sen. Menendez Will Introduce Bill to Create New $75B Housing Assistance Fund to Keep NJ Families in Their Homes
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 11 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee and ranking member of the subcommittee on housing, said that he will introduce legislation to protect families from a potential housing, foreclosure and eviction crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and economic fallout with the creation of a new $75 billion Housing Assistance Fund to assist households struggling to m  more

Sen. Menendez, Booker Announce Additional $30M to Support Community Health Centers Battling COVID-19 Outbreak
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Funding comes from COVID-19 stimulus package * * * U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Cory Booker announced a combined $30,746,886 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support New Jersey's 24 Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) in their efforts to combat the COVID-19 outbre  more

Sen. Menendez, Booker Colleagues Question Amazon on Abrupt Employee Termination, Workplace Safety
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 8: * * * - Last week Amazon abruptly fired employee after he organized a protest against the company * * * U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.), along with Senators Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), pressed Amazon on the treatment and safety of its front-line warehouse workers, and repeated their call for the te  more

Sen. Menendez, Booker Urge Trump Administration to Provide COVID-19 Safety Guidelines, Protective Gear for Transit Workers
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate's mass transit subcommittee, and Cory Booker (both-D-N.J.) urged the Trump Administration to ensure that transit agencies can acquire personal protective equipment for their frontline workers during the COVID-19 outbreak. "In the brief time since Congress passed this historic funding, we have already seen the tragic death of frontli  more

Sen. Menendez, Booker, Pascrell Announce School Lunch Extension for Needy Children
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) accepted their request to allow all New Jersey School Food Authorities to continue feeding students in the Summer Food Service Program through June 30. "The impact of this continuing crisis is especially devastating on needy families who rely  more

Sen. Menendez, Booker, Pascrell Lead NJ Delegation Demanding Fair Share of Hospital Funding
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 11 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 10: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) led the entire 14-member New Jersey congressional delegation calling on the Trump administration to begin immediately allocating more support provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic S  more

Sen. Menendez, Casey, Cardin, Carper, Brown, Stabenow, Bennett Urge Trump Administration to Get Emergency Funding to Hospitals ASAP
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Senators also again urge Admin to reopen ACA enrollment to help reduce burden of uncompensated care * * * U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), and Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Tom Carper (D-Md.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Michael Bennett (D-Colo.) urged the Trump Administration to immediately distribute critical funding from the $100 billion desi  more

Sen. Menendez, Colleagues Call on Use of Payroll Processors to Accelerate, Simplify Disbursement of CARES Act Small Business Loans
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 10 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, along with Senators Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) called on the Treasury Department and the Small Business Administration to allow payroll processing companies to disburse the CARES Act small businesses loans to reduce complications and expedite salaries to workers. "Payroll proces  more

Sen. Menendez, Pascrell Call on FDA to Stop Promoting Unproven COVID-19 Treatments That Could Endanger Patients
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) called on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to grant approvals for therapeutics to combat COVID-19 based on science, not politics or political interference. The FDA recently granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) to two products, hydroxycholoroquine and CYNK-001, without sufficient scientific evidence of its validity. Both   more

Sen. Menendez, Reed, Reps. Engel, Smith Issue Statement on Open Skies Treaty
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following joint statement with Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Rep. Eliot L. Engel, D-New York, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Adam Smith, D-Washington, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, in response to reports that the Trump administration intends to withdraw the U.S.  more

Sen. Menendez, Rep. Pascrell Lead NJ Delegation's Call for Trump to Approve State's Request to Fund Quarantine Housing
PATERSON, New Jersey, April 10 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) today led the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in urging the Trump Administration to approve the state's request for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to fund an individualized housing program the state is seeking to create to provide quarantined sheltering for COVID-19 patients and frontli  more

Sens. Booker, Brown, Colleagues Question Amazon on Abrupt Employee Termination, Workplace Safety
WASHINGTON, April 10 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 9: * * * - Last week Amazon abruptly fired employee after he organized a protest against the company * * * U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), pressed Amazon on the treatment and safety of its front-line warehouse workers, and repeated their call for the tech giant to tempor  more

Sens. Booker, Feinstein Introduce Bill to Help State, Local Prisons Test, Treat COVID-19
WASHINGTON, April 9 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Bill would incentivize states to reduce their prison populations amid Coronavirus pandemic * * * U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dianne Feinstein, members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced that they will introduce the COVID-19 Correctional Facility Emergency Response Act, which would allocate funds to state and local governments to provide testing and treatment for COVID-19 to in  more

Sens. Menendez, Booker Announce $26M in Federal Disaster Funding to Aid NJ COVID-19 Response
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) announced the awarding of $26,135,661.28 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) public assistance grants to the New Jersey State Police to aid first responders on the front lines of the COVID-19 fight. The $2 trillion federal emergency stimulus package included a $45 billion FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to help states, like New Jersey  more

Sens. Menendez, Booker Call for Support for Local Journalism Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 9 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) called for funding to support local journalism and media in any future COVID-19 relief package. In a letter to Senate leadership, the senators warn that the widespread impact of the COVID-19 pandemic--including plummeting advertising revenue--could decimate regional and local news outlets even as communities have become increasingly relia  more

Sens. Menendez, Booker Call on Trump Admin. to Issue Unemployment Insurance ASAP
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 10 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker pressed the Trump Administration to take additional actions to ensure workers receive unemployment insurance as quickly as possible. Over the past three weeks, nearly 577,000 New Jerseyans have filed for unemployment. 215,000 of those claims were filed last week alone. "Over 6.6 million Americans filed an unemployment claim in the last week of March.  more

Sens. Menendez, Booker Call on Trump Admin. to Issue Unemployment Insurance ASAP
NEWARK, New Jersey, April 11 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker pressed the Trump Administration to take additional actions to ensure workers receive unemployment insurance as quickly as possible. Over the past three weeks, nearly 577,000 New Jerseyans have filed for unemployment. 215,000 of those claims were filed last week alone. "Over 6.6 million Americans filed an unemployment claim in the last week of March.  more

Sens. Menendez, Booker Urge Trump Admin to Provide Americans Experiencing Homelessness With COVID-19 Relief Payments
WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: * * * - Not having a fixed address or bank account should not preclude Americans from getting stimulus check * * * U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J) urged the Trump Administration to consider the steep barriers people experiencing homelessness will confront when trying to access the direct stimulus payments provided by the bipartisan CARES Act. In a letter to U.S. Treasury Secr  more

Sens. Risch, Menendez, Gardner, Markey Comment on Chinese Coast Guard's Sinking of Vietnamese Fishing Boat in South China Sea
BOISE, Idaho, April 10 -- Sens. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, chairman and ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statements with Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colorado, and Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, chairman and ranking member of the Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cybersecurity Policy, in response to reports of the Chinese Coast Guard sinking a Vietnamese fishing boat near the Paracel Islands and the deployment of mil  more

Working Closely With Mayors, Council, Community Groups, Rep. Gottheimer Helps Secure Safety Signage, Lower Speed Limits Along I-80 S-Curve
NEWTON, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On Friday, April 10, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) commended the installation of new speed limit signs and warning signs on the three-quarter-mile S-Curve stretch on I-80 in Knowlton. Gottheimer has worked closely with local elected officials, community groups to communicate with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) Commissioner Diane Guttierrez-Scaccetti about t  more