WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on April 16: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Environment and Climate Change Subcommittee Chairman Paul Tonko (D-NY) issued the following statement today after the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it is not "appropriate and necessary" to r  more

WASHINGTON, April 12 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-321R) is entitled "Border Security: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Management of a Temporary Facility in Texas Raised Concerns about Resources Used". The report was sent to Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, D-Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-California, ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisconsin, Sen. Michael F. Benn  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-291) is entitled "Telecommunications and Call Centers: Observations on Federal Contracting Practices". The report was sent to Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro, D-Connecticut, chairwoman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies, Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wisconsin, chairman of the House Appropriations subcommittee on the Legislative Branch, Rep. Mark DeSaulni  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- The Government Accountability Office has issued a report (GAO-20-378) is entitled "Preventing Drug Diversion: Disposal of Controlled Substances in Home Hospice Settings". The report was sent to Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, chairman, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, chairman, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Rep. Frank  more

GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, April 13 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 11, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced that $40 million in federal bipartisan CARES Act rescue and relief resources will head to higher education institutions in the Fifth District to: 1) help cover the significant financial losses many schools have suffered, and 2) to distribute emergency cash grants to help students pay for housing, food, and other basic esse  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17: On April 17, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) requested continued coordination, action, and resources from the State of New Jersey, FEMA, and the federal government to address COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care facilities in North Jersey and to protect facilities' residents and staff. Gottheimer has been in regular touch with New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) Commissi  more

GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, April 13 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: This week, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) held video and conference calls with Fifth District Mayors, State and county elected officials, faith leaders, small businesses, first responders, CPAs, lawyers, and farmers and outlined his efforts in helping the Fifth District community combat the coronavirus and its impact on the region. "Everyone across the Fifth District and our natio  more

GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, April 16 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: On April 15, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) led a bipartisan group of New Jersey's Congressional delegation to request that the U.S. Public Health Service deploy men and women to assist with critical staffing needs at long-term care facilities in New Jersey to help stop the spread of COVID-19. More than three-quarters of all long-term care facilities in New Jersey have confir  more

GLEN ROCK, New Jersey, April 11 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Abigail Spanberger (VA-07), and Mike Gallagher (WI-08) this week led a bipartisan effort urging the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of the Treasury to improve flexibility and cut red tape for American small businesses seeking federal assistance and loan forgiveness through the SBA's Paycheck Protection Program (PP  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: New Jersey Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Chris Smith (NJ-4), along with New York Representatives Tom Suozzi (NY-3), Peter King (NY-2), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), and Tom Reed (NY-23), are leading a bipartisan request from the entirety of both New York and New Jersey's House delegations to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. The delegations are unanimously requesting the c  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The entire New Jersey House delegation, Democrats and Republicans, has requested that a portion of the discretionary federal CARES Act resources given to New Jersey be directed to Warren, Sussex, Hunterdon, and Salem Counties, to help fill the gap left by one program -- the Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) and Emergency Solutions Grants (ESG). Residents, businesses, hospitals, nonprofits, and  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) held a virtual question and answer session with members of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey where he called for immediate action to fix systems run by the Department of Treasury and Small Business Administration to help small business owners, and ensure those programs, once fixed, are fully funded. "The concerns I heard today by small business owners echo   more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) called for Congressional action to ensure the financial security of the United States Postal Service, which has been hit hard during the Coronavirus pandemic. "The work of the Postal Service is fundamental to our country and weakening their operations weakens our nation," said Congressman Kim. "The Postal Service, and the hundreds of thousands of hard-working people it employs,   more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) led a bipartisan call to Congressional leadership to lower prescription drug costs for TRICARE beneficiaries by eliminating copays on mail order prescription drugs through the next Coronavirus relief package. "I've heard from a number of veterans throughout Burlington and Ocean County who now have an added cost of getting their prescription drugs in the mail. These veterans shou  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: In a letter led by Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03), 49 members of Congress joined to call on Secretary of the Treasury, Steve Mnuchin and Small Business Administration Administrator, Jovita Carranza to make it easier for small businesses to access critical help through the CARES Act by issuing clear guidelines and procedures on how to apply for and get assistance. "I've heard the deep concerns of small busines  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Andy Kim, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 14: Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) reiterated his calls for robust investment in New Jersey's infrastructure as a critical part of any economic recovery plan following the Coronavirus pandemic, citing today's released study by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association stating that Burlington and Ocean Counties have dozens of structurally deficient bridges in need of repair. "Investing in  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 17 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Malinowski announced the launch of his "Say Thank You to Our Local Heroes" initiative. While we all continue to practice social distancing, doctors, nurses, first responders, grocery store workers, sanitation workers, public service workers, and so many others who are deemed essential are continuing to go to work each day to keep our communities running. NJ-7 residents of   more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 15 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 14: Representative Tom Malinowski introduced a House resolution affirming that when someone is the president of the United States, their authority is not total; a reminder that in our constitutional republic, every public official's powers are limited by law, and powers not explicitly mentioned in the Constitution are reserved to the states. Representatives Dean Phillips (MN-3) an  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 14 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced they will release over $1 billion dollars in Coronavirus relief aid to Amtrak. This funding is part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, the $2 trillion emergency stimulus package Congress passed in March. Of the total funding $492 million will go directly to the North East Corridor which runs through New J  more

CHERRY HILL, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17: U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that Rutgers University-Camden will receive $188,253 in federal funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) for a project titled "RAPID: Factors Contributing To Sequence Conservation in the SARS-CoV-2 Genome." This research will investigate the biology of COVID-19 and its interactions with the human host to stem the   more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement on April 14 in response to the Environmental Protection Agency's announcement that it will not strengthen the particulate matter national air quality standard: "In the face of overwhelming scientific evidence that fine particle pollution leads to illness and death, Administrator Wheeler's refusal to strengthen the PM2.5 air quality standard comes as a  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement in response to reports of personnel and potential policy changes in the Office of Refugee Resettlement: "While the world has been absorbed with responding to the ongoing global pandemic, the Trump Administration has been quietly taking actions to weaponize ORR for immigration enforcement purposes. ORR plays a critical role in caring for and protecting  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release on April 15: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) wrote to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma today urging the agency to immediately release demographic data on the health outcomes of COVID-19 based on race, ethnicity and gender. According to currently available data, individuals from raci  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Top Democrats are concerned that ideologically motivated restrictions on federally funded research may block vaccine and treatment efforts for the 2019 novel coronavirus House Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), House Oversight and Reform Chairwoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HE  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: After another staggering and unprecedented spike in claims for unemployment benefits, House and Senate Democratic health leaders reiterated an urgent request for the Trump Administration to immediately establish a new Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for millions affected by the ongoing economic and health crisis. The Democratic health leaders also  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) wrote a second letter 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. Despite wrestling with one of the worst outbreaks in the nation, large counties like Bergen County are ineligible to apply for municipal debt relief in new  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 16 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 15: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced a $157,000 supplemental Airport Improvement Fund grant to Teterboro Airport. The funding was made available in the CARES "Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security" Act, as part of a $10 Billion fund of which $160 Million of which will go to New Jersey airports, that Pascrell supported in the House of Representatives last mo  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 17 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $107,443 to Saint Joseph's Hospital and $146,917 to the City of Paterson to help the community combat HIV/AIDS amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The grant will aid low-income individuals and families by enhancing access to care and providing direct financial assistance to ar  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 15 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) reacted to the passing of Dominick Marino, the president of the Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey and a retired North Hudson firefighter. "I am floored and devastated by the passing of Dominick Marino. Don was a champion for New Jersey's firefighters and he was also a good friend of mine. "We worked hand-in-hand together on getting  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) mourned the passing of former Paterson Deputy Mayor, Paterson Housing Authority Director, and current Passaic Valley Water Commission member Ed Cotton. "Ed Cotton was a jewel in Paterson's crown," said Rep. Pascrell, a former Paterson mayor. "I had the good fortune and the honor of working with Eddie. As my Deputy Mayor, he served diligently, he serv  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. announced that Newark Liberty International Airport would receive almost $148 million from the recent CARES Act stimulus package to help Americans during the coronavirus crisis. Overall, the Federal Aviation Administration awarded 24 New Jersey airports roughly $161 million in funding. "I was delighted to hear that Newark Liberty and other New Jersey airports wou  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter to the leadership of the House of Representatives to include dialysis patient and provider relief in the upcoming coronavirus relief package. In the letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Rep. Payne, Jr. said that adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for the safety of patients and th  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. has found a way to get New Jersey the ventilators it needs to save lives. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a new emergency ventilator design to help the state and the rest of the county treat patients with COVID-19. The move comes one week after Rep. Payne, Jr. and Rep. Collin Peterson (MN) co-wrote a letter to Stephen Hahn, FDA commissioner, o  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. wants an update on whether FEMA has the workforce to handle other natural disasters as well as a potential long-term coronavirus threat. Rep. Payne, Jr. wrote a letter to Peter Gaynor, administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to ask about current FEMA staff and how many reservists could be called up in case there are other events that requi  more

PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, April 15 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with Senator Anthony M. Bucco (LD-25) and Senator Richard J. Codey (LD-27) to urge Governor Phil Murphy to provide direct relief to Morris County as his administration decides how to allocate CARES Act funding across the state. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, signed into law by the President on March 27th, include  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Albio Sires (NJ-8), U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-.N.J.), along with Congressmen Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10) and Tom Malinowski (N.J.-11), members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced that New Jersey airports, hard hit by the public health and economic crisis, will receive a total of more than $160 million in federal funding from the   more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Many people have lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which could also mean a loss of health insurance coverage. As the coronavirus continues to spread in New Jersey and throughout the country, it is absolutely essential that individuals have access to the coverage they need to protect themselves and their family. The good news is that if you have lost your job, there are options. The type of cov  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Albio Sires, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: The Treasury has begun disbursing individual economic impact payments. The payments will be automatically deposited into your account if the IRS has your banking information on file. Please check your accounts. Paper checks will begin later. To check the status of your payment or provide your bank account information, visit: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/get-my-payment?mod=article_inline The recently p  more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17: Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ), joined by Congressman Ron Wright (R-TX), introduced legislation to allow U.S. citizens and local governments to sue the government of China and hold it accountable for the deaths, pain and suffering--as well as the economic crisis--resulting from its intentional misrepresentations to the World Health Organization (WHO) which enabled the coronavirus to spread   more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following op-ed on coronavirus pandemic, published in the Washington Times: Seventy-two years ago, this week--on April 7, 1948--the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded to organize global responses to infectious disease pandemics that respect no national boundaries. Its effectiveness depends heavily on the good will of its member states, and the competence and trustworthiness of its leadership. The coronavirus pandemic   more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: An ongoing donation drive headed by the New Jersey State Troopers union and the Health Care Professionals and Allied Employees (HPAE; representing registered nurses and other health care workers) got a major boost this week receiving thousands of Personal Protection Equipment (gloves and suits ) steered their way by local congressman, Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04). The PPEs were donated by Ansell, an internat  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: As part of their effort to amend the critical COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program and both labor and business member organizations to tap into the loan program and sustain staff during the economic crisis, Reps. Chris Smith and Donald Norcross have sent a bipartisan letter cosigned by the entire NJ Congressional Delegation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Leader Mitch McConnell, and Leader  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: More than $24 million has been approved for institutions of higher learning and career institutes in the Monmouth, Ocean and Mercer areas of Rep. Chris Smith's Fourth Congressional District to help these schools and their students overcome the costs and the impact of the coronavirus, said Smith today. The $24 million on its way to educational facilities in or bordering Smith's district is part of a broad  more

FREEHOLD, New Jersey, April 13 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Hong Kong human rights advocates who have worked with Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04) on protecting Hong Kong freedom from Chinese government oppression have donated 4,000 high-quality surgical masks to CentraState Medical Center. Anna Cheung, founder of New Yorkers Supporting Hong Kong (NY4HK) and the non-government organization Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC) in Washington helped organize   more

WASHINGTON, April 13 -- Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, issued the following news release: In a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar and the NIH's (NIH) National Institute for Allergies and Infectious Disease Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, Rep. Chris Smith thanked Azar and Fauci for their tireless work on COVID-19 while expressing his concerns that chronic suffers of Lyme could be particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. "As you know, my home state of New Jersey has been r  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-New York, issued the following news release: On Friday, New York Members Congressman Tom Suozzi (NY-03), Congressman Peter King (NY-02), Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) and Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23) and New Jersey Members Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), and Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), sent a bipartisan letter with 100% of each state's delegations to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. The delegations unanimously   more

MAYS LANDING, New Jersey, April 14 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on April 13 offering his office's assistance to help keep out-of-area homeowners away during the COVID-19 pandemic and the severe weather that South Jersey has experienced: "I am offering the assistance of my office in taking external photographs of potential property damage after today's storms; we can help, but please stay away for now from the area. "With the hidden scourge of COVID-  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Rep. Jefferson Van Drew, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Congressman Van Drew requested a state of emergency declaration in response to severe weather in South Jersey. Storms and winds battered down areas already struggling with resource allocation during the COVID-19 crisis. A state of emergency must be declared for the areas impacted to have access to funds. "Over the last few hours, storms and powerful winds have damaged huge areas of South Jersey,  more

EWING, New Jersey, April 17 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, led the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation to request that the next relief package provide funding based on state population and Coronavirus impact. While New Jersey has the second highest number of cases in the U.S., the state received the second-lowest amount of federal support per  more

EWING, New Jersey, April 12 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following statement on the passing of Ruth B. Mandel, a strong and passionate voice for women in elected office: "When we count the leaders who helped bring us to a place where it's not outlandish for a woman to be elected as a mayor, a congresswoman, a governor or any other office, Ruth will be listed among them, both in New Jersey and nationwide. "Her life's story is one of overcoming -- escaping the Holocaus  more

EWING, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 16: In a letter sent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) insisted that further COVID-19 relief packages expand the definition of essential workers to include warehouse, sanitation, transportation, nursing home, and other workers outside of the medical setting whose labor keeps the country running. The letter  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Tom Malinowski announced that St. Luke's University Health Network, which covers Warren County, has received $38 million in federal resources from the CARES Act. This is the first tranche of $30 billion in federal investment distributed to hospitals through the bipartisan CARES Act, which included $100 billion to support hospitals and health care providers on the fr  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 15: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-9) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) applauded the news that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is prepared to send 90 nurses to support Garden State veterans' facilities -- including the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, as the residence continues to face a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 that has claimed the lives of at least 24 veterans. The VA's move   more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) reacted positively to the announcement by Governor Murphy that the U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) is sending 90 nurses to Garden State veterans' facilities, including the New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus as the residence continues to face a deadly outbreak of COVID-19 that has claimed the lives of at least 24 veterans. The VA  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representatives Tom Malinowski (NJ-7) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-3) introduced the Providing Protective Equipment (PPE) Act of 2020 to ensure that the United States has a properly stocked and maintained Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) to combat future health crises. The current COVID-19 crisis has shed light on the life threatening inadequacies of our current strategic national stockpile; in  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 16 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representatives Tom Malinowski (NJ-7), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1), Seth Moulton (MA-6) and Don Bacon (NE-02) led a bipartisan letter to the Acting Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) urging the agency to take stronger measures to ensure that frontline transit workers are protected amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Over 140 members of Congress signed on in support of the lett  more

SOMERVILLE, New Jersey, April 15 -- Rep. Tomaz Malinowski, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Representatives Tom Malinowski and Josh Gottheimer announced that St. Luke's University Health Network, which covers Warren County, has received $38 million in federal resources from the CARES Act. This is the first tranche of $30 billion in federal investment distributed to hospitals through the bipartisan CARES Act, which included $100 billion to support hospitals and health care provid  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Donald W. Norcross, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Congressmen Donald Norcross (D-NJ-01) and Chris Smith (R-NJ-04) led a bipartisan letter cosigned by the entire NJ Congressional Delegation to Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Leader Kevin McCarthy, Leader Mitch McConnell and Leader Chuck Schumer as part of their effort to amend the critical COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program to include both labor and business member organizations, allowing them to tap   more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following news release: Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO) wrote to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar expressing their escalating concerns with the Trump Administration's commitment to the independence of the agency's Office of Inspector General (OIG). The two C  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 15 -- 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 Law Enforcement Caucus and Fire Services Caucus, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), and Rep. Max Rose (D-NY-11) introduced the Public Safety Officer Pandemic Response Act of 2020. This legislation would expand an existing federal program to ensure that public safety officers who contract COVID-1  more

PATERSON, New Jersey, April 18 -- Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 17: U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Katie Porter (D-CA-45), a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, hammered Ticketmaster for refusing to issue refunds to Americans for events that have been postponed indefinitely by the COVID-19 pandemic. In a letter to Ticketmaster President Amy Howe and Live Nation President Rapino, the two members call on Ticketmast  more

PARSIPPANY, New Jersey, April 17 -- Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release on April 16: Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) joined with Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09), leading a letter from Members of Congress urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to establish an official coding or labeling system for the prioritization of COVID-19 tests. A standard system for health care providers and testing centers   more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Cory Booker has signed on as a co-sponsor of the bicameral Equitable Data Collection and Disclosure on COVID-19 Act introduced by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA). The legislation is co-sponsored by Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and 14 of their Senate colleagues. In the House, the legislation is being introduced by Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following joint op-ed with Sen. Bob Menendez on coronavirus, published on the APP.com and NorthJersey.com: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker penned an op-ed published on APP.com and NorthJersey.com calling on Amazon to do more to protect its workers after several employees at its facilities in New Jersey and across the country have tested positive for COVID-19. "There is a clear disconnect between what Amazon s  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led members of New Jersey's Congressional Delegation in urging Congressional leadership to incorporate provisions in future COVID-19 legislation that will bolster the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and protect those facing food insecurity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. SNAP is the largest federal nutrition assistance program and will serve a crit  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) unveiled new legislation, called the Federal Immigrant Release for Safety and Security Together (FIRST) Act, that would move immigrants out of detention and halt immigration enforcement against individuals not deemed a significant public safety risk during this coronavirus public health emergency and future health emergencies. The bill c  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) led more than 30 of their congressional colleagues in blasting the Trump Administration for continuing to garnish wages of millions of struggling student loan borrowers, despite a new law passed by Congress last month that prohibits such wage seizures during the coronavirus public health emergency. The protective measure was include  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following joint op-ed with Sen. Cory Booker on coronavirus, published on the APP.com and NorthJersey.com: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker penned an op-ed published on APP.com and NorthJersey.com calling on Amazon to do more to protect its workers after several employees at its facilities in New Jersey and across the country have tested positive for COVID-19. "There is a clear disconnect between what Amazo  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-.N.J.), along with Congressmen Albio Sires (N.J.-08), Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10) and Tom Malinowski (N.J.-11), members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, announced that New Jersey airports, hard hit by the public health and economic crisis, will receive a total of more than $160 million in federal funding from the COVID  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, joined 11 fellow committee members in calling on the Trump administration to distribute the remaining critical COVID-19 aid to health care providers in an equitable and transparent way. In the letter, sent to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar, the senators also noted t  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) called on the Trump Administration to provide greater federal support to commercial labs that stepped in to develop and expand COVID-19 testing to aid the efforts of overwhelmed public health departments. But many labs are facing financial strain due to both the high costs of COVID-19 testing and falling revenues associated  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 16 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and Congressman Albio Sires (N.J.-08) joined a bicameral and bipartisan group of lawmakers in calling on the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to waive restrictions that prevent doctors on certain employment-based visas from providing medical care at locations or in specialties other than those specifically approved for their immigration status. Withou  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senator Bob Menendez and U.S. Representatives Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11) and Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) led a letter urging the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to establish an official coding or labeling system for the prioritization of COVID-19 tests. A standard system for health care providers and testing centers to label samples sent to commercial laboratories would ensure l  more

WASHINGTON, April 15 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on April 15: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) today raised their growing concerns with the Trump Adminis  more

WASHINGTON, April 16 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed (D-R.I.), House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), and House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) raised their growing concerns with the Trump Administration's failure to reach a new burden-sharing deal with South Korea. In a letter   more

WASHINGTON, April 18 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) urged more than a dozen bank CEOs to temporarily ban charging customers burdensome bank overdraft fees during the coronavirus emergency. Banks charge such fees to consumers when they make a purchase or pay a bill but don't have sufficient funds in their account; typically the charge is $35. Such fees fall disproportionately on those who are least a  more

WASHINGTON, April 17 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Steve Daines (R-MT) unveiled an ambitious new $50 billion proposal to provide greater relief to small businesses left out of the Paycheck Protection Program, and urged Senate Leaders to include the bipartisan proposal in the next COVID-19 stimulus package. In a letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Senators outlin  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Sen. Cory Booker, 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, w  more

NEWARK, New Jerse, April 15 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez announced the awarding of $323,080,779 from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), with half being promptly released to support New Jersey's students and institutions of higher education that are suffering tremendous losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal funding comes from the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) A  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, announced a combined $30,108,526 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 outbreak. The COVID-19 federal stimulus package, signed into law last   more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 14 -- Sen. Cory Booker, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez joined a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide relief for local farmers who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators urged the USDA to ensure that a portion of the $9.5 billion they secured in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, goes to local farmers who  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 15 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $1,232,698 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to boost the New Jersey Hospital Association's (NJHA) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP), to help hospitals throughout the state combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The senators fought to secure this funding in the emergency coronavirus spending package that was sign  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $2,712,652 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support communities throughout New Jersey in their mission to provide care and treatment to individuals living with HIV/AIDS. The pair of senators helped secure increased  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 13 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $323,080,779 from the U.S. Department of Education (ED), with half being promptly released to support New Jersey's students and institutions of higher education that are suffering tremendous losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The federal funding comes from the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CAR  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 16 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $68,864,994 from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to the state of New Jersey through the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund to support New Jersey's K-12 school districts and institutions of higher education hardest hit by COVID-19. There is considerable flexibility in how this funding can be used to fill u  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 18 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker announced the awarding of $21,347,074.20 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) grants to the New Jersey State Police to aid first responders combatting the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding is in addition to the $26 million in PA grants that the senators announced last week. The $2 trillion federal emergency stimulus pack  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 16 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker joined a group of 38 senators to call on President Trump him to automatically extend work authorizations for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) recipients and other impacted immigrants. More than 200,000 DACA recipients are working in occupational areas the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) identifi  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker joined a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide relief for local farmers who are struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The senators urged the USDA to ensure that a portion of the $9.5 billion they secured in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, goes to local farmers  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 18 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker joined 36 of their Senate colleagues in pressing congressional leaders to make sure that any future coronavirus relief legislation includes strong measures to secure health care coverage for Americans in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. More than 700,000 New Jerseyans have filed unemployment claims due to COVID-19. The senators urged Senate and Hou  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Cory Booker pressed the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) to ensure every worker Congress intended to be covered by the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program receive the benefits they deserve. "[P]arts of the [DOL] guidance appear narrow or ambiguous, which could make states think they need to exclude workers who  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) joined a bipartisan group of 38 colleagues requesting that any future legislation to address COVID-19 includes support for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The senators express concern that service providers are reporting that abusers are using COVID-19 to isolate their victims, withhold financial resources,  more

NEWARK, New Jersey, April 17 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker along with members of the state's congressional delegation urged Congressional leadership to incorporate provisions in future COVID-19 legislation that will bolster the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and protect those facing food insecurity as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. SNAP is the largest federal nutrition assistance prog  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Sen. Bob Menendez, D-New Jersey, ranking Democratic member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following news release on April 13: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in announcing a Senate Resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. Eighty years after 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians w  more

WASHINGTON, April 14 -- Sen. Robert Menendez, D-New Jersey, issued the following news release: U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were joined by Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) in announcing a Senate Resolution commemorating the 80th Anniversary of the Katyn Massacre. Eighty years after 22,000 Polish soldiers and civilians were executed by Soviet forces, the bipartisan resolution honors their lives and  more