{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where party = \"Democrat\", state = \"NJ\" and year = 2018 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-constituent-services-secures-more-250000-6th-district-constituents-2018", "Pallone Constituent Services Secures more than $250,000 for 6th District Constituents in 2018", "2018-12-31", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "LONG BRANCH, NJ Today,Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06)announced that his office helped secure a total of $254,252 for his constituents seeking assistance through his district office in 2018. His work on behalf of constituents includes help with Veterans Affairs claims, tax return issues with the Internal Revenue Service, Sandyrelated FEMA grants and claims, SBA loans, Social Security payments, and more. Over the last year, Congressman Pallone's constituent outreach representatives have made it possible for constituents to cut through red tape in order to receive money that is rightfully owed to them.\nI want all of my constituents to know that we're here to help,said Congressman Pallone. Whether my constituents need assistance navigating the federal bureaucracy or are concerned about a federal policy, I encourage them to stay in touch and hope that they continue to use my office as a resource.\nConstituents who have questions about a federal agency, or need assistance with matters ranging from Social Security benefits, federal pensions, Medicare eligibility, to passport or immigration issues should contact the Congressman for assistance. Additionally, veterans can receive help with a range of programs such as military records and awards, GI Bill benefits and VA disability claims. Staff can also be helpful in locating low-income housing options, energy assistance and various other benefits or resources.\nFor help on any of these services or other issues, constituents should not hesitate to contact either of Congressman Pallone's district offices:\nNew Brunswick Office-67/69 Church Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, Phone:(732) 249-8892\nLong Branch Office-504 Broadway, Long Branch, NJ 07740, Phone:(732) 571-1140", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1169", "Gottheimer Claws Back More Than $6.5 Million for Hackettstown Train Project", "2018-12-28", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Gottheimer Claws Back More Than $6.5 Million for Hackettstown Train Project \r\n   \r\n    \r\n      Grant for Positive Train Control on Hackettstown Line to Trenton and New York Penn Station Will Increase Rail Safety \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Newton,\r\n        December 28, 2018\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Friday, December 27, 2018, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced a federal grant from the Department of Transportation for $6,542,353 for positive train control on a NJ Transit line that travels from New York Penn Station and Trenton to Hackettstown. The grant comes as part of the FY18 Positive Train Control Grants under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program.This grant will go a long way to improving commuter and rail safety in Warren County and across northern New Jersey, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). The new positive train control system will help keep our trains moving on time and work to prevent the type of rail accidents in New Jersey that we've seen in our state and around the country in recent years. I am proud to claw back our federal tax dollars to make long overdue improvements to our infrastructure in North Jersey. Since I took office, we've clawed back 16% more federal dollars back into the Fifth District compared to previous years -- an increase of $290 per household to help cut our property taxes and fight back against Moochers States, like Mississippi and Alabama. In April, Josh's bipartisan FRA Safety Data Improvement Act, HR 4925, passed the House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support. The legislation, which was cosponsored by Republican Congressman Paul Mitchell (MI-10), passed by a unanimous vote. The FRA Safety Data Improvement Act codifies safety accountability requirements to prevent shifting in standards from one Administration to the next. It requires a plan and the implementation of recommendations found in a report from the Department of Transportation's Inspector General. The bipartisan legislation improves and standardizes reporting and training around railway accidents on railroads like Amtrak and NJ Transit. To ensure compliance, the Act also requires the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to update the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee annually on its progress. Positive train control is a technological system that is meant to prevent train crashes and accidents before they happen by automatically keeping the trains a safe distance away from each other and at a safe speed.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1168", "Gottheimer Cuts Through Red Tape for Bergen County Family", "2018-12-27", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Gottheimer poses for a picture with BenSaturday, December 22, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) met with a Bergen County family that he helped fight bureaucratic roadblocks after adopting a baby boy. Earlier this year, Karen, Keith, and their son, Will, welcomed Ben into their family. In the summer, the family still had not received Ben's birth certificate and needed that to obtain Ben's U.S. Passport. After the family contacted Gottheimer's office, they received Ben's birth certificate and an expedited passport just two weeks later. I was lucky to spend time with Karen, Keith, Will, and Ben and see first-hand how adoption brings families together. The last thing Karen and Keith needed was red tape for their first family trip. I'm happy that we were able to help and that I could spend some time with this wonderful family last week, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). I want anyone in the Fifth District who is experiencing trouble with a federal agency -- whether it be adoption, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, the VA, anything -- to contact me and my team. Since taking office, Congressman Gottheimer has worked extensively to cut red tape for families and businesses in the Fifth District. If anyone in the Fifth District is in need of help with a federal agency, they are encouraged to contact Josh in his Glen Rock office at 201-389-1100 or in Newton at (973) 940-1117. Video of the visit can be found HERE. Below: Gottheimer talks with the Bergen County family his office helped acquire a birth certificate and a passport", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-pallone-urge-fema-to-issue-flood-insurance-policies-during", "Pascrell & Pallone Urge FEMA to Issue Flood Insurance Policies during Trump Shutdown", "2018-12-27", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06) sent a letter to FEMA administrator Brock Long urging the agency to resume the activities of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) during the Trump shutdown. While many departments and agencies remain without funding, Congress passed an extension of NFIP's authorization last Friday so the program could continue to issue flood insurance policies. \nDespite this extension, FEMA issued guidance Wednesday, December 26 claiming NFIP insurers may not collect premiums for the issuance, renewal, or monetary endorsements of NFIP policies because doing so would cause the government to incur obligations without an appropriation. However, the sale of new policies is funded by the National Flood Insurance Fund, not discretionary appropriations.\nThe NFIP successfully helps individuals and communities secure flood insurance, Reps. Pallone and Pascrell write. Suspending the program because of Trump's decision to close the government will cause additional needless suffering for our constituents and the long-term health of the NFIP.\nLast week, Pallone and Pascrell helped defeat a last-minute GOP effort to add a controversial giveaway to insurance companies as part of an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at the expense of policyholders and taxpayers. The Congressmen have also been leaders in demanding transparency and needed reforms for the program and are supporters of H.R. 3285, the Sustainable, Affordable, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE) National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide long term reauthorization for NFIP.\nText of the letter can be found below:\nDecember 27, 2018\n\nThe Honorable Brock Long\nAdministrator\nFederal Emergency Management Agency\n500 C Street SW\nWashington, D.C. 20472\n\nDear Administrator Long:\n\nWe write to inquire about the decision to prevent all National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) insurers from issuing or renewing policies because of Donald Trump's government shutdown. Additionally, we write you to question the administration's preparedness for the shutdown. Since Congress passed an authorization for the NFIP on the eve of the shutdown, we believe this decision runs counter to congressional intent to keep the NFIP operational through May 2019. On behalf of our constituents who rely on the NFIP, we urge you to resume the activities of the program.\nTo alleviate any confusion about the status of the NFIP during a shutdown, Congress passed, and the President signed, legislation specifically extending authorization for the program. The NFIP is critical for our constituents and millions of homeowners across the country who rely on the financial protection the program provides from the risks of flooding. Shuttering the NFIP prevents borrowers in flood-prone areas who are required to obtain flood insurance when acquiring a mortgage for a new home from doing so. Thus, we believe Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) decision to prevent new policies from being issued will create problems for the real estate market across the country.\nIn its Wednesday, December 26 guidance, FEMA claimed NFIP insurers may not collect premiums for the issuance, renewal, or monetary endorsements of NFIP policies because doing so would cause the government to incur obligations without an appropriation. However, the sale of new policies is funded by the National Flood Insurance Fund, not discretionary appropriations. It is contemptible that it took over 110 hours into the shutdown for FEMA to issue guidance on the NFIP for insurers. Being unprepared for a shutdown caused confusion for agents and homeowners about renewing a policy on or after 12:00am Saturday, December 22, 2018. Now, FEMA claims these individuals must wait until the government reopens to know if their home will or will not be insured. This delay and uncertainty for insurance policies sold since Saturday is unacceptable.\nThe NFIP successfully helps individuals and communities secure flood insurance. Suspending the program because of Trump's decision to close the government will cause additional needless suffering for our constituents and the long-term health of the NFIP. If the damage from the recent hurricane season makes anything clear, it is that NFIP is nationally significant to ensuring our nation can manage the cost of catastrophic flooding. To clarify the confusion, we believe you have the authority to resume the functions of the NFIP under the Antideficiency Act (31 U.S.C. 1342) to spare further negative impacts to property and our economy. We request you provide our staff details on the number of policies attempted to be sold by NFIP insurers since the start of the shutdown. Additionally, we urge you to clarify the status of these policies for homeowners.\nWe look forward to your prompt response.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/washington-reviews/washington-review-december-27-2018", "Washington Review, December 27, 2018", "2018-12-27", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Last week in Washington, important issues were addressed from local transportation to national criminal justice reform. However, Congress must remain focused on resolving the partial government shutdown currently impacting hundreds of thousands of government workers.\nOn December, 19, 2018, the Senate unanimously passed a continuing resolution to cover federal agencies under the seven unpassed appropriations bill and extend their funding through February 8, 2019. This legislation was widely agreed upon by both Democrats and Republicans and provided crucial economic stability for American families and businesses. However, House Republicans refused to hold a vote on this package because it did not include any additional funding specifically set aside for a southern border wall. It is irresponsible to block bipartisan funding for important agencies and disrupt reliable pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers. The continuing resolution passed by the Senate included funding for the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), proven border security measures, and national nutritional assistance programs. This legislation deserves a vote on the House floor. Through the rest of 2018 and as the 116th Congress begins, I am committed to ensuring that we have a functioning and responsible federal government.\nNJ Transit\nPositive Train Control (PTC) has the power to completely revolutionize the safety of our transportation system. As one of the busiest rail hubs in the Western Hemisphere, thousands of commuters in the 8th District rely on trains to reach work every day and safely return home each night.\nPTC is an automated breaking system that will protect commuters from human or machine operating errors. Preventing crashes, derailment, or any number of tragic accidents, PTC is a critical investment in the safety of our loved ones and the future of our infrastructure.\nLast Monday, I joined Governor Murphy and other New Jersey leaders to announce the installation of PTC technology on over 326 miles of the NJ Transit system. Then on Thursday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that New Jersey Transit has been awarded nearly $6,550,000 in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants for PTC implementation.\nTragedies like the 2016 crash in Hoboken and the 2017 train derailment in Dupont, Washington can be prevented with technology like PTC. I will continue to always support robust, targeted investments in innovation and safety for NJ transit.\nAffordable Care Act\nOn December 14, 2018, a district judge in Texas ruled in favor of a suit brought by Republican State Attorneys General seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act (ACA), otherwise known as Obamacare.\nWithout immediate impact, this case nonetheless represents yet another attack on the health care of millions of Americans. I have fought against repeated attempts to legislate the ACA out of existence and I remain dedicated to protecting coverage for vulnerable Americans. As we enter the 116th Congress, preserving access to quality health care for our community remains one of my top priorities.\nGlobal Health Innovation Act of 2017\nBetween 2007 and 2015, federal investments in global health by the U.S. government created 200,000 new jobs and $33 billion in global economic growth. I introduced H.R. 1660, the Global Health Innovation Act of 2017, to strengthen the effectiveness of these programs under the direction of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).\nOn January 1, 2018, my legislation passed the House by an overwhelmingly supportive vote of 423-3. Then, last Thursday, I was proud to see H.R. 1660 pass the Senate by unanimous consent. The Global Health Innovation Act of 2017 now awaits a signature by the President to be enacted into law.\nFor a small fraction of the annual budget of the federal government, this foreign aid spending lays the groundwork for essential partnerships in international business and security cooperation. H.R. 1660 is critical oversight for programs that progress the health care of millions around the world and establish American global leadership for generations to come.\nLegislation\nLast week, the House considered a number of bipartisan measures representing years of concentrated work on issues ranging from health care to criminal justice.\nI have always supported the critical investments needed for breakthroughs in care for Alzheimer's patients. Last Wednesday, the House passed S. 2076, the Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, by a vote of 361-3. I was proud to cosponsor the House version of this bill and vote for the passage of S. 2076. Now, the federal government can fund Alzheimer's initiatives to promote early detection, reduce risk, and prevent avoidable hospitalizations.\nLast Thursday, I voted in favor of a bipartisan criminal justice reform package, S. 756, the First Step Act. Passing the House by a vote of 358-36, the First Step Act is the culmination of years of work and compromise by both the Democrats and Republicans to address expensive, ineffective policies currently governing our prison system. Now, this legislation will reform good time credits, increase career training opportunities, and amend unjust sentencing practices  emphasizing our ability as a society to rehabilitate prisoners, not just punish.\nThe preservation and enjoyment of the Jersey Shore's natural landscape was ensured by the passage of H.R. 6602, a bill reauthorizing New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route. Running 300 miles from Sandy Hook to Cape May, the Trail Route is an essential way for not only our community, but Americans from all across the country, to visit with the historic Jersey Shore. I was proud to vote to extend funding for the Trail Route through 2025 and see the vast majority of my colleagues also support this bill with a vote of 382-9.\nLast Thursday, I also voted in favor of H.R. 7279, the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act, which codifies into law the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Integrated Planning initiative. This legislation will streamline local investments and reporting metrics to better tackle challenges in municipal water quality  such as population growth, aging infrastructure, and limited resources. These are innovative steps critical to increasing environmental and health benefits for our country's water supply. H.R. 7279 passed by a vote of 351-10.\nThe BOLD for Alzheimer's Act and First Step Act now await the signature of the President to be enacted into law. H.R. 6602 and H.R. 7279 require a vote before the Senate.\n\nThank you for reading the Washington Review. Again, hearing from my constituents enables me to be a better representative of the 8th District. For regular updates, you may stay in touch by leaving comments on myFacebook,Twitter, andwebsite.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1165", "Gottheimer Wraps Holiday Gifts at Bookends in Ridgewood", "2018-12-24", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Gottheimer wraps gifts for New Jersey families for the holidaysOn Saturday, December 22, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) wrapped holiday gifts for North Jersey families at Bookends bookstore in Ridgewood. The holidays are such an important time for small businesses across the country and here in New Jersey,  said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). I am so proud that there are so many great businesses in my district, like Bookends here in Ridgewood. I want to thank Walter Boyer for having me at his store and I encourage everyone to go check Bookends out, whether for the book selection or the author events they regularly host. Congressman Gottheimer went on to say, Small businesses play a vital role in our economy in the Fifth District and neighborhoods across the country, especially during this key retail season. The federal government shutdown hurt small businesses, because it impacts small business loan applications. We can prevent that by getting folks to the table to finalize a deal to reopen the government, just like business owners do every day. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, New Jersey boasts 1.7 million small business employees working for over 820,000 small businesses. 98.3% of the state's businesses are small businesses and they employ more than half of New Jersey's workers. Bookends in Ridgewood has been a staple in the community and a renowned bookstore for more than thirty years. They have hosted over 1,000 authors in the last fifteen years from politics, pop culture, and fiction. During the holiday season, they wrap gifts in their store free of charge. A video from Congressman Gottheimer's visit can be found HERE. Below: Congressman Gottheimer wraps gifts for children during the holidays\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBelow: Gottheimer and Walter Boyer from Bookends survey the bookstore's impressive selection of autographed books", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1161", "Useful Information for Fifth District Residents During a Government Shutdown", "2018-12-22", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Useful Information for Fifth District Residents During a Government Shutdown\r\nMy office is here to help the Fifth District residents with casework and federal matters. I oppose this shutdown and refuse to let gridlock in Washington, DC impact the services available to help my constituents North Jersey cut through the red tape. You can reach my offices at the phone numbers below:\r\nGlen Rock Office: (201) 389-1100\r\nWashington, DC Office: (202) 225-4465\r\nFrequently Asked Questions  Will I continue to receive my Social Security and SSI checks?\r\nDuring a government shutdown, recipients will continue to receive their Social Security and SSI checks. However, a shutdown suspends the issuance of Social Security cards. On a typical day, approximately 60,000 Americans apply for Social Security cards, which they may need to be able to start a job, take out a loan, open a bank account, or conduct other financial transactions. During a shutdown, no Social Security cards are issued.  \r\n\r\nWill my mail still arrive?\r\nYes. The approximately 500,000 Postal Service employees are exempt from furlough because the Postal Service is self-funded.  \r\n\r\nWill my holiday travel be affected?\r\nThe shutdown should not have a significant impact on your travel. TSA agents, customs agents and air traffic controllers continue to work even if the government shuts down. Amtrak will operate normally during a shutdown.People will still be able to obtain passports and visas.\r\nWhat is the impact on veterans' services?\r\nVA is fully funded for fiscal year 2019, and in the event of a partial government shutdown, all VA operations will continue unimpeded.  \r\n\r\nWill I still be able to visit the national parks and monuments?\r\nThe National Parks Service said parks will remain as accessible as possible. In the three-day government shutdown in January, gates to about two-thirds of national parks and monuments remained open\r\nHowever services that require staffing and maintenance such as campgrounds and full-service restrooms will not be operating, according to a statement from the National Parks Service.\r\n\r\nWhich federal agencies will be affected?\r\nThe following services willcontinueduring a shutdown:\r\n \r\n    Veterans Health Administration will remain open and continue to provide medical services.\r\n    Veterans Affairs call centers, hotlines, and regional offices will remain open.\r\n    Social Security beneficiaries will continue receiving checks.\r\n    The U.S. Postal Service will keep delivering mail.\r\n    Medicare and Medicaid claims will continue to be processed.\r\n    Active military will continue serving.\r\n    Air traffic controllers, prison guards, TSA agents and border patrol agents will remain on the job.\r\n    NASA Mission Control will continue supporting astronauts serving on the Space Station.\r\n    The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) offices will remain open.\r\n \r\nThe following services will behaltedduring a shutdown:\r\n \r\n    New applications for small business loans will be halted.\r\n    Permits and reviews for transportation projects will be halted except in cases of emergency.\r\n    Consumer protection services (child product safety, financial security, etc.) will be halted.\r\n    Non-essential Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) inspections of chemical facilities and drinking water systems will be halted.\r\n    Non-essential federal employees at unfunded agencies, including but not limited to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security, will be immediately furloughed without pay.\r\n    Loans to rural communities will be halted.\r\n \r\nThe following services willcontinue in a limited capacity but may be halted in an extended shutdown:\r\n \r\n    SNAP, school lunch benefits, and other nutrition programs may be limited in an extended shutdown.\r\n    Tax refunds may be delayed by the IRS.\r\n    Passports will continue to be issued by the State Department, but processing of applications may be delayed or halted in an extended shutdown or at certain locations.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norcross-trump-s-government-shutdown", "Norcross on Trumps Government Shutdown", "2018-12-22", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) issued the following statement on theTrump shutdown:\nJust ten days ago, President Trump said,I am proud to shut down the government,'and, sadly, American workers are the ones suffering because of Trump's egotistical, politically-motivated temper tantrum.\nMore than 420,000 federal workers will be forced to work without pay and 380,000 will be furloughed ahead of the holidays. In New Jersey alone, more than 5,000 federal employees will be impacted by this reckless Trump shutdown. It's heartless.\nWe must focus on what American's really care about  more jobs, higher wages and affordable healthcare. Come January, our House Democratic Majority will be working for the people  not at the whims of an erratic President.\n###\nContact:Ally Kehoe, Communications Director  ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/es/noticias-y-eventos/prensa/menndez-acerca-del-cierre-parcial-del-gobierno-federal-ocasionado-por-trump-", "Men\u00e9ndez Acerca del Cierre Parcial del Gobierno Federal Ocasionado por Trump", "2018-12-22", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menndez Acerca del Cierre Parcial del Gobierno Federal Ocasionado por Trump  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menndez Acerca del Cierre Parcial del Gobierno Federal Ocasionado por Trump  \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 22, 2018\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. El Senador Bob Menndez realiz las siguientes declaraciones luego de que el Presidente Trump forzara un cierre parcial del gobierno federal:\r\n \r\nEl Presidente Trump quera un cierre del gobierno y ahora lo tiene. Despus de rechazar una oferta bipartidista de $1.6 mil millones para la seguridad fronteriza que fue aprobada por el Comit de Asignaciones del Senado, el Presidente prefiere mantener al gobierno federal de los Estados Unidos como rehn, con la esperanza de que los contribuyentes asuman el gasto de miles de millones de dlares para construir un absurdo muro fronterizo por el que l prometi que pagara Mxico y para el cual no tiene los votos en el Senado.\r\nEl absoluto fracaso de este Presidente para gobernar y la falta de visin de sus cmplices republicanos en la Cmara de Representantes, costar a los contribuyentes estadounidenses miles de millones cada da; cientos de miles de empleados federales que trabajan arduamente sern enviados a sus casas o forzados a trabajar sin paga, a pocos das de la Navidad; familias podran quedarse sin nada que poner en la mesa; se suspender el monitoreo del agua limpia en muchas comunidades, e hipotecas de viviendas se retrasarn, mientras las pequeas empresas no podrn acceder a los programas de prstamos federales.\r\nSi el presidente y los republicanos del Congreso tomaran en serio la seguridad fronteriza, abordaran las graves condiciones en Centroamrica que obligan a las familias a huir para salvar sus vidas. Buscaran una reforma migratoria integral que aborde nuestras necesidades de seguridad y est a la altura de nuestros valores como nacin de inmigrantes y dejaran de avivar el miedo y exigir a los contribuyentes que paguen por un muro fronteriza que no har nada para que nuestro pas est ms seguro.\r\nEste es el tercer cierre del gobierno bajo el liderazgo del Partido Republicano en solo dos aos. A pesar de tener el control total del gobierno (la Casa Blanca, el Senado y la Cmara de Representantes), los republicanos han demostrado una y otra vez que son incapaces de gobernar o promover polticas que ayuden a las familias trabajadoras a salir adelante. La toma de posesin de la nueva mayora demcrata de la Cmara de Representantes no puede llegar lo suficientemente pronto.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1160", "PROBLEM SOLVERS CAUCUS APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF BIPARTISAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Today, the Problem Solvers Caucus applauded the passage of the FIRST Step Act, which now heads to the President Trump's desk to be signed into law. The bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation, which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support, will strengthen our communities, improve the lives of thousands and save taxpayers money. Earlier this year, the Problem Solvers Caucus met with Administration officials, Congressional leaders and advocacy organizations, and decided to support this bipartisan legislation.Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Tom Reed (NY-23) said, When Members of Congress reach across the aisle and work together the American people win. The current prison system is not fair for those released or the neighborhoods they return to.  We are proud to overhaul the federal sentencing system to lower mandatory minimum sentences for drug crimes  excluding dangerous heroin and fentanyl, expand job training and boost early-release opportunities. Caucus Co-Chair Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) said,  \"This is the kind of common sense and bipartisan legislating that America wants to see. Everyone agrees we should be keeping people from leaving prison only to go right back, costing taxpayers a fortune. It is time we invest in preventing a revolving prison door. We should prevent massive disparities in our sentencing guidelines for nonviolent offenders. Knowing this, months ago, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries approached me and said, 'I think this is an issue the Problem Solvers Caucus should take up,' and he told Jared Kushner the same thing. That's why Jared and Van Jones made the Problem Solvers Caucus one of their first stops in the House back in April, because we are able to offer a group tailor-made to constructive engagement and action on issues that just make sense. I commend Members of both parties for their important work on this critical issue. Congressman John Faso (NY-19) said, The First STEP Act is a historic bipartisan reform that will increase community safety, reduce recidivism, and make federal sentencing laws more fair. All of this will be accomplished while ensuring violent criminals and drug traffickers serve their time. I'm proud of the diverse coalition that brought this legislation together and it's widely bipartisan enactment. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) said, We are long overdue to reform our criminal justice system and this legislation is an important first step. It's overwhelming bipartisan passage shows what is possible when Members of Congress put aside party differences and are willing to compromise for the greater good. Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-1) said, I'm proud to cast my vote in support of the FIRST STEP Act with my fellow Problem Solvers Caucus members.  As a former FBI agent, I understand criminal justice reform is critically important to reducing crime and recidivism. This bipartisan measure demonstrates our investment and confidence in our fellow Americans. While there is still more work to accomplish, this vote marks a generational shift towards a criminal justice system that establishes a more practical, efficient rehabilitative framework to keep communities safe. I appreciate the tireless work of bipartisan advocates, my colleagues, and members of the Administration who made today's positive outcome a reality. Congressman Dan Lipinski (IL-3) said, I'm incredibly proud of the work the Problem Solvers Caucus did to pull together both parties to generate momentum for passage of this bill. The support for the criminal justice reform bill exemplifies the change we can facilitate when we focus on bipartisan solutions to our toughest challenges. Congressman Fred Upton (MI-6) said, This bipartisan bill marks the first significant improvements to the federal criminal justice system in decades. As I've heard from my local leaders, this effort will protect public safety while also helping inmates earn a second chance at life. We are taking a very positive step today by cutting recidivism, encouraging job training, education, mental health, and substance abuse treatments for those incarcerated, and making our criminal justice system fairer. The Problem Solvers Caucus is a bipartisan group in Congress comprised of 48 members  equally divided between Democrats and Republicans  who are committed to forging bipartisan cooperation on key issues. It is Co-Chaired by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY).", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-pascrell-lead-opposition-giveaway-gop-insurance-companies-flood", "Pallone & Pascrell Lead Opposition to Giveaway by GOP to Insurance Companies on Flood Insurance", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-09) helped defeat a last minute GOP effort to add a controversial giveaway to insurance companies as part of an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at the expense of policyholders and taxpayers. The Congressmen have been leaders in demanding transparency needed reforms for the program.\nWe were proud to stand in a bipartisan manner to defeat the Hensarling bill, said the Congressmen. This legislation was a last minute attempt by Republicans to give an early Christmas gift to private insurance companies, including those who have taken advantage of our constituents and the National Flood Insurance Program. It is a mistake to allow private insurance companies who partner with and service NFIP policies to sell their own competing private policies. Repealing the non-compete clause allows private insurers to cherry-pick the best risk policies for their own businesses while forcing middle class taxpayers to pick up the rest. Strengthening flood insurance is too important to be part of Trump and Republicans' games. We are gratified to pass a clean extension. In the impending Democratic House we will push for thebipartisan, bicameral Sustainable, Affordable, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE) National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act.\nThe letter the Congressmen sent in opposition to the GOP proposal is below.\nDear Colleague:\nThe Senate unanimously passed a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open that also extends a number of critical programs that needed to be reauthorized, including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), until February 8, 2019.\nIn a last-ditch effort to attach harmful policy riders to NFIP reauthorization  an approach that has been rejected numerous times by both the House and the Senate this Congress  House Republicans are attempting to attach controversial policy reforms to a bill that would keep the NFIP's doors open. While H.R. 7388 reauthorizes the NFIP through May 31, 2019, it includes a toxic harmful policy change that was recently implemented administratively by the Trump administration.\nThis policy reverses FEMA's long-standing WYO non-compete clause and would allow the private insurance companies that partner with and service NFIP policies to sell their own competing private policies to unsuspecting consumers. Repealing the non-compete clause would essentially let the fox guard the henhouse by allowing private insurers to cherry-pick the best risk policies for their own private businesses while forcing taxpayers to pick up the rest.\nThe Senate has already unanimously passed a clean extension that does not include this toxic rider. The House should ensure that flood insurance remains available to millions of homeowners, businesses, and renters across the country by passing a clean extension. We urge a NO vote on this continued attempt to threaten our Federal programs with irresponsible riders.\nSincerely,\nFrank Pallone, Jr.\nBill Pascrell, Jr.\nNydia Velzquez", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pallone-pascrell-lead-opposition-to-giveaway-by-gop-to-insurance", "Pallone & Pascrell Lead Opposition to Giveaway by GOP to Insurance Companies on Flood Insurance", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PATERSON, NJ  Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr (D-NJ-09) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ-06) helped defeat a last-minute GOP effort to add a controversial giveaway to insurance companies as part of an extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) at the expense of policyholders and taxpayers. The Congressmen have been leaders in demanding transparency needed reforms for the program.\nWe were proud to stand in a bipartisan manner to defeat the Hensarling bill, said the Congressmen. This legislation was a last-minute attempt by Republicans to give an early Christmas gift to private insurance companies, including those who have taken advantage of our constituents and the National Flood Insurance Program. It is a mistake to allow private insurance companies who partner with and service NFIP policies to sell their own competing private policies. Repealing the non-compete clause allows private insurers to cherry-pick the best risk policies for their own businesses while forcing middle class taxpayers to pick up the rest. Strengthening flood insurance is too important to be part of Trump and Republicans' games. We are gratified to pass a clean extension. In the impending Democratic House we will push for thebipartisan, bicameralSustainable, Affordable, Fair, and Efficient (SAFE) National Flood Insurance Program Reauthorization Act.\nThe letter the Congressmen sent in opposition to the GOP proposal is below.\nDear Colleague:\nThe Senate unanimously passed a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open that also extends a number of critical programs that needed to be reauthorized, including the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), until February 8, 2019.\nIn a last-ditch effort to attach harmful policy riders to NFIP reauthorization  an approach that has been rejected numerous times by both the House and the Senate this Congress  House Republicans are attempting to attach controversial policy reforms to a bill that would keep the NFIP's doors open. While H.R. 7388 reauthorizes the NFIP through May 31, 2019, it includes a toxic harmful policy change that was recently implemented administratively by the Trump administration.\nThis policy reverses FEMA's long-standing WYO non-compete clause and would allow the private insurance companies that partner with and service NFIP policies to sell their own competing private policies to unsuspecting consumers. Repealing the non-compete clause would essentially let the fox guard the henhouse by allowing private insurers to cherry-pick the best risk policies for their own private businesses while forcing taxpayers to pick up the rest.\nThe Senate has already unanimously passed a clean extension that does not include this toxic rider. The House should ensure that flood insurance remains available to millions of homeowners, businesses, and renters across the country by passing a clean extension. We urge a NO vote on this continued attempt to threaten our Federal programs with irresponsible riders.\nSincerely,\nFrank Pallone, Jr.\nBill Pascrell, Jr.\nNydia Velzquez", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-assails-justice-department-corruption-scandal", "Pascrell Assails Justice Department Corruption Scandal", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) attacked Acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker and the Trump administration in the wake of reports that Whitaker disregarded the advice of a senior Justice Department ethics official to recuse himself from supervision over the Mueller criminal probe into Donald Trump and his associates.\nThe Acting Attorney General's refusal to recuse himself over supervision of the Mueller probe is a gigantic scandal. Whitaker's past statements attacking Mr. Mueller are clear violations of the spirit and letter of federal regulations on recusal. Reviewing his thin record, it is hard to argue that Whitaker was appointed for any reason other than because he would bodyguard Donald Trump from legal accountability for his corruption. Whitaker's presence at Justice debases the work of every law enforcement official in America. Unfortunately, Trump's attacks on the Justice Department do not end with Whitaker. We learned this week that the presumptive nominee for Attorney General, William Barr, wrote a fawning memorandum to Trump officials detailed his disdain for the Mueller probe. He too is unfit for this post.\nThe Department of Justice remains our republic's most important institutional bulwark. The willingness of lackies like Matt Whitaker to undermine the rule of law and look the other way to Donald Trump's bottomless corruption threatens every American. In the tumult of consuming chaos emanating from the White House, they must not be ignored.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/es/noticias-y-eventos/prensa/menndez-presiona-a-junta-de-supervisin-de-puerto-rico-para-que-haga-pblico-los-conflictos-de-inters-de-firma-consultora-", "Men\u00e9ndez Presiona a Junta de Supervisi\u00f3n de Puerto Rico para que haga P\u00fablico los Conflictos de Inter\u00e9s de Firma Consultora", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menndez Presiona a Junta de Supervisin de Puerto Rico para que haga Pblico los Conflictos de Inters de Firma Consultora  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menndez Presiona a Junta de Supervisin de Puerto Rico para que haga Pblico los Conflictos de Inters de Firma Consultora  \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 21, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, D.C.  El Senador Bob Menndez (D-N.J.), lider a un grupo de colegas al enviar una carta a Jos Carrin III, presidente de la Junta de Supervisin y Administracin Financiera de Puerto Rico, pidindole que instruya a la consultora McKinsey & Co. a hacer pblico de inmediato sus conflictos de intereses como es habitual en los procedimientos de quiebra. A principios de este ao, el New York Times report que el gigante consultor McKinsey & Co. est asesorando al gobierno de Puerto Rico y a la Junta de Supervisin en sus esfuerzos por reestructurar las deudas de la isla. Al mismo tiempo, la empresa posee bonos emitidos por Puerto Rico, lo que crea un potencial conflicto de intereses entre la empresa y su cliente.\r\n \r\nA pesar de estos intereses financieros claros, la Junta firm un contrato con McKinsey que le permite a este ltimo atender a clientes competidores con intereses potencialmente conflictivos y, de hecho, lo est haciendo sin revelar esos potenciales conflictos de inters, escribieron los Senadores. Nos sorprende que la Junta haya ofrecido o aceptado dicho contrato.\r\n \r\nLos Senadores cuestionaron la capacidad de McKinsey & Co. para competir por negocios en Puerto Rico, representando a la Junta PROMESA y recibiendo hasta $50 milliones en honorarios de consultora, mientras que posee $20 milliones  y probablemente mucho ms  en bonos emitidos por el gobierno de Puerto Rico.\r\n \r\nA travs de las declaraciones hechas por el examinador de honorarios designado por el Tribunal de Distrito de los Estados Unidos, Brady Williamson, nos alarm saber que McKinsey est facturando al gobierno mientras proporciona poca transparencia en el proceso, agregaron los Senadores. Al no revelar sus conflictos, las prcticas comerciales opacas de McKinsey ensombrecen su imparcialidad al tomar decisiones financieras que impactarn las vidas de todos los puertorriqueos en los prximos aos.\r\n \r\nLos Senadores le pidieron al presidente de la Junta que instruya a McKinsey & Co. para que revelara inmediatamente todos sus conflictos y explicara por qu la Junta acord que McKinsey atendiera a clientes competidores con intereses potencialmente conflictivos. \r\n \r\nLos puertorriqueos merecen algo mejor y la Junta debe recuperar su confianza mediante la implementacin de reglas de transparencia durante estos tiempos de dificultad econmica, concluyeron los Senadores.\r\n \r\nA principios de este mes, la Representante Nydia Velzquez (D-N.Y.) present la Ley de Exactitud de Divulgacin en Puerto Rico, una ley bipartidista que exige una mayor divulgacin por parte de asesores contratados para trabajar en los procedimientos de reestructuracin en Puerto Rico. El Senador Menndez presentar a una legislacin compaera en el Senado en el prximo Congreso.\r\nJunto al Senador Menndez en esta carta estuvieron los Senadores Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal, (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), y Ed Markey (D-Mass.).\r\nEl texto completo de la carta puede encontrarse aqu.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-leads-colleagues-in-pressing-promesa-board-to-require-disclosure-of-consulting-firms-conflicts-of-interest", "Menendez Leads Colleagues in Pressing PROMESA Board to Require Disclosure of Consulting Firm\u2019s Conflicts of Interest", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Leads Colleagues in Pressing PROMESA Board to Require Disclosure of Consulting Firm's Conflicts of Interest \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Leads Colleagues in Pressing PROMESA Board to Require Disclosure of Consulting Firm's Conflicts of Interest \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 21, 2018\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), led Senate colleagues in a letter to Jos Carrin III, Chairman of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (Board) asking the board to direct McKinsey & Co. to immediately disclose its conflicts of interests as is standard in bankruptcy proceedings. Earlier this year, the New York Timesreportedthat consulting giant McKinsey & Co. is advising the Puerto Rican government and oversight board on their efforts to restructure the island's debts. At the same time, the firm owns bonds issued by Puerto Rico, which creates a potential conflict of interest between the firm and its client.\r\n \r\nDespite these clear financial interests, the Board signed a contract with McKinsey that allows the latter to serve competing clients with potentially conflicting interests and is, in fact, doing so without disclosing those potential conflicts,the Senators wrote. We are surprised that the Board would offer or agree to such a contract.\r\n \r\nThe Senators questioned McKinsey & Co.'s ability to compete for business in Puerto Rico, representing the PROMESA board and receiving up to$50 millionsin consulting fees, while owning$20 millionand likely much more in bonds issued by the Puerto Rican government.\r\n \r\nThrough statements made by the U.S. District Court-appointed fee examiner, Brady Williamson, we were alarmed to learn that McKinsey is billing the government while providing little transparency in the process,the Senators added. In failing to disclose its conflicts, McKinsey's opaque business practices casts a shadow on its impartiality when making financial decisions that will impact the lives of every single Puerto Rican in the years to come.\r\n \r\nThe Senators asked Chairman Carrin to direct McKinsey & Co. to immediately disclose all of its conflicts and explain why the Board agreed to let McKinsey serve competing clients with potentially conflicting interests.\r\n \r\nThe Puerto Rican people deserve better and the Board must regain their trust by implementing transparency rules during these difficult economic times,the Senators concluded.\r\n \r\nEarlier this month, Rep. Nydia Velazquez introduced thePuerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act, a bipartisan bill that calls for enhanced disclosures by advisers contracted to work on restructuring proceedings in Puerto Rico. Sen. Menendez will be introducing a Senate companion to the bill in the next Congress.\r\nJoining Sen. Menendez on the letter were Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal, (D-Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Ed Markey (D-Mass.).\r\nA copy of the letter can be foundhereand below.\r\nMr. Jos Carrin IIIChairmanFinancial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto RicoP.O. Box 192018San Juan, Puerto Rico 00919-2018\r\nDear Chairman Carrin:\r\nWe write to communicate our concerns related to McKinsey & Company (McKinsey), which was retained by the Financial Oversight and Management Board (Board), to assist in restructuring Puerto Rico's debt. We ask that you direct McKinsey to immediately disclose its conflicts of interest, and that you explain why the Board's contract with McKinsey allowed the latter to serve competing clients with potentially conflicting interests.\r\nAccording to a recent New York Times report, McKinsey has failed to disclose its conflicts of interest in Puerto Rico, taking advantage of the lack of disclosure rules in the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act. To date, McKinsey has billed Puerto Rican taxpayers $50 million, but has failed to disclose its investment in Whitebox Advisors, a hedge fund which holds $140 million in Puerto Rico debt backed by sales tax revenue. In addition, through a subsidiary called MIO Partners, McKinsey itself owns $20 million worth of bonds issued by Puerto Rico. MIO Partners manages approximately $25 billion for McKinsey's employees and retirees, and runs three hedge funds, all of which reported owning Puerto Rico sales-tax bonds. Clearly, McKinsey has an indisputable pecuniary interest in the resolution of Puerto Rico's debt.\r\nDespite these clear financial interests, the Board signed a contract with McKinsey that allows the latter to serve competing clients with potentially conflicting interests and is, in fact, doing so without disclosing those potential conflicts. We are surprised that the Board would offer or agree to such a contract.\r\nMcKinsey has asserted that it is unable to determine Whitebox Advisors' exposure in Puerto Rico or that of its own  McKinsey employee-led  hedge funds. Its spokesperson claims that McKinsey's own hedge fund is independently operated. There appears to be a pattern of concealment that has been brought to light by several Wall Street Journal articles reporting on similar undisclosed conflicts in a half-dozen high-profile bankruptcy cases on the mainland.\r\nThrough statements made by the U.S. District Court-appointed fee examiner, Brady Williamson, we were alarmed to learn that McKinsey is billing the government while providing little transparency in the process. In fact, McKinsey explained to the fee examiner, the McKinsey governmental team for this assignment stated that it does not track, by individual professional, the time expendedby the hour, by the day, or by the week, nor does it record expenses, all of which are subsumed within its monthly flat fees. By receiving $50 million of public money, to date, and surely much more in the future, McKinsey should be required, as all other professionals are, to describe in detail the work it does to earn its fees.\r\nIt strains credulity that McKinsey is permitted to compete for business in Puerto Rico, let alone operate on behalf of the Board and receive millions in consulting fees given these troubling revelations. In failing to disclose its conflicts, McKinsey's opaque business practices casts a shadow on its impartiality when making financial decisions that will impact the lives of every single Puerto Rican in the years to come.\r\nAs such, we respectfully ask that you direct McKinsey to immediately disclose all its conflicts as is standard procedure in bankruptcy proceedings. We also ask that you explain why the contract provision was included allowing McKinsey to service clients that may have direct conflicts and differing priorities in the ultimate outcome in Puerto Rico's path to recovery.\r\nThe Puerto Rican people deserve better and the Board must regain their trust by implementing transparency rules during these difficult economic times.\r\nWe ask that you respond to this letter by January 7, 2019.\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-leahy-call-for-expulsion-of-top-sudanese-diplomat", "Menendez, Leahy Call for Expulsion Of Top Sudanese Diplomat", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Leahy Call for Expulsion Of Top Sudanese Diplomat \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Leahy Call for Expulsion Of Top Sudanese Diplomat \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 21, 2018\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON  Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee,and Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Vice Chairman of the Appropriations Committee,yesterdaysent a letter to President Trump calling for the expulsion and potential sanctioning of the Charge D'Affaires at the Embassy of Sudan in Washington.\r\n\r\nCitingMohamed Atta al-Moula'sformer role as the head of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), the Senators refer to a well-documented pattern of gross human rights violations attributed to the NISS during Mr. Atta's tenure, including the killing of as many as 185 protesters in Khartoum in 2013.\r\n\r\n \r\nAllowing Mr. Atta to serve as a diplomat in the United States is an affront to our values and our national interests. We urge you to address this situation immediately,wrote the Senators. We urge you to immediately withdraw Mr. Atta's U.S. visa, require his departure from the United States, and make a determination as to whether Mr. Atta is subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.\r\n\r\n \r\nA copy of the letter can be foundHERE. \r\n\r\nDearMr. President:\r\nWe write to express our strong objection to your acceptance of Mr. Mohamed Atta al-Moula as Charge D'Affaires at the Embassy of Sudan in Washington in light of Mr. Atta's role as the head of Sudan's National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS). We urge you to immediately withdraw Mr. Atta's U.S. visa, require his departure from the United States, and make a determination as to whether Mr. Atta is subject to sanctions under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (P.L. 114-328).\r\n\r\nA pattern of gross human rights violations attributed to the NISS is detailed in the State Department's annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and documented by human rights groups. For example, according to Amnesty International, police and NISS forces were responsible for killing as many as 185 protesters in Khartoum in September 2013. The reported torture of individuals detained by NISS in connection with the protests has been extensively documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. The most recent Country Report on Human Rights in Sudan states that as of September 2017, the government had not released any public report on the April 2016 killing by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) of Kordofan University student Abu Baker Hashim during student elections in El Obeid, North Kordofan, nor on the April 2016 killing of al-Ahlia Omdurman University student Mohammed al-Sadig in clashes between pro-government and opposition students on campus. Reports suggest that they could be victims of a gross violation of internationally recognized human rights, which includes flagrant denial of the right to life, liberty, or the security of person.\r\n\r\nJust as troubling is the relationship between Sudan's notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the NISS. According to Human Rights Watch, the RSF engaged in torture, extrajudicial killings and mass rapes against civilians during the course of military campaigns in South Darfur and North Darfur in 2014 and 2015. The RSF has also been implicated in extensive abuses against civilians in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. In addition, we note with concern that according to civil society and nongovernmental organizations, the NISS has been implicated in a range of violations of internationally recognized human rights abuses such as physical and psychological torture of detainees, including journalists, civil society activists, and members of the political opposition.\r\nThe RSF was created and is administered by the NISS. As head of the NISS Mr. Atta is ultimately responsible for the actions of the RSF as well as NISS agents, and may well be more directly culpable for ordering and/or directing alleged crimes and gross violations of human rights, including those listed above.\r\nAllowing Mr. Atta to serve as a diplomat in the United States is an affront to our values and our national interests. We urge you to address this situation immediately.\r\n\r\nThank you for your time and attention to this matter.\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-statement-on-trump-shutdown", "Menendez Statement on Trump Shutdown", "2018-12-21", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Statement on Trump Shutdown \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Statement on Trump Shutdown \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 21, 2018\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today released the following statement after President Trump forced a partial shutdown of the federal government:\r\n \r\nPresident Trump wanted a government shutdown and now he's got it. After rejecting a bipartisan offer of $1.3 billion towards border security that was unanimously approved by the Senate, this President is holding the federal government of the United States hostage in the hopes of extracting billions of taxpayer dollars from Congress for a preposterous border wall that he promised Mexico would pay for and that he doesn't have the votes in the Senate to pass.\r\nThis President's abject failure to governand the shortsighted brinksmanship of his Republican enablers in the House of Representativeswill cost American taxpayers billions each day. Hundreds of thousands of hardworking federal employees will be furloughed or forced to work without payjust in time for Christmas. Families could be left hungry with unsupplied soup kitchens and food banks. Clean water monitoring in many communities will be suspended. Home mortgages will be delayed and small businesses won't be able to access federal loan programs.\r\nIf the President and Congressional Republicans were serious about border security, they would address the dangerous conditions in Central America that are forcing families to flee for their lives. They would pursue comprehensive immigration reform that both addresses our security needs while living up to the American ideal of this being a nation of immigrants. And they would stop stoking fear and demanding taxpayers pick up the tab for a boondoggle of a border wall that will do nothing to make our country safer.\r\nThis is now the third government shutdown on the GOP's watchin just two years, and it was totally avoidable. Despite having total control of governmentthe White House, Senate and HouseRepublicans have proven time and again that they are incapable of governing or advancing policies that will help working families get ahead. The swearing-in of the House's new Democratic majority cannot come soon enough.\r\n \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norcross-we-re-starting-fix-our-broken-criminal-justice-system", "Norcross: Were Starting to Fix Our Broken Criminal Justice System", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) released the following statement on his vote in favor of the Formerly Incarcerated Reenter Society Transformed Safely Transitioning Every Person (FIRST STEP) Act (S.756):\nToday, we're taking a step in the right direction to fix our broken criminal justice system. With much-needed sentencing reform, we're finally breaking the pattern of failed policies that led to mass incarcerations and cost taxpayers millions of dollars, said Congressman Norcross. My top priorities in Congress are jobs, education and security  and this bill addresses each of these areas. We're taking a holistic approach to make our communities safer and stronger by decreasing recidivism through education incentives and job training opportunities.\nIn 2014, Norcross led a successful, groundbreaking bail reform effort in the New Jersey State Legislature. The bipartisan bill  which received widespread support ranging from the law enforcement community to the NAACP  replaced cash bail with a risk-assessment system.\nSince the bail reforms went into effect in January 2017, crime is down in New Jersey and low-income, non-violent offenders aren't languishing in jail.\nNorcross added: Prior to our reforms, the New Jersey bail system was discriminating against the poor. Incarceration shouldn't be determined by the size of your wallet  decisions should be based on risk, not resources.\nThe reforms we put in place made our New Jersey system more equitable  and I look forward to continuing to build upon these successes and working with colleagues in Washington on meaningful criminal justice reform that makes our national system fair and effective.\n###\nContact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director  ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-applauds-nj-lawsuit-challenging-federal-government-s-efforts-allow", "Pallone Applauds NJ Lawsuit Challenging Federal Governments Efforts to Allow Offshore Drilling in New Jersey", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) applauded a multi-state lawsuit filed to reverse federal approval of seismic testing along the eastern seaboard. Governor Murphy, NJ Attorney General Grewal and NJ Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine R. McCabe helped lead the lawsuit designed to protect coastal communities from the dangers of seismic testing and offshore drilling.\nThe states' complaint explains that approval of seismic testing permits violates the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. The suit calls on the district court to declare that National Marine Fisheries Service violated federal law, and seeks to vacate the existing federal approvals for seismic testing in Atlantic waters.\nI am proud to stand with Governor Murphy, Attorney General Grewal and Commissioner McCabe as they stand up to Trump's reckless environmental policies threatening our coast, said Pallone. The lawsuit once again exposes not only the hypocrisy of the Trump administration, but also its ignorance about the impact of drilling and seismic testing. A spill anywhere in the Atlantic, from Maine to Florida, could have disastrous consequences for New Jersey's economy. As the Murphy administration takes this fight to the courts, I will be doing everything within my power in Congress to prevent seismic testing and the offshore drilling that could result from it.\nLast month, the Trump administration approved five Incidental Harassment Authorization (IHA) permits for companies planning to conduct seismic geological and geophysical surveys along the Atlantic coast. The permits authorize five companies to use seismic airguns that can disturb, harm, and potentially kill not only marine mammals but also a wide range of marine life that support coastal economies from Florida to Maine. The soundwaves produced by these blasts are reflected back to the surface, and measured to determine whether oil, gas, or other minerals are present under the ocean. This can disrupt migratory patterns, cause marine wildlife to abandon important habitats, disrupt mating and feeding, destroy fish eggs and larvae, and cause deafness in whales and dolphins rendering them unable to communicate and reproduce.Seismic testing poses a direct threat to important marine life populations and opens the door for the expansion of off-shore drilling in the Atlantic and along New Jersey's coast.\nIn June 2017, Pallone led a bipartisan letter from the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation to the National Marine Fisheries Service voicing concerns over a proposal to issue seismic testing permits for the Atlantic Ocean. Also in 2017, the Obama administration denied six pending geophysical and geological (G&G) permit applications to conduct air gun seismic surveys in the Mid- and South Atlantic Planning Areas of the Atlantic Ocean.The decision followed years of effort by Pallone to prevent seismic testing, includinghis successful urging of the Obama Administration to reject previous seismictesting applications.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-elected-chairman-energy-and-commerce-committee", "Pallone Elected Chairman of Energy and Commerce Committee", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) today issued the following statement after the House Democratic Caucus unanimously elected him Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 116th Congress:\nI thank my Democratic colleagues for their support in electing me Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. There is no better committee in Congress, and I am so fortunate to have the support of my colleagues in leading this committee in the 116th Congress.\nI look forward to working with all of my colleagues to build a stronger economy, create more good-paying jobs and protect consumers from skyrocketing costs. In the coming months, we will push an aggressive agenda to rebuild America, combat climate change, make health care and prescription drugs more affordable, and protect peoples' privacy. We'll also conduct robust oversight of the Trump Administration's ongoing actions to sabotage our health care system, exacerbate climate change and weaken consumer protections. \nThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is the oldest continuous standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was established in 1795 to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. Today, the Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any authorizing committee in Congress. It legislates on health care; health insurance; biomedical research and development; food safety; clean air and climate change; safe drinking water; national energy policy; nuclear facilities; electronic communications and the internet; privacy, cybersecurity and data security; consumer protection and product safety; travel, tourism and sports; interstate and foreign commerce; and other areas.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-announces-65m-railroad-safety-grants-to-north-jersey", "Pascrell Announces $6.5M Railroad Safety Grants to North Jersey", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) had awarded $6,542,353.00 to New Jersey Transit for the implementation of the Positive Train Control system. The DOT award is part of the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements Grant Program.\nNew Jerseyans are entitled to the best transportation system in America. Yet after years of being ignored, our infrastructure became badly atrophied. We have also seen too many delays and even tragic accidents, said Rep. Pascrell. This week in Kearny, I stood with Governor Murphy, Representative Albio Sires, and other state leaders celebrating the progress being made on installing PTC and ensuring rail safety. But much work remains, and this funding can help make sure that our commuters are able to ride New Jersey Transit with more confidence.\nThroughout his career in Congress, Rep. Pascrell has been a staunch advocate of public transit and commuter safety. Following the deadly train crash in Hoboken in 2016, Pascrell called for the implementation of increased safety protocols and technologies to prevent future accidents. In September 2017, Pascrell and Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation requiring the DOT to implement more stringent testing of sleep apnea among rail operators and commercial truck drivers. Pascrell has since reinforced those demands. Pascrell has called for increased funding for improving state infrastructure, and in May 2017, Pascrell and the entire New Jersey congressional delegation praised the DOT for its $10,000,000 grant to New Jersey Transit to help implement Positive Train Control measures along state rail lines.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-vehemently-opposes-latest-republican-tax-scam", "Pascrell Vehemently Opposes Latest Republican Tax Scam", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), New Jersey's only member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, voted against House Republicans' latest tax scam, the so-called Retirement, Savings, and Other Tax Relief Act of 2018 and the Taxpayer First Act of 2018.\n[T]his bill cherry-picks winners and losers, with many of the losers being in states like the state I live in  the state of New Jersey. This is again, let me repeat, Weekend at Bernie's. They prop up the dead tax bill, make it look alive, said Rep. Pascrell in remarks delivered on the floor of the House of Representatives. That didn't work  this will not work!\nA full clip of Rep. Pascrell's floor remarks is available here.\nSince Republicans first announced their tax scam legislation in 2017, Rep. Pascrell has been one of the bill's most forceful opponents in the House. He led the fight against the SALT cap in the Ways and Means Committee and introduced several amendments to block its enactment, only to be thwarted by united Republicans. Rep. Pascrell has written several op-eds on the law, calling it one of the most reckless pieces of legislation I've seen come across my desk in over 20 years in office, and has worked to highlight the hypocrisy and lies Republicans have told about the tax scam. When House Republicans announced their intention to pass a second tax scam and make the SALT deduction caps permanent, Pascrell sounded the alarm on the catastrophic impact the legislation will have on Garden Staters and other Americans.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-sires-announces-new-jersey-transit-being-awarded-railroad", "Congressman Sires Announces New Jersey Transit Being Awarded Railroad Safety Grants", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.)  The Department of Transportation (DOT) announced that New Jersey Transit has been awarded nearly $6,550,000 in Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvement (CRISI) grants for Positive Train Control (PTC) implementation. This grant money can be used by NJ Transit to finish its work of installing a critical safety technology helps that prevents train-to-train collisions and derailments like the 2016 accident that took one life and injured over one hundred people in Hoboken. Congressman Sires has worked throughout the 115th Congress to provide robust funding for railroad safety grant programs like CRISI, which amounts to a federal investment in rail safety.\nJust this week, I joined Governor Murphy and other state officials to congratulate NJ Transit for its significant progress in installing PTC hardware on its locomotives and along its tracks, said Congressman Sires. Now NJ Transit can finish the job by installing all the equipment, ensuring that the hardware is running well, and training their employees to use it. This grant award will help NJ Transit get to the finish line.\nI commend DOT for awarding NJ Transit this grant to get PTC up-and-running throughout its system. This technology is tailored to prevent accidents that injure people and take lives, stated Rep. Sires. Commuters deserve a transit system that safely gets them where they need to be, and I look forward to continuing my support for federal safety grant programs in the 116th Congress.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/in-the-news/bipartisan-senators-call-for-us-genocide-label-of-myanmar-killings", "Bipartisan senators call for U.S. 'genocide' label of Myanmar killings", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bipartisan senators call for U.S. 'genocide' label of Myanmar killings \n\t\t\t\n Bipartisan senators call for U.S. 'genocide' label of Myanmar killings \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\nThursday, December 20, 2018\n\t\n  \n    By:\n    Ginger Gibson\n\nWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Wednesday called on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to designate the Myanmar military's campaign against the Rohingya Muslim minority a genocide.\r\nMore than 700,000 Rohingya have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state for neighboring Bangladesh since August last year, when attacks on security posts by Rohingya insurgents triggered a military crackdown that the United Nations, the United States, Britain and others described as ethnic cleansing.\r\nMyanmar denies the accusations of ethnic cleansing.\r\nWe are deeply concerned that despite clear evidence of genocide amassed by the Department's own report ... that the Department has not made a formal determination that the crime of genocide has been committed, said a letter to Pompeo from the senators, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.\r\nIn September, leaders of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee called on the Trump administration to declare the military campaign a genocide, days after a State Department report stopped short of that description.\r\nA declaration of genocide by the U.S. government could have legal implications of committing Washington to stronger punitive measures against Myanmar's government, which is led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. This has made some in the Trump administration wary of issuing such an assessment.\r\nThe areas where the Rohingya lived in Myanmar's western Rakhine State before the army ousted them were being dramatically transformed, making their return increasingly unlikely, Reuters reported on Tuesday.\r\nThe senators asked Pompeo to provide a formal determination about the actions of Myanmar's military.\r\nThere is no question that the violence in northern Rakhine State  intended to terrorize, drive out, and exterminate Rakhine's Rohingya population  meets the definition of genocide, the letter said.\r\nLed by Senator BobMenendez, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the letter was also signed by Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Susan Collins and Democratic Senators Ed Markey, Tim Kaine, Ben Cardin and Jeff Merkley.\r\nThird Canadian detained in China amid Huawei dispute\r\nFailing to officially label the actions a genocide would deny truth-telling and accountability for the Rohingya and ... would leave an indelible stain on our nation's legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability, the letter said.\r\nThe United Nations Security Council is mulling a resolution that the council could consider further steps, including sanctions, if there was not enough progress made by Myanmar in returning refugees, diplomats said.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-withdrawal-from-syria-without-success-is-failure", "Menendez: Withdrawal from Syria Without Success is Failure", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, delivered remarks on the Senate floor today in reaction to President Trump's sudden decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, and his persistent failure to hold the Kremlin to account for its misdeeds and aggressions across the world.\r\nMr. President, yesterday Christmas came early to the Kremlin.\r\nFirst, we have Trump's announcement to pull our troops out of Syria. Second, the administration wants to delist three companies controlled by Oleg Deripaska, although, I am not sure that he has adequately relinquished control of those companies. And third, the administration has done nothing to respond to Russian aggression in the Sea of Azov and the Kersh Strait.\r\nThis is a trifecta for Vladimir Putin and sends a global message that creates real concerns. Christmas has indeed come early to Moscow.\r\nThe Trump Administration's withdrawal from Syria lacks any strategy, is foolhardy, and puts U.S. security in the Middle East, including our ally the State of Israel, at great peril. This is not simply an error, it's dangerous. It's dangerous.\r\nNow, let me be clear: withdrawal from Syria without success is failure.\r\nAmerican credibility will take a horrible hit if the President moves forward with this decision.\r\nAs a country we have said that Assad, who has butchered his people, can't stay in power. Well, Assad is likely to stay in power into the foreseeable future.\r\nSecond, we have said that we cannot leave Syria because we have strategic interests. By leaving, and doing so precipitously, the President is willing to leaving these strategic interests the hands of Iran and Russia, and Moscow will be given a solid foothold in the Middle East- something it has aspired to for some time and now it will have. It will have developed bases there and it will have unfettered determination as to what to do.\r\nThird, this move will strengthen Iran's ability to attack Israel.\r\nWe are entering a very dangerous time as it is increasingly clear to all, including man of my Senate Republican colleagues and especially our international allies and adversariesthat this president is completely incapableof addressing our security challenges. Only in Donald Trump's parallel alternate universe has ISIS been defeated. There is no one who would suggest that that is reality at this point. We have made gains, we have had successes, but they have not been defeated.\r\nHis erratic decision-making indeed poses a great threat to our security interests.\r\nTrump tweeted that Russia is not happy about his decision to withdraw our forces from Syria.\r\nWell, I guess he missed President Putin's end of the year press conference, where, in his own words, he showed this morning that Russia is indeed thrilled with this abdication of U.S. leadership.\r\nI worry that we are sending a global message as well if this plan is executed. The Kurds have been the most significant fighting force on our behalf and in our interests in Syria. They have been our partners. By pulling out we are abandoning them. Turkey will come in and will seek to destroy them. They'll be hit not only by Turkey, but they'll be hit by Assad, and they'll be hit by others. Imagine the message that sends to other potential partners around the world. Those who we say, fight with us. Fight for us, instead of sending our sons and daughters. The message is - once the US is done using you, we will abandon you. We cannot afford this message. Any other place in the world where we want people to fight with us, or for us, and carry the burden of being on the front lines so our sons and daughters are not in harm's way -- they are going to look at this moment and say no way. The will say that the U.S. will abandon us. They will say that the U.S. will leave us on the battlefield to die.\r\nAs someone who has voted against the deployment of U.S. troops elsewhere, I don't take these issues lightly. I want our sons and daughters to come home as soon as possible. But by withdrawing these forces now, with no strategy, the U.S. is placing our security and that of allies at grave risk. And the sacrifices that have been made by our troops will have been lost.\r\nRussia has entered into this war in Syria in an unholy marriage with Iran. One, yes, was to prop up Assad. But also to gain a tactical vantage point on Israel's northern border. Our withdrawal leaves a vacuum that Iran will fill, putting Israel at even greater risk. To believe that we can outsource our allies' interests to Russia, and that Russia will tell Iran to leave Syria is ridiculous. Iran is not a simple agent of Russia in this regard. Iran has shed its own blood and national treasure in pursuit of its interest, both to prop up Assad, and to have a vantage point on the northern border of Israel  another place to strike at Israel. It's not going to give that up simply because Putin says to leave. Anyone who believes that has a clear misunderstanding of the realities of this relationship.\r\nCompletely withdrawing the U.S. from Syria, at this moment, with no strategy in place, signals to the region and to the world that we are willing to cede our interests to Putin, to Iran and to others who will exploit this leadership vacuum.\r\nPresident Trump has been silent in the face of egregious behavior from Saudi Arabia, behavior that this chamber spoke to in a unanimous way. He has no strategy for securing our interests around the Middle East or the world. It is all too clear who is winning.\r\nThe Kremlin attacked Ukrainian ships and captured Ukrainian sailors nearly a month ago. Those vessels and sailors remain in Russian hands. They are hostages. Hostages, who were taken from the high seas in international waters, in violation of international law. And what has the administration done? Canceled a meeting with President Putin. Trump canceled a meeting. That's it.\r\nTrump has not rolled out new sanctions on those responsible for the attack.\r\nTrump has not increased U.S. and NATO presence in the Black Sea, in order to preserve international maritime passage for all.\r\nTrump has not announced new security assistance for the Ukrainians.\r\nOne month has passed and President Putin has felt zero pressure to release these sailors.\r\nZero pressure ease tensions in the Kerch Strait.\r\nZero pressure to negotiate an end to the war in the Donbas or return Crimea to Ukraine.\r\nIn fact, Putin seems quite at ease. His yearly press conference earlier today was a victory lap. He is already prodding President Trump, welcoming the evacuation from Syria and calling for President Trump to stand by his campaign commitment to also withdraw from Afghanistan.\r\nHe's doing it purposely to see if he can elicit the same reaction he has elicited in Syria.\r\nThis retreat has left Vladimir Putin with the glow of victory.\r\nHe is winning in Syria.\r\nHe is winning with Turkey.\r\nHe is winning in Ukraine.\r\nAnd Trump wants to take our players off the field.\r\nAnd this misguided withdrawal from Syria drives that point home.\r\nPutin's control of Trump came into sharp focus yesterday. I urge our Republican colleagues to see this for what it is. The small price that Putin paid to interfere in our national election has paid off in Syria. It has paid off in Ukraine. And the American people are paying the ultimate price. This is a dangerous time and our security lies in the hands of a president who I will respectfully say is clearly not up to the task.\r\nI have called on this Administration and the last to develop, present and execute a clear and comprehensive strategy to promote our interests in Syria. This means a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran and its proxy networks, who, from Hezbollah to the Houthis, have only grown stronger as this Administration continues to bungle its way through one foreign policy crisis to the next.\r\nThe president has the opportunity to reverse course and avoid a spectacular failure. He should listen to his military and national security advisors, none of which ultimately recommended this course of action. He should listen to our allies, none of which have recommended this course of action. He should invest in alliances and international institutions that multilaterialize and strengthen our reach across the globe. He should listen to this bipartisan chorus from Congress. There have been voices on both sides of the aisle who said, change course. This is a grave mistake. He has an opportunity to avoid a grave mistake.\r\nI will repeat what I said yesterday at a press conference with Senator Graham and Senator Reed:\r\nWithdrawal from Syria without success is failure. Simply withdrawing is not a success. Withdrawing without success, without honoring the sacrifices that have been made by our troops there, without honoring the sacrifices that have been made by our allies there, like the Kurds, without recognizing the enormous civilian casualties that will take place in the aftermath, without recognizing that we will leave a void for other particularly nefarious entities to ultimately fill that void, without recognizing that we create a risk for our ally the state of Israel on its northern border, without recognizing that at the end of the day our strategic interest will be totally lost in this regard  is indeed a great failure.\r\nI hope the President takes this opportunity to change course, to listen to his national security and military advisors, and to chorus of bipartisan voices in the Senate, including those of us who are engaged in national security questions  whether myself, as the senior Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or Senator Reed as the senior Democrat in the Armed Services Committee, or Senator Graham who sits on both on Armed Services and is the chair of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations of the Appropriations Committee. These are bipartisan voices, among other, who are making it very clear that this is a grave mistake. We have a chance to Not to make that grave mistake, and the consequences that flow from it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/sen-menendez-speaks-on-floor-regarding-trumps-withdrawal-from-syria", "Sen. Menendez Speaks on Floor Regarding Trump's Withdrawal from Syria", "2018-12-20", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1159", "Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs stand against Government Shutdown", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Problem Solvers Caucus Co-Chairs stand against Government Shutdown \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 19, 2018\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Today, Congressmen Tom Reed (NY-23) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, released to the following statement:With just days before the government shuts down, we urge leaders on both sides of the aisle to work together, in good faith, and find a solution to keep the government open. Americans expect and deserve much more than more gridlock and more shutdowns.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://payne.house.gov/press-release/ranking-member-donald-m-payne-jr-statement-school-safety-commission-report", "Ranking Member Donald M. Payne, Jr. Statement on School Safety Commission Report", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Payne", "P000604", "payne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Yesterday, the Trump administration released its School Safety Commission Report. The Commission Report ignores evidence-based violence prevention strategies and would roll back anti-discrimination educational policies. Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Homeland Security's Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications, and Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), incoming Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security issued the following statement:\n\nThe Trump administration's Federal School Safety Commission Report is an assault on civil rights that ignores evidence-based reality in order to advance an extremist agenda, said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. There is a commonality among the mass shootings in American schoolseasy access to firearms. Rather than address the root cause of school shootings, the Trump administration provide recommendations for putting guns in classrooms, as if teachers are security guards and schools are prisons. Nobody thinks that's a good idea except for the NRA. Make no mistake, the administration's proposal will endanger students.\n\nSaid Rep. Bennie G. Thompson, The Commission's findings are disappointing. The Trump Administration's report does not reflect the sense of urgency needed to address the growing threat of lethal violence in our nation's schools. It is clear that the leadership on this issue is missing in the Executive Branch. Therefore, it is up to Congress to conduct legislative action and Congressional oversight. School safety is a priority for the Committee and I look forward to working with Congressman Payne on meaningful legislation to secure our nation's schools.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-sires-statement-on-the-administration-s-decision-to-withdraw", "Congressman Sires Statement on the Administrations Decision to Withdraw U.S. Forces from Syria", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.)  Today, Congressman Sires, member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement regarding the Administration's surprise announcement to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria:\nThe President's decision to go against the advice of the Pentagon and rapidly pull U.S. forces from Syria is impulsive, reckless, and dangerous. It undermines our allies and emboldens our foes. His actions strengthen the hand of Assad's brutal forces and create a void that the Iranians and Russians are happy to fill. The Kurds, who are courageously fighting against ISIS and providing safe-haven for religious minorities are left out in the cold and vulnerable to attacks from both ISIS and Turkish forces. To make matters worse, we know Iran is committed to destabilizing the region through proxies in its continued offensive against Israel. Pulling Americans out of Syria leaves the door wide open for Iran to set up shop right at Israel's border. I sincerely hope the President will take the advice of his experts and reconsider his rash decision. I know it's the holiday season but there's no reason to give gifts to the Iranian, Russian, and Syrian regimes while leaving our allies to fend for themselves.\nToday, Pentagon officials announced that all U.S. forces will be withdrawn from Syria over the coming weeks, following the President's claim to have defeated the Islamic State. The United States has been active in Syria since 2014 and maintains approximately 2,000 troops there to support anti-ISIS forces.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=876", "Booker, Harris Statement on Senate Passage of Anti-Lynching Bill", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill would make lynching a federal hate crime after more than a century of failed attempts \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 19, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kamala Harris (D-CA), members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the below statement following the passage through the Senate by unanimous consent of their bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act of 2018, historic legislation that would  for the first time in history  criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and lynching conspiracies.\nThe legislation was originally introduced in June by Booker and Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Tim Scott (R-SC). It passed the Judiciary Committee in October.\nToday is an emotional and historic day, Booker said. For over a century, members of Congress have attempted to pass some version of a bill that would recognize lynching for what it is: a bias-motivated act of terror. And for more than a century, and more than 200 attempts, this body has failed. Today, we have righted that wrong and taken corrective action that recognizes this stain on our country's history.\nThis bill will not undo the damage, the terror, and the violence that has been already done, nor will it bring back the lives that have been brutally taken, Booker continued. It will not reverse the irrevocable harm that lynching as a tool of oppression and suppression has caused. But it will acknowledge the wrongs in our history. It will honor the memories of those so brutally killed. And it will leave a legacy that future generations can look back on  that on this day, in this time, we did the right thing.\nLynchings were needless and horrendous acts of violence that were motivated by racism. And we must acknowledge that fact, lest we repeat it, said Senator Harris. From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation when it had an opportunity 200 times. Today, by passing this bill, we have offered some long overdue justice and recognition to the victims of lynching crimes.\"\nFrom 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. Lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation more than 4,000 times during the late 19th and 20th centuries, according to data from the Equal Justice Initiative.\nThe Justice for Victims of Lynching Act is supported by the NAACP, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Equal Justice Initiative.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=877", "Booker Hails Signing into Law of Sickle Cell Disease Bill", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Legislation was cleared by Senate in October; approved by House last week 90 percent of sickle cell disease patients are African-American \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 19, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) hailed the signing into law of the bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act  introduced by Booker and Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) in February and cleared by the Senate in October. The House sent it to the president's desk last week. A companion bill in the House was introduced by Representatives Danny Davis (D-Il) and Michael Burgess (R-TX). \nResearch and treatment efforts for sickle cell disease lags behind that of other chronic illnesses, even though it is the most common inherited blood disorder in our country, Booker said. This new law will improve the lives of people suffering from sickle cell disease, recognize the disease as a serious and debilitating illness, and allocate new resources to monitoring, researching, and treating it.\nThe legislation seeks to improve sickle cell disease (SCD) treatment, research, monitoring, and prevention. Sickle cell disease is a group of rare red blood cell disorders that cause debilitating pain, severe infections, and countless other health complications, including organ damage and stroke. It is estimated that SCD affects 100,000 Americans - an estimated 90 percent of whom are African-American  but the exact figure is unknown due to limited efforts to collect data on the disease.\nDespite medical advances, SCD patients continue to have difficulty accessing care and knowledgeable providers, and the average life expectancy for a patient with the condition remains 20 to 30 years lower than the average American.\nThe new law will allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to issue grants to eligible entities (which include states, state or local health departments, and institutions of higher education) for the purposes of:\n  Collecting data on sickle cell disease, including on its prevalence, geographic distribution, and the health disparities that exist; and\n  Conducting public health initiatives with respect to the disease, including developing strategies to improve access to screening, treatment, and management for sickle cell disease.\nThe new law also reauthorizes and expands the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program for four years.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-reed-on-trump-administration-decision-to-withdraw-troops-from-syria", "Menendez, Reed on Trump Administration Decision to Withdraw Troops From Syria", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Reed on Trump Administration Decision to Withdraw Troops From Syria \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Reed on Trump Administration Decision to Withdraw Troops From Syria \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 19, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement in reaction to reports that the Trump Administration plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.\r\n \r\nThe troubling reports that President Trump ordered the immediate withdrawal of all U.S. troops and State Department personnel out of Syria with no plan or funds to stabilize the area are yet another example of this administration's dangerous lack of strategy. With so many vital U.S. national security interests at stake in the Middle East, a leadership vacuum in Syria risks outcomes that serve only Russia's and Iran's interests, not our own.\r\nWhile none of us believe there should be an open-ended presence of U.S. troops in Syria, an abrupt withdrawal right now simply does not make strategic sense. It is alarming to see President Trump running headlong into a hasty and poorly thought-out decision that could further abdicate U.S. leadership, again force U.S. allies and partners to question U.S. judgment, and leave a vacuum in Syria that could be filled by other actors and proxies in the region.\r\nAs with the Administration's earlier decision to end Syria stabilization assistance, this abrupt move appears to have been taken with little thought of the consequences to strategic U.S. interests, including the effects on our partner forces in the unfinished fight against ISIS. Furthermore, we are concerned by the consequences of choosing to outsource our strategic interests in Syria to Russia and Iran, which inevitably threatens the security of our partners in Israel, Iraq, and Jordan.\r\nOn Syria, it is unacceptable that Congressional committees of jurisdiction once again find ourselves in a situation where we hear more from the press than we do directly from the Trump Administration. It is our expectation that senior administration officials will fully and immediately brief Congress on the significant strategic consequences of this decision, and the manner in which they plan on implementing it.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-rubio-lead-bipartisan-call-for-secretary-pompeo-to-formally-determine-rohingya-crisis-a-genocide-", "Menendez, Rubio lead Bipartisan Call for Secretary Pompeo to Formally Determine Rohingya Crisis a Genocide", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Rubio lead Bipartisan Call for Secretary Pompeo to Formally Determine Rohingya Crisis a Genocide  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Rubio lead Bipartisan Call for Secretary Pompeo to Formally Determine Rohingya Crisis a Genocide  \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 19, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON  Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and a bipartisan group of senators wrote a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asking his agency to formally determine if the Burmese government's campaign of violence against the Rohingya people constitutes a genocide. In their letter, the Senators expressed concern that even after the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the State Department's own contractors described the situation as a genocide, the State Department has still not made the important legal determination.\r\n \r\nRefusal to formally determine that this situation constitutes genocide in light of the available evidence would leave an indelible stain on our nation's legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability, wrote the Senators. It would also deny truth-telling and accountability for the thousands of Rohingya who have been terrorized by the Burmese military's brutal actions.\r\n \r\nJoining Menendez and Rubio were senators Ed Markey (R-Mass.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.).\r\nA full text of the letter can be found here and below:\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Mike Pompeo\r\nSecretary of State\r\nDepartment of State\r\n2201 C Street NW\r\nWashington, DC 20520\r\nDear Mr. Secretary,\r\nWe commend the State Department for its work to document atrocities and provide humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya, following atrocities committed against them by the Burmese military and security forces in Rakhine State. However, we are deeply concerned that despite clear evidence of genocide amassed by the Department's own reportalongside the findings of numerous credible non-governmental organizations, including the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museumthat the Department has not made a formal determination that the crime of genocide has been committed.\r\nThe definition of genocide includes killing or causing serious bodily or mental harm to a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the group. The deliberate infliction on such a group of conditions intended to bring about the physical destruction in whole or part of the group also constitutes genocide.[1] \r\nThere is no question that the violence in northern Rakhine State  intended to terrorize, drive out, and exterminate Rakhine's Rohingya population  meets the definition of genocide. It has been documented by respected organizations that the attacks starting in August 2017 were well-planned and fully-coordinated military operations, which included the deliberate use of tactics intended to destroy the Rohingya as an ethnic/religious group. These actions clearly meet internationally-accepted definition for genocide.\r\nThe Department's own report published in September 2018 expertly and extensively documents these atrocities and their scale. The Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG), the legal experts who were contracted by the Department to gather evidence used for its report concluded there are reasonable grounds to believe that genocide has been committed against the Rohingya. We respectfully ask that you provide a formal legal determination regarding whether the actions of the Burmese military amount to genocide to Congress without delay.\r\nWhile we would agree that there are often situations of violence and mass atrocities around the globe in which evidence is uncertain and intentions unknowable, the situation in Rakhine State is not one of those cases. Refusal to formally determine that this situation constitutes genocide in light of the available evidence would leave an indelible stain on our nation's legacy of promoting and advancing human rights, dignity, and accountability. It would also deny truth-telling and accountability for the thousands of Rohingya who have been terrorized by the Burmese military's brutal actions.\r\nWe look forward to working with you to ensure the United States continues to play a leading role in providing assistance to vulnerable and targeted populations, documenting crimes against humanity, and bringing perpetrators to justice.\r\nThank you for your attention to this important issue.\r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n    \r\n\r\n[1] Convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide, done at Paris December 9, 1948; U.S. accession on February 23, 1989.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/video-release-menendez-calls-for-long-term-flood-insurance-reforms-in-face-of-increasing-climate-change-threat-", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Menendez Calls for Long-Term Flood Insurance Reforms in Face of Increasing Climate Change Threat", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "***VIDEO RELEASE*** Menendez Calls for Long-Term Flood Insurance Reforms in Face of Increasing Climate Change Threat  \n\t\t\t\n\t ***VIDEO RELEASE*** Menendez Calls for Long-Term Flood Insurance Reforms in Face of Increasing Climate Change Threat  \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 19, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), chair of the Sandy Task Force and the leading policy expert in Congress on flood insurance, today joined Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) on the Senate Floor to draw attention to the increased risks of climate change and call for passage of the SAFE NFIP Act.\r\n \r\nI've never understood why we require homeowners to sit in harm's way and wait for the next storm to come before we help them reduce their flood risk. It makes no sense, said Sen. Menendez. Instead of looking to simply raise prices, I want to focus on reducing costs. I believe the best way out of this hole is to make proactive investments in resiliency and mitigation to reduce the damage in the first place.\r\n \r\n\r\nCLICK TO WATCH SEN. MENENDEZ'S FULL REMARKS\r\nSen. Menendez lamented the short-term thinking and a kick-the-can-down-the-road mentality in Congress that prevents it from solving the nation's big problems. He urged the Senate to work on a long-term vision and debate his bipartisan SAFE NFIP Act, which would make comprehensive reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), like investing in proactive mitigation, strengthening accountability, and addressing affordability concerns.\r\nThe NFIP expires Friday, but rather than advancing Sen. Menendez's SAFE NFIP, which has enough bipartisan support to pass, the Senate GOP majority is pushing another short-term extension that will extend the program through Feb. 8.\r\nSen. Menendez's full remarks, as delivered, are below:\r\nM. President, I come to the floor today to once again join the Senator from Rhode Island in calling attention to the crisis that is climate change.\r\nI want to thank my friend Senator Whitehouse for his passion, persistence, and refusal to let the U.S. Senate be silent in the face of one of the gravest threats to ever confront our nation and the world.\r\nSome say we can't afford to invest in clean, renewable, American-made energy. Well, I say we can't afford not to.\r\nThe fact is, every year that goes by without a comprehensive strategy to reduce the carbon pollution responsible for warming our planet is another year in which the federal government of the United States fails to protect future generations from the immense environmental, economic and human costs inflicted by climate change.\r\nI yearn for the day that this body summons the courage to stand up to the special interests and boldly confront this challenge, for the longer we wait, the more expensive and the less effective we will be. And if you don't believe me, just look at our national flood insurance program, which is already in dire need of comprehensive, forward-thinking reform.\r\nI've spent the better part of the past two years bringing Democrats and Republicans together in support of such a plan, and yet, the Majority has stubbornly refused to debate our legislation, forcing us to pass short-term reauthorizations that preserve a broken status quo. And like the totality of the climate threat, when it comes to flood insurance, every time we kick the can down the road, the can only gets heavier.\r\nFor our coastal and inlet communities, climate change isn't some far-out problem. It's here. We're already feeling the effects and bearing the costs in the form of rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms. And even if the President of the United States suddenly reversed course and put America on a path to slow our changing climate, we would still need to address how we manage a heightened risk for flooding.\r\nFrom fishing to tourism to trade and so much more, the fact is America's coastal communities are vital to our long-term economic competitiveness, and to give up on them in the face of rising sea levels would be to give up on our country.\r\nAccording to the Union of Concerned Scientists, sea-level rise will put an estimated 325,000 homes and businesses worth more than $135 billion at risk of chronic flooding in the next 30 years.\r\nWith increased risk for flooding comes a whole host of challenges. Falling property values will further strain local budgets, leading to downgraded government credit ratings. And as communities lose out on approximately $1.5 billion in property taxes per year, hardworking taxpayers will feel the pain. It will cut away at middle class families' most valuable asset, the foundation of their financial nest eggtheir home.\r\nAccording to a paper published by the University of Pennsylvania Libraries, and I quote: As sea level rise manifests along the coasts, reducing property value, impacts on revenue will present new challenges in servicing debt and present a greater probability of default by local government.'\r\nWe cannot simply keep spending money to preserve the status quo. We need a system for managing flood risk that pushes our country towards resiliency and treats our people and the communities they live in fairly. But unfortunately, we've remained at an impasse for over a year now, unable to fix a program that we all know is badly broken.\r\nWe in New Jersey witnessed firsthand the pervasive problems plaguing the National Flood Insurance Program  or NFIP  after Superstorm Sandy hit in 2012. It was bad enough that so many New Jerseyans had to grapple with the heartbreak of losing their homes in the wrath of Sandy. So it made my blood boil to see their suffering compounded by a badly broken flood insurance program.\r\nWe found ourselves lost in a system that put the policyholder last; that looked for every reason to deny legitimate claims and made some up when they didn't exist.\r\nWe had homeowners find the foundations of their homes had washed away into the ocean, only to have their claim denied because their insurance company claimed it wasn't floodwaters, but moving soil, that caused the damage. The insurance adjuster didn't stop to consider that maybe it was the five-foot storm surge that moved the soil in the first place.\r\nOne of my constituents who I got to know very well, got snagged by this loophole. As you can see from this picture, the storm surge from Sandy inundated his home and ripped apart his foundation, leaving a large hole in his living room. But despite paying his flood insurance premiums for years, despite serving our nation honorably as a United States Marine, Doug's claim was denied.\r\nWe saw mitigation programs that were so cumbersome and delayed that many homeowners simply gave up.\r\nWe had new flood maps come online that were 80 percent inaccurate in some counties.\r\nWe had FEMA using taxpayer dollars to drag homeowners through expensive litigation until they gave up on their flood claims.\r\nThe struggles of every day New Jerseyans revealed to me the dramatic shortcomings of our flood insurance program, and left me determined to fix them. I began working on flood insurance reform that took the lessons we learned after Sandy and turned them into action.\r\nIn the summer of 2017, I introduced the Sustainable, Affordable, Fair and Efficientor SAFENFIP Act, a comprehensive flood insurance reform bill cosponsored by four Democrats and three Republicans here in the Senate. And I know this town already has too many acronyms, but this one clearly spells out the four major goals we have in this bill.\r\nWe want the NFIP to be sustainable, affordable, fair and efficient.\r\nLet's start with sustainability. We must put the NFIP on the path to solvency. Since Katrina in 2005, the NFIP has been in the red, borrowing from the Treasury Department to pay claims.\r\nSome say we should jack up premiums on homeowners and keep charging more to get at this imbalancethat if we ask homeowners to pay more and more, eventually the NFIP will have enough money to pay all claims without borrowing. But higher premiums alone are not the answer.\r\nOf course we want everyone to pay their fair sharebut the undeniable reality is that the more we raise premiums, the more homeowners leave the National Flood Insurance Program all together. And that guarantees the program's failure. Instead of looking to simply raise prices, I want to focus on reducing costs.\r\nI believe the best way out of this hole is to make proactive investments in resiliency and mitigation to reduce the damage in the first place. In other words, we must build coastal communities that are resilient and strongso that the damage inflicted by the storms of the future is less expensive to recover.\r\nThat's why the SAFE NFIP Act includes a billion dollars per year in mitigation funding and more than triples the maximum Increased Cost of Compliance or ICC grant from $30,000 to $100,000. We also require that this funding be spent more wisely, allowing homeowners to use ICC grants before their house is destroyed.\r\nI've never understood why we require homeowners to sit in harm's way and wait for the next storm to come before we help them reduce their flood risk. It makes no sense.\r\nOur bill would fix that. By giving Americans the tools to reduce their risk, we can save the NFIP and the taxpayer billions of dollars.\r\nOur legislation also goes after wasteful private insurance company fees, which consume about 30 percent of every premium dollar, despite taking on none of the risk. I'm all for private companies making a profit, but every dollar they make comes from the pockets of policyholders.\r\nThe NFIP also currently pays about $400 million in interest every year. That's ten percent of its annual premiumsmoney that could be going towards flood prevention and mitigation. That's why our bill freezes interest payments on NFIP debt and redirects that funding towards mitigation. Rather than paying interest to ourselves and forcing the NFIP to borrow even more, let's use that money to reduce future damages, save taxpayer dollars, and build safe communities.\r\nWe cannot have a solvent and sustainable flood insurance program if it isn't affordable to the people who depend on it.\r\nThe NFIP's debt and major hurricanes have put upward pressure on premiums, making it more and more expensive to get coverage. So it's no surprise that a lot of people have been forced to drop their flood insurance. Indeed, in the face of rising premiums, the NFIP lost more than 650,000 policies, or over ten percent of its total business since just 2009.\r\nHas the risk of flooding decreased since 2009? Are there fewer homes in floodplains now? Of course not. When you consider the floods that have struck Louisiana and Texas and New Jersey in recent years, the answer is an unequivocal no.\r\nWhat's happened is that premiums have just gotten too expensive for middle class families to afford. At the end of the day, this also hurts the solvency of the NFIP, because just like every other insurance model, a smaller pool means a more risky and more expensive pool.\r\nSo our bill creates a first of its kind, means-tested affordability program that helps middle class and working families afford flood insurance.\r\nPricing families out of coverage and leaving them without a way to protect their homes does nothing to address the underlying risk. On the contrary, it will be taxpayers who ultimately assume the risk when they are asked to fund uninsured disaster assistance.\r\nIt's our responsibility to taxpayers to make the NFIP as fair and efficient as possible.\r\nI have no doubt that hundreds, if not thousands, of New Jerseyans dropped their flood insurance after Sandy because of how they were treated.\r\nThey faithfully paid their premiums for years, often decades, without filing a single claim. Then when Sandy struck and they tried to collect what they were entitled to, they had to suffer another disaster, this time manmadethe storm after the storm.\r\nAfter losing everything they worked for their whole lives, they now had to fight against an insurance company and a daunting federal bureaucracy. Some appealed, some sued. Some just gave up.\r\nI pledged to them we'd never let this happen again. Our legislation makes good on that promise by putting the customer, in this case the policyholder, first.\r\nWe close notorious loopholes that allow insurers to deny claimslike the infamous earth movement exclusion when we know flood waters caused the damage.\r\nWe fix the appeal process, enforcing FEMA's own deadline to respond to homeowners and giving people who just went through a disaster more time to file their appeal.\r\nWe require engineer studies to be conducted byand imagine thisactual, licensed engineers in the state they are operating.\r\nWe require insurance companies to provide policyholders with all of the documents used to process their claim so homeowners aren't left in the dark.\r\nAnd we end the practice of private insurance companies spending hundreds of millions of policyholder premium dollars on private attorneys whose main goal is to bill as many hours as possible.\r\nTaken together, these reforms will not only give policyholders a fair shake, they will also save the NFIP resources that can be better directed to mitigation, mapping, and other cost-saving investments.\r\nWe must recognize that the NFIP and its five million policyholders can't solve all of our nation's flooding problems on their own. We need to invest tens of billions of dollars elevating and buying out flood prone properties that get hit year after year.\r\nThere simply aren't enough resources in the NFIP to even put a dent in this problem. So instead of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on disaster grants each time a storm strikes, why not spend a fraction of that on the front end that will yield real dividends in the future?\r\nWhen a disaster strikes, our immediate priority should always be to save lives and get survivors back to a sense of normalcy as quickly as possible. But while recovery funding is absolutely vital, it shouldn't be at the expense of rebuilding stronger, more resilient communities more capable of weathering the next storm.\r\nWe have a problem in Congress of short-termism; living in the present and not looking ahead. We're afraid of making tough political decisions in the present even when the future is on the line. We see it with flood insurance and we see it with climate change.\r\nThe American people desperately need Congress to overcome this short-sighted short-termism.\r\nWe must start thinking beyond the storm that just hitor even the one on the horizon.\r\nWe must begin thinking about the risk over the next several decades, because flood risk is a climate risk we cannot afford to ignore.\r\nWe must think about what kind of future, what kind of environment, what kind of economy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.\r\nIt should not matter who controls the House, or who controls the Senate, or who sits in the White House. The Americans of tomorrow are depending on usthe leaders of todayto be bold, and unafraid, and willing to think big.\r\nThat's why I hope that Republicans and Democrats alike will continue to work with me on the issue of flood insurance and flood prevention when we return in 2019.\r\nAgain, I want to thank my colleague from Rhode Island for the opportunity to speak, and I yield my time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/senator-menendez-calls-attention-to-increasing-natural-disasters", "Senator Menendez Calls Attention to Increasing Natural Disasters", "2018-12-19", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) delivers remarks from the Senate Floor citing rising sea levels and the ongoing threat of climate change as a prime reason for Congress to pass his comprehensive, bipartisan SAFE NFIP Act, which includes substantial investment in mitigation and resiliency efforts to guard against more severe and frequent storms.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1156", "Gottheimer Statement on Net Neutrality", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In December 2017, I joined more than 100 of my colleagues in writing to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging him to remove consideration of his plan overturning the 2015 Open Internet Order from the Commission's agenda. I have fought  and will continue to fight  efforts to allow providers to block or throttle content, or give preference to some internet users at the expense of others.  We must protect a free and open internet.However, I also believe that we cannot keep putting band-aids on this issue. Congress must update the Communications Act of 1934, by bringing it into the 21st Century. The more than 80-year-old Communications Act is inadequate for today's 21st Century internet; its framework is in dire need of reform. In recent years, the FCC has sought to regulate internet service providers first under Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and later by reclassifying broadband internet access service as a telecommunications service. Yet, in the absence of new legislation, these efforts have either been vacated by the courts or overturned by a new Commission Chairman. We must enshrine a free and open internet into law and put all of our energy into updating the Communications Act in the next Congress. That is why I stand ready to work with Democrats and Republicans, under the leadership of the Energy and Commerce Committee, to codify strong consumer protections, preserve net neutrality, and maintain a framework that ensures that U.S. continues to lead the world in competitiveness and innovation online. We must prohibit anti-competitive practices like blocking, throttling, paid prioritization, and discrimination in favor of affiliated content providers. We must also have robust protections to safeguard the privacy of consumers' sensitive information. If we want the innovation economy and entrepreneurs to thrive, we cannot pick winners and losers online. We must allow all innovation and innovators to flourish, so we can maintain our global leadership.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1157", "Gottheimer Praises New Jersey for Bus Safety Laws", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Four new bills were signed into law yesterday afternoon, making the Garden State an example for the rest of the country on school bus safety. The bills mirror federal legislation Gottheimer introduced earlier this year -- Miranda's Law and the Secure Every Child Under the Right Equipment Standards (SECURES) Act of 2018 -- in the wake of the Paramus bus accident in May that tragically killed two people, including 10-year-old Miranda Vargas.I am proud of the bipartisan effort here in New Jersey to keep our children safe on the school bus, and it's time we pass these common sense reforms at a national level. I applaud the tireless efforts of Senator Lagana, Assemblywoman Swain, and Assemblyman Tully in the legislature to get this bill across the finish line. I am also incredibly thankful for the work that Joevanny Vargas, Miranda's father, has done in the wake of his family's tragedy to make sure no family has to endure what his has, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). The evidence couldn't be clearer: seat belts in school buses save lives. Congress should be doing everything in its power, including passing the SECURES Act, to help protect our children. The bills signed into law Monday require:  \r\n- school bus operations in the State to comply with federal regulations concerning safety, noise emissions, insurance, and drug testing, among other areas (A4339).  \r\n- all permanent and substitute school bus drivers and aides to undergo safety education programs twice every year (A4345).  \r\n- holders of a bus driver license to submit a medical report by a certified medical examiner. It also requires bus drivers over age 70 to submit proof of physical fitness every year, and those over age 75 to submit this proof every six months (S2848).  \r\n- that when the Department of Education notifies a board of education or a school bus contractor that a school bus driver has had their bus driver license suspended or revoked, the board of education or school bus contractor must verify to DOE that the driver in question no longer operates a bus for them (S2850). In May, Gottheimer announced his bipartisan SECURES Act following the Paramus bus accident, which would require all school buses to have three-point lap-and-shoulder seat belts and encourages innovative measures to ensure that students are actually wearing their seat belts while on school buses. Gottheimer also introduced Miranda's Law, a bill that will require automatic notifications of driver violations to school districts and school bus companies within 24 hours, so they can take immediate action to keep unsafe drivers off the road and away from our children. This month, the United States experienced three fatal accidents involving buses carrying school children. The spate of crashes during the holiday season heightens the urgent need for Congress to take action before the end of the year and pass the bipartisan SECURES Act of 2018.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1158", "Problem Solvers Statement on Criminal  Justice Reform Passing Senate", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Problem Solvers Statement on Criminal  Justice Reform Passing Senate \r\n   \r\n    \r\n       \r\n      \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e\r\n      \r\n      \r\n    \r\n    \r\n      \r\n        Washington,\r\n        December 18, 2018\r\n      \r\n       \r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      \r\n      \r\n      Today, Congressmen Tom Reed (NY-23) and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Co-Chairs of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, released to the following statement:The Problem Solvers Caucus was proud to put our full weight behind the FIRST Step Act more than six months ago. This bill betters our communities, improves the lives of thousands and saves taxpayers money. Congress must continue to craft and pass more bipartisan legislation like the FIRST Step Act.\r\n    \r\n  \r\n  \r\n  \r\n    \r\n      f \r\n      t \r\n      #\r\n      e", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-environmental-advocates-call-action-combat-climate-change", "Pallone & Environmental Advocates Call for Action to Combat Climate Change", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. -Congressman FrankPallone, Jr. (NJ-06)and New Jersey environmental leaders met today at the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University to discuss the urgent need to address climate change. Last month, the Fourth National Climate Assessment was released and provided further evidence of the devastating impact that climate change will have on our environment and the global economy.\n  \n\tAs the most recent assessment confirms and the overwhelming majority of the scientific community agrees, climate change is real, is caused by human activity like burning fossil fuels, and is already harming communities across America, said Pallone.No region of the U.S. has been and will be spared from the effects of a warming climate, and Americans are already suffering the costs.\nRather than hiding the facts, President Trump should heed the message of our nation's preeminent climate scientists and experts:Climate change is a clear and present danger to the health and wealth of the American people. I want to thank the environmentalists here today who are committed to taking action and I will be bringing their ideas to Washington as the new Congress begins. Representatives from the Urban Coast Institute, Stockton University's Coastal Research Center, Clean Ocean Action, New Jersey League of Conservation Voters, NY/NJ Baykeepers, Environment New Jersey, the Littoral Society, the Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association were present at the event.\nAccording to the assessment, the Northeastern region of the United States can expect rising temperatures, changing precipitation patters, milder winters, earlier springs, and other changing environments that will impact human health, hydrology, and the economy. Specifically, the assessment highlights that by 2100, sea level rise will likely increase property losses in New Jersey by $30 million, the continuous burning of fossil fuels coupled with reoccurring wildfires will continue to threaten air quality, and by 2050 nearly half of the commercial fish species will be highly vulnerable. The Trump administration has denounced the findings of the report, while continuing to pursue policies that make it more difficult to combat climate change.\nCongressman Pallone is slated to become Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee in the new Congress. The committee has jurisdiction over energy and the environment.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=873", "Booker Legislation Seeks to End Unethical and Unnecessary Testing on Primates", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Bill would restrict animal testing using primate species \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 18, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Legislation introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) today would seek to prevent unnecessary and unethical animal testing practices on primates.\nExperiments on primates often are unnecessary, as they do not address essential human needs, such as effective medical treatments and cures for serious medical conditions. For instance, a scientific review by the Institute of Medicine determined that chimpanzees were not necessary for scientific research. As a result, the National Institutes of Health has ended funding for all chimpanzee experiments, which effectively eliminated experiments on chimpanzees.\nWhen scientifically reliable alternatives exist, animal testing should be avoided, Booker said. This legislation seeks to eliminate unethical and unnecessary testing on primates and would make any new testing on primates a last resort when necessary for the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of life-threatening human diseases.\nThe Primate Protection and Research Modernization Act of 2018 is endorsed by numerous scientists, legal scholars, and other professionals.\nThe bill has four major components:\n \nIt restricts testing on nonhuman primates and require approval of new nonhuman primate testing by a committee of experts. To qualify for review by the committee, proposed testing must meet four criteria: (1) the research is for prevention, diagnosis or treatment of debilitating or life-threatening clinical conditions in human beings; (2) no alternative research method exists; (3) the nonhuman primates will be housed in an ethologically appropriate environment; and (4) a National Academies of Sciences review indicates that the use of nonhuman primates has an established history of advancing the field of research in question and has resulted in meaningful clinical interventions.\nIt requires the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review preexisting fields of research and determine whether nonhuman primate research has led to meaningful clinical interventions.\nIt prohibits foreign grants and restricts domestic awards to perform nonhuman primate research, unless prior approval is provided by the newly created review committee.\nIt prohibits research for consumer goods and products.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=874", "Booker Introduces Bill to Shine Light on Pharma's Efforts to Manipulate Medicaid Drug Coverage Decisions", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today introduced a bill to shine a light on certain tactics drugmakers employ to profit off of state Medicaid programs by influencing their drug coverage decisions. The bill follows an investigation over the summer that found that drug makers swarm state Medicaid board meetings when their drugs are under consideration and have given payments and perks to doctors serving on those boards, like free meals and consulting opportunities. For example, in Arizona, one drug review board member had received more than $700,000 worth of industry payments since 2013.\nThe nefarious tactics that drug companies use to influence state Medicaid programs' drug coverage decisions are dishonest and disturbing, Booker said. These tactics are all in the pursuit of one goal  making themselves more money. My bill would address this problem by increasing transparency and shining a light into the payments and perks pharma companies make to the individuals who determine the types of drugs that are included on state Medicaid programs' preferred lists.\n\"Our nation's broken drug pricing system will never be fixed while critical decisions are made in a black box and behind closed doors, Shawn Gremminger, Senior Director of Federal Relations at Families USA, said. This legislation takes an important step in increasing transparency so that the public knows who is making decisions that impact their ability to get the drugs they need.\"\nUnder current law, drug companies are required to disclose any payments or other perks of value made to physicians and certain other providers. But these disclosure requirements don't apply to many individuals who serve on the review boards, including pharmacists, who by law must make up at least one-third of the membership of a state's board.\nDrug companies have a lucrative financial interest in influencing which drugs are included on a state's preferred list under Medicaid since Medicaid covers roughly 76 million people, or nearly one out of every four Americans. These efforts are often at odds with state efforts to keep costs low.\nThe Medicaid Drug Decisions Transparency Act would increase transparency and shine a light into drug company payments to individuals with influence over the types of drugs preferred by states' Medicaid programs by:\n \nExpanding the payment reporting requirements established by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act to include pharmacists as well as individuals who serve on a state drug use review board.\nRequiring states to clearly publish a list of state Medicaid drug use review board members. Currently, accurate, updated information about who serves on state Medicaid drug use review boards is difficult to find and in some cases not publicly available. \nRequiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide states with a summary of reported payments to members of that state's Medicaid drug use review board.\nIncrease financial penalties for drug makers that fail to comply with the reporting requirements.\n \nToday's bill is part of Booker's ongoing effort to lower consumer drug prices for the millions of New Jerseyans and Americans who struggle to afford their medicine. Earlier this year, Booker published a comprehensive report outlining how drug companies were not using their newfound tax savings from the GOP tax bill to lower prescription drug prices and were instead using the windfall on stock buybacks. Last year, Senator Booker introduced a bill  the Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act  with Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Bob Casey (D-PA) that would allow Americans to import safe, low-cost medicine from Canada and other developed countries. Booker is also a sponsor of legislation that would allow Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices, make it easier to get generic drugs to market, and make other key reforms to bring down high drug costs. At a Judiciary Committee markup in June, Booker voted to advance the CREATES Act  legislation to bring less expensive generic drugs to the market faster.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=875", "Booker Statement on Senate Passage of Landmark Criminal Justice Reform Bill", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Booker instrumental in pushing for inclusion of sentencing reform provisions of Senate-introduced reform bill \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 18, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement after the Senate passed the First Step Act, a landmark bill to reform the criminal justice system.\nOur country's criminal justice system is broken  and it has been broken for decades. You cannot deny justice to any American without it affecting all Americans. That's why the passage of the First Step Act tonight is so meaningful  it begins to right past wrongs that continue to deny justice to millions of Americans.\nThis bill is a step forward for our criminal justice system. By no means can it be the only step  it must be the beginning of a long effort to restore justice to our justice system.\nBut for the first time in a long time, with the passage of this bill into law, our country will make a meaningful break from the decades of failed policies that led to mass incarceration, which has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, drained our economy, compromised public safety, hurt our children, and disproportionately harmed communities of color while devaluing the very idea of justice in America.\nVideo of Booker speaking in support of the legislation on the Senate floor earlier this afternoon is available at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLpLrhJFFMk&feature=youtu.be\nBooker is an original cosponsor of the First Step Act passed tonight, and was instrumental in pushing for the inclusion of key sentencing reform provisions in the bipartisan bill. Booker also fought to include his Mercy Act in the legislation, which effectively ends the solitary confinement of juveniles in federal supervision.\nYouth placed in solitary confinement face devastating consequences including depression, sleeplessness, psychosis, and hallucinations, Sue Mangold, CEO of Juvenile Law Center, said. Youth solitary confinement can lead to self-harm and even suicide.  This reform package takes the important step of prohibiting the use of solitary confinement for youth in the federal justice system. We applaud Senator Booker for his tireless efforts to include this provision. The developing adolescent brain is especially harmed by solitary confinement. Every state should follow this federal lead to ban the use of solitary confinement of youth. \nDriven by his experience living and working in Newark and serving on its city council and as its mayor, Booker has made reforming our broken criminal justice system a key legislative priority during his time in the Senate. Over the past five years, Booker has introduced numerous criminal justice reform proposals, including: the REDEEM Act, the CARERS Act, the PRIDE Act, the MERCY Act, the Fair Chance Act, the Equal Justice Under Law Act, the Gideon Act, the Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, the Reverse Mass Incarceration Act, and the Marijuana Justice Act.\nIn February 2015, Booker joined Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) to author the bipartisan Smarter Sentencing Act. After months of negotiations, in October 2015, Booker was part of a bipartisan group of Senators to announce a landmark comprehensive criminal justice reform compromise, the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act. The legislation was passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, but didn't advance through the Senate because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) didn't bring it up for a vote.\nIn October 2017, Booker and the co-authors of the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act renewed their push for comprehensive reform. Booker has worked publicly and behind the scenes since to advocate for meaningful reform that would impact those most marginalized by our broken criminal justice system. Booker's opposition to a House-passed version of the First Step Act that purported to advance reform but represented a step in the wrong direction helped lead to today's legislative success.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/es/noticias-y-eventos/prensa/menndez-exige-respuestas-al-departamento-de-vivienda-sobre-polticas-discriminatorias-en-contra-de-dreamers", "Men\u00e9ndez Exige Respuestas al Departamento de Vivienda Sobre Pol\u00edticas Discriminatorias en Contra de Dreamers", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menndez Exige Respuestas al Departamento de Vivienda Sobre Polticas Discriminatorias en Contra de Dreamers \n\t\t\t\n\t Menndez Exige Respuestas al Departamento de Vivienda Sobre Polticas Discriminatorias en Contra de Dreamers \n\t\n\t\t Reportes indican que funcionarios de la Administracin han solicitado a prestamistas que no aprueben prstamos respaldados por el programa FHA a beneficiarios de DACA \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 18, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, D.C.  El Senador de los Estados Unidos, Bob Menndez (D-N.J.), el miembro de mayor rango de la Subcomisin de Vivienda del Senado, envi una carta al Secretario de Vivienda y Desarrollo Urbano (HUD, por sus siglas en ingls), Ben Carson, exigiendo respuestas en respuesta a un informe reciente que sugiere que la Administracin Trump ha implementado una poltica no oficial de negar prstamos hipotecarios aseguradas bajo el programa FHA a los beneficiarios de la Accin Diferida.\r\n \r\nSi bien los tribunales federales actualmente han impedido que el presidente Trump expulse a los beneficiarios de DACA del pas, este es otro ejemplo del uso parte de la Administracin de tcticas abusivas para castigar a los Dreamers, escribieron los Senadores. Estamos consternados de que la Administracin Trump considere explotar un programa del gobierno federal para negarles a los Dreamers la oportunidad de poseer su casa propia, algo fundamental en el sueo americano que persiguen.\r\n \r\nEn un explosivo reporte de BuzzFeed News basado en entrevistas con beneficiarios de DACA, compaas de prstamos, agentes de bienes races y asociaciones de la industria, a partir de mayo de este ao, los funcionarios de la Administracin comenzaron repentinamente a pedir a los prestamistas que no aprobaran los prstamos respaldados por el programa FHA a Dreamers.\r\n \r\nAl comunicarle a los prestamistas que deben rechazar las solicitudes de prstamos hipotecarios de los beneficiarios de DACA, la Administracin est enviando un mensaje claro de que los beneficios de compra de vivienda asequible no deben corresponder a aquellos que no nacieron en los Estados Unidos, sealaron los Senadores.\r\n \r\nLos Senadores Cory Booker (D-N.J.) y Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) se unieron al Senador Menndez en la misiva al Secretario Carson.\r\nUna copia de la carta puede descargarse aqu.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-announce-over-2m-in-federal-funding-to-help-pay-for-march-winter-storm-cleanup", "Menendez, Booker Announce Over $2M in Federal Funding to Help Pay for March Winter Storm Cleanup", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker Announce Over $2M in Federal Funding to Help Pay for March Winter Storm Cleanup \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker Announce Over $2M in Federal Funding to Help Pay for March Winter Storm Cleanup \n\t\n\t\t Senators led push for federal disaster declaration after storm dumped more than 2 feet of snow on NJ \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 18, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced $2,174,730.26 in federal funding to the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for snow removal costs the state incurred following the winter storm that dropped 27 inches of snow in some parts of the state back in March. Sens. Menendez and Booker led the entire New Jersey Congressional delegation calling for President Trump to approve Governor Phil Murphy's request for a Major Disaster Declaration.\r\nFrom the outrageous amount of snow to the fierce winds, this winter storm wreaked havoc on New Jersey families, commuters and business owners. But the state and local authorities promptly serviced the roads to ensure safe travel for everyone, said Sen. Menendez. New Jerseyans are resilient and I will continue to fight in Congress to ensure our communities are prepared to deal with natural disasters.\r\nAs communities across New Jersey continue to face tightening budgets and growing snow removal costs, this federal funding couldn't come at a better time, said Sen. Booker. Winter storms like this have a direct impact on New Jersey families and businesses, and I know how important this federal investment is to making our state whole again.\r\nThe winter storm struck New Jersey from March 6-8, causing severe damage in Bergen, Essex, Morris, Passaic and Somerset Counties. The State provided snow removal assistance to Bergen and Morris counties due to the amount of snow that was dumped on those two counties.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-cortez-masto-demand-answers-from-hud-on-reported-discriminatory-policy-denying-dreamers-access-to-home-loans", "Menendez, Booker, Cortez Masto Demand Answers from HUD on Reported Discriminatory Policy Denying Dreamers Access to Home Loans", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker, Cortez Masto Demand Answers from HUD on Reported Discriminatory Policy Denying Dreamers Access to Home Loans \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker, Cortez Masto Demand Answers from HUD on Reported Discriminatory Policy Denying Dreamers Access to Home Loans \n\t\n\t\t Buzzfeed: While Trump has not been able to get rid of DACA  recipients and mortgage lenders told BuzzFeed News that  one of the ways the administration is working to reduce benefits for Dreamers is by denying them Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans. \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 18, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Housing, today sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson demanding answers in response to a recent report that suggests the Trump Administration has implemented an unofficial policy of denying Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured mortgages to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients, also known as Dreamers. The letter was cosigned by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).\r\n \r\nWhile federal courts have currently stopped President Trump from expelling DACA recipients from the country, this is yet another example of the Administration adopting underhanded tactics to punish DACA recipients for remaining in the United States, the senators wrote. We are appalled that the Trump Administration would exploit a federal government program to deny Dreamers an opportunity of owning their own home, a cornerstone of the American dream.\r\n \r\nIn an explosive BuzzFeed News report based on interviews with DACA recipients, loan officers, realtors and industry associations, starting around May of this year, Administration officials suddenly began directing lenders not to approve FHA-backed loans for DACA recipients.\r\n \r\nBy communicating to lenders that they are to reject mortgage loan applications from DACA recipients, the Administration is sending a clear message that the benefits of affordable homeownership should not accrue to those who were not born in the United States, the letter stated.\r\n \r\nFull text of the letter is below and can be downloaded here:\r\nDecember 18, 2018\r\nDear Secretary Carson:\r\nWe are extremely alarmed about recent reports that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has implemented an unofficial policy of denying Federal Housing Administration (FHA) insured loans to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. We are appalled that the Trump Administration would exploit a federal government program to deny Dreamers an opportunity of owning their own home, a cornerstone of the American dream.\r\nAs you know, Hispanics have been responsible for 59 percent of homeownership growth in the U.S. over the past five years, and are the only demographic to have consecutively increased their homeownership rates over the last three years. Moreover, immigrants who are not citizens have a homeownership rate of 39.3 percent. Any policy change to disqualify the approximately 800,000 individuals approved for DACA from FHA-insured mortgage loans unfairly denies access to affordable homeownership and hinders growth in the U.S. housing market.\r\nWhile federal courts have currently stopped President Trump from expelling DACA recipients from the country, this is yet another example of the Administration adopting underhanded tactics to punish DACA recipients for remaining in the United States. According to recent reporting, HUD has privately instructed mortgage lenders to reject FHA mortgage loan applications from DACA recipients. HUD reportedly instructed lenders to reject these loans based on the Department's new unofficial policy that DACA Employment Authorization Documents are no longer valid for purposes of substantiating work status. If these reports are accurate, this informal policy means that DACA recipients who would otherwise qualify for an FHA-insured mortgage loan, are now being unjustly rejected. Yet, when pressed for answers about reports that lenders had received instruction from HUD to reject applications from DACA recipients, a HUD spokesman provided no explanation.\r\nWe find it extremely problematic that HUD would implement such a policy in an unofficial and haphazard manner and with no public input. And while we find this particular change to be abhorrent, we expect that any policy change that makes certain borrowers ineligible for FHA-insured mortgage loans would only be issued after sound and unambiguous legal reasoning, an opportunity for public input, and communication to FHA-approved lenders. Anything less unfairly leaves borrowers, lenders, and real estate professionals in a state of limbo.\r\nFinally, HUD's new policy specifically singles out a portion of the American public that the Trump Administration has continually targeted. Such ill-advised policies have ripple effects through immigrant communities, striking fear that interactions with financial institutions and government agencies may impact one's ability to remain in the country. By communicating to lenders that they are to reject mortgage loan applications from DACA recipients, the Administration is sending a clear message that the benefits of affordable homeownership should not accrue to those who were not born in the United States. If that is not the message that HUD intends to send, it should immediately clarify its policy.\r\nAs such, please provide answers to the following questions no later than December 21, 2018:\r\n(1) Has HUD developed a policy regarding DACA recipients' eligibility for FHA-insured mortgage loans\r\n(a) If so, on what date did HUD first implement its current policy? Has this policy changed since DACA was first announced in 2012?\r\n(b) If so, please provide all relevant documents related to HUD's current policy and any prior policies. Please clarify which, if any, documents were provided to FHA-approved lenders or to HUD's Homeownership Centers as well as the date of any such transmissions.\r\n(c) If HUD has not developed a policy, please promptly provide clear and written guidance to FHA-approved lenders clarifying that as long as applicants would otherwise qualify, a borrower's DACA status will not affect his or her eligibility for an FHA-insured mortgage loan. Please provide a copy of any such guidance or communication.\r\n(2) Please provide a detailed explanation and justification for the current policy, including any statutory or regulatory authority upon which such policy change relies.\r\n(3) Which staff members and offices at HUD were involved in approving any such policy?\r\n(4) Did the Office of General Counsel provide input and/or approval for this or any such previous policy?\r\n(5) Have any HUD officials or staff communicated with any outside organizations about such a policy? If so, please identify the names of the organizations as well as the dates and participants of any meetings.\r\n(6) Have any HUD officials or staff discussed FHA eligibility of DACA recipients with officials from the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, the Department of Homeland Security, or any other executive branch agency? If so, please identify the agencies as well as the dates and participants of any meetings.\r\n(7) Did any of the agencies cited in response to question 6 provide input and/or approval for HUD's current interpretation of DACA recipient eligibility for FHA loans? If so, please provide all related documents.\r\n(8) Please provide information from FHA-approved lenders on how many applicants have been rejected for FHA-insured mortgage loans pursuant to any such policy change.\r\n(9) Please explain how this policy will affect existing FHA borrowers who are DACA recipients.\r\n(10) Does HUD have any other plans to disqualify applicants from FHA-insured mortgage loans based on their immigration status? If so, please provide detailed explanations, including any relevant statutory or regulatory authority.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/video-release_menendez-delivers-floor-speech-on-criminal-justice-reform-praises-first-step-act-as-a-move-in-the-right-direction", "***VIDEO RELEASE***  Menendez Delivers Floor Speech on Criminal Justice Reform, Praises First Step Act as a Move in the Right Direction", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "***VIDEO RELEASE***  Menendez Delivers Floor Speech on Criminal Justice Reform, Praises First Step Act as a Move in the Right Direction \n\t\t\t\n\t ***VIDEO RELEASE***  Menendez Delivers Floor Speech on Criminal Justice Reform, Praises First Step Act as a Move in the Right Direction \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 18, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) today spoke on the Senate Floor expressing his support for the bipartisan First Step Act. This important legislation incentivizes anti-recidivism programs and eases certain draconian mandatory minimum sentences. While Sen. Menendez praised the bill, he also noted that the legislation does not address the structural racism or racial disparities that exist in our criminal justice system.\r\n\r\nCLICK TO WATCH SEN. MENENDEZ'S FULL REMARK\r\nSen. Menendez's full remarks, as delivered, are below.\r\nM. President, I rise today in support of the First Step Act. This legislation is, as the title says, an important first step toward desperately needed criminal justice reform.\r\nI want to thank Senators Durbin, Grassley and Lee, as well as my good friend Senator Cory Booker, for advancing this bipartisan compromise. The Junior Senator from New Jersey has been relentless in his efforts to bring moral urgency to this issue. Thank you, Senator Booker, for your passion and devotion.\r\nThe need for criminal justice reform was an issue constituents frequently raised with me as I crisscrossed New Jersey over the past year. From Woodbury to Paterson to Newark and everywhere in between, I heard from faith leaders calling for solutions to a mass incarceration crisis that has disproportionately torn apart communities of color. Indeed, the NAACP found that nationally, African Americans and Hispanics make up approximately 32% of the US population, but represented 56% of all incarcerated people in 2015.\r\nI also heard from young people pushing for drug policy reforms so that fewer students charged with marijuana offenses lose access to federal financial aid. I met with leaders like former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, whose work with the New Jersey Reentry Corporation helps formerly incarcerated individuals  especially those struggling with addiction  find jobs and avoid ending up back in prison. I met with African American law enforcement organizations  like the Bronze Shields of Passaic County  about their efforts to build positive relationships in their communities and address challenges like racial profiling and uneven enforcement. \r\nThe First Step Act won't solve all of these problems  far from it. I certainly would have liked to see more concrete reforms to federal mandatory minimum sentences. However, I'm pleased to support a bill that reverses some of the most detrimental effects of federal mandatory minimum sentences.\r\nAs a longtime proponent of the Second Chance Act, I'm also glad to see provisions reauthorized under this bill that will give nonviolent, low-risk offenders  and their families  greater hope for a brighter future. Under the First Step Act, more Americans in the federal prison system will finally get their second chance. \r\nWhile most offenders are incarcerated at the state level, we know that federal mandatory minimums for drug offenses are among the harshest in the nation. According to the Sentencing Project, half of the U.S. federal prison population is serving time for a drug offense  that vast majority of them nonviolent. Under this legislation, low-risk offenders will be able to earn credits by completing anti-recidivism programs that help better prepare them for life after prison. Inmates can then apply these credits toward early placement in a halfway house, home confinement, or other types of early release. We know that when prisoners are equipped with the right tools and resources, they are better able to reintegrate into society and avoid old behaviors that could result in them winding up back behind bars. That's not only good for them  it's good for their families and good for their communities.\r\nThese provisions are important back-end reforms, but I will not stop calling for greater reforms to the front-end, enforcement side of the equation. \r\nThis is a serious problem in New Jersey. In July 2017, the Sentencing Project reported that racial disparities in New Jersey's marijuana arrests are at an all-time high. In 2013, African Americans were arrested for marijuana possession three times as often as their white counterparts, despite marijuana use being similar amongst racial groups. And the disparities extend far beyond arrest rates. \r\nRecently, a 16-month investigation by New Jersey Advance Media found hard evidence of racial disparities in police use of force across New Jersey. The data revealed African-Americans are three times likelier to face some type of police force compared to whites. Even more troubling, African-American children faced a disproportionate amount of force. From 2012 through 2016, of the more than 4,600 uses of force against people under 18, slightly more than half were African-American. Yet, African-American children account for only 14.5 percent of New Jersey's child population.\r\nI do not highlight these statistics to denigrate our police force, because the men and women who serve in law enforcement put their lives on the line every day to protect our communities, and their bravery will always have my respect, support, and admiration. I highlight these statistics because they reveal a larger need for greater front-end criminal justice, sentencing, and policing reforms that ultimately serve our shared goal of building safe and thriving communities. \r\nPassing the First Step Act is just that  a first step. It cannot be the only step. We have so much more work to do to fix a broken criminal justice system that leaves too many Americans behind. The First Step Act does not address structural racism and racial disparities in our criminal justice system, nor does it completely alleviate some of the draconian sentences still in place for drug offenses. \r\nWhat this legislation will do is make a positive difference in the lives of thousands of federal inmates working to turn their lives around and earn a second chance. I urge my colleagues to support this bill. \r\nI've always believed that the federal policies we set can have a ripple effect across the nation. May the passage of the First Step Act by Congress spur states across America to take additional steps forward -- steps that, together, may advance our nation's long march for equality and justice under the law. \r\nThank you and I yield my time.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/menendez-delivers-remarks-on-criminal-justice-reform", "Menendez Delivers Remarks on Criminal Justice Reform", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "TODAY, December 18, 2018, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) spoke on the Senate Floor about his support of the bipartisan First Step Act, calling it a long overdue step toward reforming America's broken criminal justice system.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/senator-menendez-urges-support-for-first-step-act", "Senator Menendez Urges Support for First Step Act", "2018-12-18", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-hails-awarding-of-congressional-gold-medal-to-civil-rights", "Pascrell Hails Awarding of Congressional Gold Medal to Civil Rights Pioneer Larry Doby", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) celebrated the signing into law of H.R. 1861, awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby, a star baseball player who helped break the Major League Baseball color barrier. \nPaterson's favorite son, Larry Doby, will finally be given the recognition from the United States government he has long deserved, said Rep. Pascrell, who also sponsored legislation naming the Ward Street Paterson Post Office for Doby in 1997, and unveiled a U.S. Postal Service stamp honoring Doby in 2011. What Larry faced would have broken most men and women. Unspeakable racism, threats of violence, and shunning from even his teammates. But he endured because of unshakable courage and incredible character. And through his strength American civil rights were advanced forward. Larry Doby was a great man and a hero. Thank you to my coauthor, Rep. Jim Renacci, as well as to Senators Sherrod Brown, Rob Portman, Cory Booker, and Bob Menendez, and the hundreds of members of the House and Senate that helped make this honor a reality. I can't wait for Larry's family to accept the Congressional Gold Medal in the Capitol Rotunda next year. \nLawrence Eugene Larry Doby (1923-2003) broke through racial barriers by becoming the first African American to play professional baseball in the American League. Doby served in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Upon his honorable discharge in 1946, Doby played baseball in the Negro League for the Newark Eagles, taking groundballs as an infielder at the old Ruppert Stadium, and nearby at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.\nIn 1947, Doby's contract was purchased by the Cleveland Indians shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. Doby played his first Major League game on July 5, appearing as a pinch hitter in a Saturday game at Comiskey Field against the Chicago White Sox.\nThat game would mark the start of a remarkable career. Appearing in 1,533 games as a player, Doby was an excellent hitter, batting .283, with 253 home runs and 969 runs batted in. Despite coming up as a second baseman and shortstop, Doby would excel in the field as a center fielder, setting an American League outfielder record for 164 consecutive errorless games. Over a 13-year career, Doby was voted to seven All-Star squads. After his playing career, Doby became the manager of the White Sox in 1978, just the second black Major League club manager. Doby was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.\nIn addition to being the first African American to hit a home run in a World Series, Larry Doby was deeply committed to his community. In expression of this commitment, Larry served as the Director of Community Relations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets. This position granted Larry the opportunity to leverage his character and stature to participate in and influence youth in many of New Jersey's inner cities.\nH.R. 1861 is sponsored by Reps. Renacci and Pascrell and 293 of their House colleagues. Companion legislation in the Senate, S. 802, is sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Scott (R-SC) and 67 other cosponsors.\nCongressman Pascrell first sponsored a bill (H.R. 5621) to award a gold medal to Doby in 2016 during the 114th Congress.\nThe Congressional Gold Medal is awarded by an act of Congress and requires two-thirds of the House of Representatives to cosponsor before the legislation can be considered in Committee or by the full House. Congressional Gold Medals have a long history in the Congress, with the first medal being awarded in 1776 to George Washington. Since then, Congress has authorized over 300 medals to be awarded. Color-barrier breaking athletes have been similarly recognized as Doby; Jackie Robinson received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2003.\nIn 1997, Rep. Pascrell sponsored legislation in Congress (H.R. 2116) designating the post office at 194 Ward Street in Paterson as the Larry Doby Post Office, which was signed into law. Rep. Pascrell also attended the ceremony inducting Larry Doby into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. He authored a concurrent resolution in 2003 that passed the Congress posthumously celebrating Doby'slife and achievements. Pascrell further unveiled a postage stamp memorializing Doby with the United States Postal Service in 2011 at the Larry Doby Post Office in Paterson.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-touts-major-wins-in-federal-farm-bill-to-spur-economic-growth-job-creation-in-nj-cities", "Menendez Touts Major Wins in Federal Farm Bill to Spur Economic Growth, Job Creation in NJ Cities", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Touts Major Wins in Federal Farm Bill to Spur Economic Growth, Job Creation in NJ Cities \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Touts Major Wins in Federal Farm Bill to Spur Economic Growth, Job Creation in NJ Cities \n\t\n\t\t Menendez led fight in Washington to include urban farming in USDA programs  \n\t\n\t\n\tMonday, December 17, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nNEWARK, N.J.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today visited Newark-based AeroFarms, the world's largest indoor vertical farm, to highlight major wins for urban farmers in the 2018 Farm Bill that passed Congress last week. Urban farming is revolutionizing one of America's oldest industries and redefining what it means to be the Garden State, while creating jobs and new economic opportunities for New Jerseyans.\r\n \r\nUrban farming is changing the way we think of traditional farming and redefining the Garden State. From creating local economic opportunities to providing fresh, healthy produce to urban food deserts, AeroFarms has been a great addition to New Jersey, said Sen. Menendez. I'm proud to have led the charge to ensure vertical farms have the same economic opportunities as traditional farms. We need to make sure our federal policies keep up with innovation and changing industries to incentivize creating the jobs of tomorrow and protect our economy's competitive edge on the global stage.\r\n \r\n\r\nCLICK TO VIEW SEN. MENENDEZ'S REMARKS\r\nWhen Sen. Menendez visited AeroFarms last year on his Jersey Jobs Tour, it was brought to his attention that urban farmers have largely been excluded from federal programs and funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) that have been designed for traditional farming. Sen. Menendez cosponsored a provision included in the 2018 Farm Bill to correct this disparity. The Urban Agriculture Act requires the USDA to update its policies to ensure urban and indoor farmers can access loans, conservation programs, and risk management tools, unlocking much-needed capital and resources to start-up or expand their operations, leading to local economic and job growth.\r\n \r\nDuring my time as Mayor of Newark, I was proud to be a strong advocate of AeroFarms as part of our broader efforts to increase access to healthy food options and help create the jobs of the future, said Sen. Booker. Today, AeroFarms continues to help New Jersey lead the way in agricultural innovation by finding solutions to feed the world,all while using 95 percent less water and zero pesticides. This provision that I co-sponsoredin the Farm Bill will support urban farming and help level the playing field for this ground-breaking industry.\r\nI want to thank Senator Menendez for ensuring that urban farms have access to the programs that traditional farms have benefitted from for decades, said Rep. Albio Sires (N.J.-08). These innovative systems are a useful tool in the fight to guarantee access to healthy food sources in urban areas. I look forward to seeing what urban farmers will be able to do with the support of the USDA.\r\nI have long been an advocate for urban and vertically stacked farming, said Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10). Innovative farms like AeroFarms are the future. It is past due for the Farm Bill to extend to them the benefits of federal programs and resources. I worked hard to help get AeroFarms to Newark, and I am thankful that Sen. Menendez was able to get urban farms resources in the Farm Bill.\r\nAeroFarms is a distinctive and important part of how we have strengthened Newark's economy, bringing high-tech farming to our city, providing 21st-century jobs and healthy food sources to our residents. Senator Menendez's efforts to bring federal support to urban farming in New Jersey as a whole will enable us to expand it here in Newark, said Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka. We will make Newark a national leader in urban farming.\r\n \r\n\r\nCLICK TO VIEW MAYOR BARAKA'S REMARKS\r\nThe Farm Bill also creates an Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production within the USDA to manage urban agriculture programs, such as urban and vertical farms, community gardens, and rooftop farms. The Office will also advise the Secretary of Agriculture on policy development and create resources to navigate local urban agriculture policies.\r\n \r\nThe inclusion of urban farming provisions in the 2018 Farm Bill is a truly watershed moment for AeroFarms and the broader urban farming community. This is also a win for American agriculture and will help to foster greater innovation and ingenuity overall, said Marc Oshima, Co-Founder of AeroFarms. We are excited by the positive impact it will have on job creation and increasing access to healthier food in New Jersey and throughout the US.\r\n \r\n\r\nCLICK TO VIEW OSHIMA'S REMARKS\r\nNew Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher, Essex County Executive Joe DiVincenzo and Freeholders Wayne Richardson and Carlos Pomares and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka joined Sen. Menendez at today's presser.\r\n\r\nCLICK TO VIEW PHOTOS\r\nHeadquartered in Newark, AeroFarms currently operates nine facilities around the world, including four in Newark, and is opening a new site in Camden. In a few short years, it has grown from a small start-up of eight to a thriving company of over 120 employees.\r\nAeroFarms' main facility in Newark's Ironbound is where primarily leafy field greens, like watercress, arugula and kale are grown without sun or soil in a fully-controlled, indoor environment, utilizing its patented aeroponic growing system for faster harvest cycles, predictable results, superior food safety and less environmental impact. The process relies on plant-specific, engineered LED lighting and misting, using 95% less water than field farming, 40% less than hydroponics, and zero pesticides, to grow the same seed in half the time as the traditional field farmer, leading to 130 times more productivity per square foot than a commercial field farm.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/aerofarms-cofounder-praises-menendez-work-on-2018-farm-bill", "AeroFarms CoFounder Praises Menendez Work on 2018 Farm Bill", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/mayor-baraka-visits-aerofarms-praises-menendez", "Mayor Baraka Visits AeroFarms, Praises Menendez", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/menendez-visits-aerofarms-highlights-wins-for-urban-farming-in-2018-farm-bill", "Menendez Visits AeroFarms, Highlights Wins for Urban Farming in 2018 Farm Bill", "2018-12-17", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/op-eds/opinion-new-congress-has-vital-role-to-play-on-trade-front", "Opinion: New Congress has vital role to play on trade front", "2018-12-16", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Link to full article in the Bergen Record\nWithin hours of the announcement by General Motors that it would shutter five of its North American plants and eliminate more than 14,000 jobs, Donald Trump took to Twitter to excoriate the carmaker for its investments in China and Mexico and made promises of government retribution for the layoffs.\nGM's surprise move and Trump's caustic response to it both highlight the perils inherent in a haphazard national trade policy. For too long, administrations of both parties prized corporate globalization: building out large conglomerates to the benefit of their stockholders, while ignoring the preservation of jobs and wages within our borders.\nDonald Trump's interest in rebalancing our trade relationships to create better jobs within our own borders, then, should be a good thing. But the dishonesty and chaos of his administration have fostered enormous instability and have hindered our opportunity to achieve needed change for American workers and American small businesses.\nThis is where the new Democratic House of Representatives enters the picture. We have an opportunity to give direction to our nation's trade policies. After two years of utter neglect by congressional Republicans, we intend to provide that direction, reaching out to the other side at every juncture.\nWith all of Trump's posturing on the subject, many Americans may not realize that ultimate authority over our nation's trade sits in the hands of Congress, not with the President, something the Constitution sets explicitly in Article I, Section 8. At numerous points, Congress has delegated to the executive the authority to negotiate trade agreements so that our government can speak through the President's single voice. That power is limited, and always temporary. But it is up to Congress to reclaim it role and assert its voice.\n\n\tGeneral Motors announced the closing of GM Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018.(Photo: Elaine Cromie, Special to The Free Press)\n\t\n\t\n\nSince his election, Trump has made threats, both real and imagined to partners and competitors alike. He has repeatedly threatened to blow up our trade relationships, and sought to use tariffs as blunt weapons rather than surgical tools.\nThe fruits of that chaos are not hard to discern. Our trade deficit, meaning the imbalance of what we bring in in imports versus what we send out in exports, is at a 10-year high. U.S. exports have been badly hurt by Chinese retaliatory tariffs; soybean exports to China, for example, have plummeted nearly 100 percent. Farm bankruptcies concentrated in the Midwest have risen precipitously. Manufacturers like GM and Harley Davidson have closed facilities and eliminated jobs, purportedly due, in part, to the current unstable trade policy environment. And, as we've seen with recent stock Dow Jones spikes, markets react poorly to uncertainty.\n\nDespite Trump's repeated boasting that he is a great dealmaker and that trade wars are easy to win, formulating effective trade policies is a job of enormous complexity. Trump's approach has been trying to do open-heart surgery with TNT.\nOver the last two years, Congress could have slammed the brakes on Trump's bellicose moves by imposing order on our trade agenda. The House Ways and Means Committee, which has control over tax and trade policies, could have held myriad hearings subjecting top White House officials to probing questions on their trade agenda. We have the responsibility to conduct scrupulous oversight exposing their plans to sunlight. Congress could have demanded more.\nInstead, Republicans sat complacent and made nary a peep of formal objection or direction to this administration's muddled trade policies, completely ceding our vital authority to conduct maintenance of the health of our government. Incredibly, over the entire 115th Congress, Ways and Means did not bring in one administration witness for a public hearing on renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).\nIt has been a stunning dereliction, and one Democrats in the 116th Congress will not continue. If and when a new NAFTA is officially put before us, we plan to hold hearings that explore its impact on American workers and American businesses. We will use our oversight power to make sure our nation's trade policies are once again looking out for our citizens.\nOur current NAFTA malaise can be traced in large part to a Bermuda Triangle of negative interests, with large corporations, the Mexican government, and Mexican government-controlled unions long working together in a way that has encouraged depressed wages and offshored jobs. The results have been catastrophic for tens of millions of Americans.\nDemocrats stand ready to work with U.S. Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer, who has struck me as honest and straightforward, and who assures me that he shares our goal of protecting American workers.\nBut none of this means that Democrats cannot find areas of common ground and overlapping interest with this regime. Trade may be one of those areas. And while it is often underplayed in the political coverage on cable news, it is of paramount relevance.\n\n\tBill Pascrell(Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)\n\t\n\t\n\nAmong my colleagues, I have been skeptical of many so-called free trade agreements. Witnessing too many industries and firms shutter in Paterson, I believe that many deals have hastened the demise of American industry, eliminated good jobs, depressed wages, and given license to American corporate titans to ignore our national dignity to pad their wallets. For this reason, I and most of my Democratic colleagues opposed fast-tracking the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2016.\nThe renegotiated NAFTA may soon be before Congress. It could be one of the most important pieces of policy on our docket over the next two years. Correctly done, a revamped deal can set the tone and impose the framework for many sectors of our economy for the next decade. The failure of the original NAFTA is still felt today by the communities obliterated by closed factories and the workers and their families still working under depressed, stagnant wages. By imposing a more coherent trade agenda, we have a chance to set this country back on a solid economic path.\nAfter fumbling it a generation ago, we need to get it right this time.\nBill Pascrell Jr., a Democrat from Paterson, represents the 9th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1155", "Gottheimer Holds 32nd Cup of Joe with Josh Town Hall at River Edge Diner", "2018-12-15", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Gottheimer discusses issues with constituents at River Edge DinerRIVER EDGE, NJ - On Saturday, December 15, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) held his 32nd Cup of Joe with Josh Town Hall at the River Edge Diner in River Edge, New Jersey. Constituents filled the diner to talk with Gottheimer about cutting taxes, protecting our air and water, healthcare, and his work with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. Gottheimer has met with constituents from across North Jersey at these Cup of Joe with Josh events throughout his first term in Congress to hear directly from the people he represents to inform his work in Congress. I appreciate everyone who came out to share their thoughts with me in River Edge today, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). Hearing from those I represent is an essential part of my ability to best represent the people in the Fifth District, and I appreciate the opportunity to sit down and engage with the community to talk about their concerns. I will continue to fight for common sense solutions on the issues we discussed including reducing the cost of healthcare, investing in our roads, bridges and trains, and making sure our families have clean drinking water. I will take these concerns with me to inform my bipartisan work in Washington for the Fifth District. Below: Gottheimer talks with constituents at a packed River Edge Diner", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-on-federal-court-ruling-declaring-the-affordable-care-act-unconstitutional", "Menendez on Federal Court Ruling Declaring the Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional", "2018-12-15", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez on Federal Court Ruling Declaring the Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez on Federal Court Ruling Declaring the Affordable Care Act Unconstitutional \n\t\n\t\n\tSaturday, December 15, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nNEWARK, NJ.  Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national heath policy and an author of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), issued the following statement after a U.S District Court Judge ruled the Affordable Care Act (ACA) invalid due to the Republican tax bill zeroing out the penalty:\r\n\r\n \r\nThis ruling is a disgrace for Americans of all walks of life, especially for the 32 million with pre-existing conditions. During this year, I had the opportunity to meet many of the 3.8 million New Jerseyans with pre-existing conditions, and the one thing they ask is to be able to access quality, health care regardless of their past medical history. This decision puts anyone of us with a childhood ailment, a serious disease, or high blood pressure at risk of being denied coverage or hitting lifetime or annual limits.\r\n\r\nThe Trump Administration and Republicans' reckless abandonment of families with pre-existing conditions is shameful, and using the courts to repeal a law they could not repeal in Congress is beyond reproach. It is my hope that higher courts will correct this injustice.\r\n\r\nThe American people have had enough. They spoke loudly and overwhelmingly in support of the ACA in this last election, andI will not stop fighting to protect health care as a right of every American.\r\n \r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1152", "Gottheimer Hosts Third Hometown Heroes Awards", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Friday, December 14, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted his third Hometown Hero Awards, honoring North Jersey residents who have made outstanding contributions to our community. Fifth District Hometown Heroes Awards were presented to community leaders, first responders, veterans, members of the business community, students, and seniors to recognize their dedication to improving the lives of their neighbors, families, and all Jersey residents.Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5) said, Today's awardees are bound by a shared sense of duty  to their families, their communities, and their country. They are our veterans, our firefighters, our first responders, our educators, and our family  our brothers and sisters and our sons and daughters. None of these people stood up because they sought recognition, they did it because they wanted to do what was right. That's what Jersey Values are about and that's what makes me certain that we live in the greatest country in the world. On behalf of the Fifth District, I couldn't be more proud to honor these Hometown Heroes today. Full video of the ceremony can be found HERE. Below: Gottheimer honors Heather McGee of Montvale, joined by Montvale Mayor Mike Ghassali and members of the Montvale Council\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBelow: Mark and Amy Steppe of Ridgewood, two Hometown Hero Honorees and veterans who help other veterans heal by pairing them with horses in need\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBelow: Gottheimer with Hometown Hero Upper Saddle River Fire Chief Larry Rauch, Navy veteran whose ship pulled John Glenn out of the water after the Friendship 7 mission\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nBelow: Gottheimer names Officer Michael Dombrowski, a Mahwah police officer and bone marrow donor,  a Hometown Hero\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBelow: Gottheimer and Isobel Costello, founder of the \"Weekend Bags\" program for students in need at local schools\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nBelow are the biographies of the Hometown Heroes:Below are the biographies of the Hometown Heroes. Noreen Springstead, New Milford Noreen has been with Why Hunger since 1992, an organization focused on eliminating hunger she now leads as Executive Director. Noreen has worked her way at Why Hunger from the front desk to executive director where, in the last five years, she has helped invest over $2 million in 355 front line organizations to fight hunger. Her incredible passion and tenacity has helped 2.4 million children access healthy meals.  Yvonne Visocky, Fair Lawn Ms. Visocky is in her 50th year teaching at Westmoreland Elementary School, where she teaches 5th grade. She has won teacher of the year three times at Westmoreland and has helped prepare students there for success in the 21st century. Ms. Visocky spearheaded efforts at the school to launch Google Classroom as well as other online learning tools like ConnectEd and NewsEla to help students improve their reading skills and reach their full potential.  Sergeant Geoffrey Cole and Officer Michael Laferrera, Bogota During last August's flooding, this duo received a call about cars being stranded on Elm Road in Bogota. Little did they know, one of the cars was carrying a bride and groom who had literally just been married. They sprang into action, helping them both to safety amidst the rising waters. Doug Sadowski, Glen Rock Doug is a volunteer firefighter in not one but two towns, Glen Rock and Fair Lawn. Since he started at 18, he has been an integral part of both fire departments. This year, Doug started and ran the Civilian Fire Academy - an eight week crash course to introduce citizens to the training that firefighters go through and introduce them to leaders in the departments. The inaugural class of 13 recently graduated - with 2 of them inspired to go through the full fire school training next semester.  \r\n\r\nLaura Hoogstrate, River Edge\r\n  \r\nWhen Laura took over the River Edge Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), it could not even field a quorum at a meeting. Under her leadership, the EPC has become a fully functional, engaged organization where volunteers and programs for initiatives like the Hackensack River clean up have reached record levels, sweeping more than 3,000 pounds of waste from the river. She has also gotten young people involved in her environmental efforts, helping a local Girl Scout troop with a recycling initiative that will help clean up our communities, and recruiting a high school student to be a part of the EPC for the first time.   \r\n\r\nPat Khanjian, Wyckoff As a board member of the Wyckoff Love Fund, Pat has helped provide children in crisis situations the help they need, whether it be putting a safe roof over their head, medical bills, and school expenses. Pat does many of the intake interviews and is constantly noted for her compassion and respect for the families that have fallen on hard times.  \r\n\r\nChief David Brown, Rochelle Park An Army veteran and life-long resident of Rochelle Park, Dave is an employee of the Department of Public Works, a volunteer firefighter at the Rochelle Park Fire Department - just like his father -  and has twice served as the Chief of the Rochelle Park Fire Department. This time of year, you can find Dave riding atop a fire truck dressed as Santa, a role he's played for almost 20 years. Rochelle Park Mayor B.J. Hauser said if he were to pick one person who best exemplified Rochelle Park, he would pick Dave without hesitation. Heather McGee, Montvale  \r\nHeather has been a volunteer with the Tri-Boro ambulance corps for over 30 years, serving as an officer for most of them, culminating in her current presidency. She has dedicated countless hours training others in the corps on how and when to deliver CPR and use an AED, making sure to leave behind a legacy befitting of her service. In her tenure with the ambulance corps, Heather has responded to 5,000 emergency calls, including 5 where she and her team had to perform life-saving CPR. Principal Joe Occhino, Westwood  \r\nAs principal of Northern Highlands Regional High School, Joe has promoted various educational and preventative programs in his school related to the opioid crisis that the state and the country are currently grappling with. He was among the first in the nation to get Narcan -- the life-saving drug for opioid overdoses -- approved to be kept on school grounds in case of an incident happening in school.  \r\n\r\nSharon Reissman, Upper Saddle River  \r\nEveryone know that when you need something done in Upper Saddle River, you call Sharon. She has an unparalleled reputation of being an advocate for Upper Saddle River, her home for over 25 years. She is a founder and long-serving president of the Jewish Community Organization of North Bergen, a founding member of the Upper Saddle River Education Fund, a founding member of USR Cares, and serves as the Bergen County Ambassador for the Rockland County Holocaust Museum and Center for Tolerance and Education. Keith Gross, Oakland  \r\nFor most people, retirement means a period to relax. Keith has a very different idea of retirement than most people. Just this year, volunteering with Rebuilding Together NJ, Keith installed a wheelchair ramp for a young girl born with Spina Bifida, repaired damaged flooring for an Army veteran, and is currently installing a wheelchair ramp for a young boy with cerebral palsy. As if that wasn't enough, an Englewood family credits Keith with saving their lives for installing a carbon monoxide detector that caught dangerously high levels of carbon monoxide in their home shortly thereafter.  Mike Epstein, Paramus  \r\nMike is the owner of Gold's Gym in Paramus, which just celebrated its 26th year. He has brought not only jobs into Paramus, but an incredible giving spirit. During Hurricane Sandy, when so many lost so much, Mike stepped up and opened Gold's Gym for families and neighbors to take a shower at no cost while their power was out. He is a leader in fitness, always happy to help those looking to break into the industry, or someone just looking to meet their own goals. Mike is the type of guy you hope you run into if you aren't having a great day. His sense of humor and his deeply caring nature is enough to put a smile on anyone's face.  Isobel Costello, Newton  \r\nAs a freshman in high school, she started the Weekend Bags program. Isobel noticed that some of her fellow students were going home on Fridays worried about having enough food or hygienic products to last them through the weekend. So she coordinated with local nonprofit Connect For Community and Thor Labs, to help care for these students. Isobel puts together 175 bags a week with her mother and a few other volunteers for students across five schools, growing to six soon. With graduation on the horizon, Isobel has put an organization in place that will endure and continue to help people even after she graduates.  Thomas Chopper Russo, Oakland  \r\nChopper is the owner of Chopper Russo Real Estate Group in Oakland. Running a business keeps him extremely busy, but he dedicates what free time he has to making Oakland a better place. As Chairman of the Oakland Public Events Committee, he helps to decorate the town for the holiday, and he also organizes the Oakland Carnival, which draws thousands of people every year and families look forward to all year long, as well as Choptoberfest, which honors the volunteers of Oakland and invites nonprofits to come out and interact with the community.   \r\n\r\nSantina Flynn, Hackettstown  \r\nEach year, on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, volunteers - as well as flour, dough, and chocolate chips - flood Santina's kitchen to bake as many cookies as they can to send to our troops that can't be home for the holidays. This year, in the 11th year of the Cookies for the Troops, Santina and 22 volunteers used 20 pounds of sugar, 30 pounds of butter, 40 pounds of flour, and 96 eggs to bake 3,028 cookies to send to our troops serving around the world, including Santina's son, Justin, who is serving our country as a Marine. The charity has continued to flourish even in the wake of Santina's breast cancer diagnosis, when volunteers and her daughter stepped up to take on extra responsibility while Santina was going through chemotherapy.  Lilly Trentacosta, Dumont  \r\nLilly started making lollipops as a fun activity on a winter day with her father. Immediately, she had the idea to start selling those lollipops to support causes that were important to her. This lead to months of paperwork, organization, and, of course, perfecting her recipe. Now, at 13, she and her family now work out of a commercial kitchen at a nearby church and the proceeds from these Lillypops go to support causes like Pet ResQ in Tenafly that helps animals in need, and Save the Children, an organization that offers support to children in developing countries. Jeanette Iurato, Blairstown  \r\nJeanette has turned the Blairstown Museum into the centerpiece of the historical district and a tourist destination. The museum is not only a testament to Blairstown's rich history, but to Jeanette's tireless work to preserve what makes that region of New Jersey so special. Jeanette was particularly helpful to those affected by the fires in Blairstown earlier this year, and has been talked about as the most qualified, passionate, and staunch advocate for Blairstown's historic district since John Insley Blair himself. Gottheimer was thrilled to get to help Jeanette cut through the red tape with the IRS earlier this year and loved his visit to the museum with its exhibitions on Friday the 13th -- the landmark 1970 film which was shot in Blairstown.  Officer Michael Dombrowski, Mahwah  \r\nIn 2016, Officer Dombrowski was donating blood when he volunteered to submit an additional cheek swab to enter him into the national blood donor system. While only 1 in every 540 people who submit to these tests get the call, Officer Dombrowski was that one. And he answered it. Without hesitation, he agreed to donate bone marrow through an extremely painful process to someone he did not even know. Those close to him were far from surprised: service is in his blood. His father is a retired lieutenant from the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and his brother, Chris, is currently in the Police Academy. Mark and Amy Steppe, Ridgewood  \r\nMark and Amy are veterans that have dedicated their time to helping other veterans and wild mustangs heal their wounds together. A rescued horse named Phoenix had a profound impact on Mark and Amy, as they nursed her back to health, built her an enclosure, and gained the horse's trust. As a result, they started the Unbridled Heroes Project that brings rescued horses and veterans together in the process of healing. Participants in the program have hailed it -- almost to a person -- as life changing. They say it gives them a routine and a companion as they try to figure out the next steps in their lives. Marilyn Clark, Woodcliff Lake  \r\nMarilyn is an institution in the Woodcliff Lake community. I would call her a pillar in our community, but there is literally a street named after her in Woodcliff Lake which, I think, is more impressive. Marilyn leads a very active Senior Association, and is in large part responsible for the beauty of Woodcliff Lake that we have today and that attracted the famed Mandarin Pantankin, or hot duck from Central Park that was rumored to weekend in Woodcliff lake. She is a member of the Shade Tree Committee and the Green Team, helping the town designate new trees in town. She even donated a new tree truck to the town to further their efforts. Marie Bilik, Green Township  \r\nMarie's career in public service took her from serving on the Green Township school board, to serving as the town's first female Mayor. When she saw a new opportunity listed in the newspaper for the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA), she applied just to see what could happen. She retired as the executive director of the NJSBA in 2012.... Only to come out of retirement to be the Deputy Executive Director of the National School Boards Association until 2016. She now works with the Allamuchy-Green First Aid Squad as a trustee, and as the director of the Green Township Historical Society. Bob Shannon, Wyckoff  \r\nBob has spent 30-plus years volunteering in the township, including 15 years with the Fire Department. Bob is a Wyckoff Chamber of Commerce board member, member of the Wyckoff-Midland Park Rotary, and a founding member of the Wyckoff Education Foundation. It is no surprise, then, that he teaches other municipal officials at Rutgers about how to make purchases for their towns. Mayor Scanlon said that not only has Bob saved Wyckoff literally millions of dollars over the course of his career, but he's been a tremendous friend to the Wyckoff community through his volunteer service and being a kind, giving person to everyone he works with.  \r\n\r\nTed Wilson, Vernon  \r\nTed has donated his time, equipment, and efforts to install an ADA walkway in a new play area at Veteran's Memorial Park so even more people can access this great park in one of the most beautiful parts of our state. Rallying support and volunteers from the community, Ted managed to get this wheelchair friendly walkway to connect one end of the park to the other --  two miles in total. Brian Taylor, Teaneck  \r\nSince being hired by Teaneck in 2003, Lieutenant Taylor has served the Teaneck Fire Department with distinction, constantly seeking ways to advocate for firefighters in Teaneck and around New Jersey. For five years, Lieutenant Taylor served as the State Delegate for Teaneck's FMBA Local 42 unit before being elected Vice President in 2017, then President this past July. Lieutenant Taylor is  a leader- someone who his brothers and sisters in the fire service could count on for anything they need. Officer Gary Yarnall and Officer Tom Connors, West Milford  \r\nIn April, Officers Yarnall and Connors responded to a call about a suicidal individual with access to weapons and intervened in saving the individual. They are an example of the kind of bravery our officers display each and every day they put on the uniform, rushing towards danger when so many run away from it and saving an individual from the terrible impulse of suicide. Velvet Poveromo, New Milford  \r\nVelvet carries on her late husband Charlie's tradition of placing a cooler of ice and water outside the house on hot summer days. Her act of kindness has inspired people across the country to do the same.   \r\n\r\nChief Ed Aldrich, West Milford  \r\nAt age 16, Ed walked into West Milford Fire Company Number Six for his first day as a volunteer, following in his father's footsteps. Today, 50 years later, he's been with the company ever since, including serving as chief and president of the company. Ed has been on the frontlines of keeping our North Jersey community safe for five decades from fires, storms, and lone-wolf terror.  Alfred Carrazzone, Hardwick  \r\nAlfred is a WWII Army veteran who served our country in a combat unit in the South Pacific. Since coming home, he has been an active member of the American Legion Post in Blairstown, participating in the annual Memorial Day parade and the Fourth of July Celebration in the Park. At 92, Alfred is still the treasurer of the Hardwick Historical Society that has preserved several Hardwick properties by getting them placed in the National Register of Historic Places. Recently, he helped the Vass Farmstead Property get $900,000 in grants and donations to restore the Vass Farmstead property in Hardwick, where family and friends can now create new memories. Chief Larry Rauch, Upper Saddle River  \r\nWhile Larry was in the Navy, he was not only stationed off the coast of Florida during the Cuban Missile Crisis, but also it was his ship that picked up John Glenn in the Atlantic Ocean off of Cape Canaveral after he returned from the Friendship 7 mission in 1962. Larry volunteered with the Upper Saddle River fire department for 48 and has served as chief of the department once in every decade since 1970. He has also served as Coordinator of Safety Programs at the Bergen County Fire Academy and spent 15 years as the Bergen County Fire Coordinator, including during the horrific fire in Edgewater in 2015.  \r\n\r\nStephanie Reifman, Upper Saddle River  \r\nStephanie started the HAPPY Week Heroin Program about drug abuse, which has won national awards. The program reached 40 New Jersey and New York public schools and their 15,000 students. Fred Goerlitz, Mansfield  \r\nFred Goerlitz is a life EMS first responder, Assistant Chief and puts in more hours volunteering than anyone else in the department. He is very dedicated and always goes above and beyond to make sure the town has ambulance coverage. He has been volunteering in EMS for at least 30 years. Lukas Graf, New Milford   \r\nLate one September night while off duty, Lukas was driving off of Cahill Cross Road when he saw an overturned SUV engulfed in flames. When he got closer to the crash, he heard yelling and banging from inside the car. Realizing that there was someone trapped inside, Lukas rushed toward the scene, fire extinguisher in hand, doused some of the flames and pulled the man out from the driver's seat as the blaze started to burn the interior of the car.  Robert Paoli, Ridgewood  \r\nRobert has been the Commander of the American Legion Ridgewood Post 53 since 2006. His service in the American Legion includes Ridgewood's Memorial Day Service, Gold Star Mothers' Day Event, Blue Star Families Dinner, Veterans Day Observance, Fourth of July Events, School Programs, Scout Activities and many others involving veterans or promoting patriotism. Bob served in the United States Army and was deployed to Germany. Anita Rodriguez, Hackettstown  \r\nAnita hosts the annual Rodriguez Family Thanksgiving Dinner in Hackettstown. This year's 15th dinner was hosted at Marley's Gotham Grill, where she served ten 22 pound turkeys. Anita hosts the events to provide a meal, companionship, and belonging during the holidays for those who would not otherwise have it.   \r\n\r\nPeter Jacullo, Emerson  \r\nPeter is an Army veteran who fought in the Battle of Normandy who wanted to join the Civilian Conservation Corps and the Army so badly before World War II, he purchased a fake birth certificate to serve his country. A former Emerson Borough Councilman, Peter, who turned 100 years old on Sunday, Nov 25, built the home he still lives in back in the late 1940's. Toney Jackson, Hackensack   \r\nToney is a lifelong resident of Hackensack and is passionate about teaching children to enjoy learning.  Toney was dubbed the rapping teacher after being featured in a national Microsoft commercial showcasing his teaching style. Whether his latest involvement with Microsoft as an Educational Innovator, hosting poetry slams in Bergen County, writing and illustrating books, or volunteering with with the Hackensack Cultural Arts Board, his ultimate commitment is first and foremost to the students of Hackensack. Chief Jeff Schuster and Captain James Drobinske, Woodcliff Lake  \r\nSchuster and Drobinske are firefighters who assisted a man who had collapsed on the golf course at Valley Brook. They performed CPR on the man for seven minutes until he regained a pulse. He was taken to the hospital and recovered.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norcross-announces-nearly-48-million-health-centers-camden-reminds-sj", "Norcross Announces Nearly $4.8 Million for Health Centers in Camden, Reminds SJ to Get Covered", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) announced that two federally-qualified health centers in South Jersey will receive $4,793,332 million from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Health Center Program.\nEveryone ought to have access to quality health care. It's that simple, and community health centers play an important role in ensuring there's access for all, said Congressman Norcross. CAMcare and Project H.O.P.E provide high-quality healthcare for families in our district that need it most and, in turn, keep our neighbors healthy and out of Emergency Rooms.\nCAMcare Health Corporation, which has served Camden and Gloucester counties since 1978, will receive $4,413,832 to provide services ranging from internal medicine and behavioral health to dental care.\nWith the current climate of our healthcare system, Federally Qualified Health Centers  the safety net of the communities  depend on funding sources to continue focusing on population health management and integration of all health care services. CAMcare will continue to serve those with great geographic and economic need. This backing will continue to enhance the availability of quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare, said President and CEO of CAMcare Health Corporation Mark Roberts.\nProject H.O.P.E, which specializes the health and well-being of homeless residents in Camden, will receive $379,500 to provide healthcare to the homeless and enhance substance abuse programs.\nProject H.O.P.E. will use the HHS funds to expand access to Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health services in South Jersey. Federally Qualified Health Centers have a long history of providing primary healthcare to the most vulnerable individuals; today we find ourselves on the front line of the fight against the opioid epidemic. This funding supports the delivery of evidence based Medication Assisted Treatment and counseling services and expands access to treatment for those struggling with opioid addiction. Project H.O.P.E. continues to work with community agencies, hospital systems, and public officials  like Congressman Norcross  to increase access to care regardless of the patients' social or economic status, said CEO of Project H.O.P.E. Patricia DeShields, MSW, LSW, RN.\nThe Health Center Cluster Program supports community-based and patient-directed nonprofit organizations that provide primary and preventive health care services to the nation's underserved.\nAdditionally, Norcross reminded South Jersey residents that open enrollment season is ending tomorrow, and that all New Jerseyans should visit GetCovered.NJ.gov to select their coverage for 2019.\nThis is your last chance to make sure you're enrolled in a health plan that works for you and your family, said Norcross. Even though President Trump and Republicans are still trying to strip away health coverage and explode premiums for people with pre-existing conditions, there are still plenty of options and financial help available right now in the marketplace. I'm committed to working with my colleagues to make improvements that will help hardworking families  but, in the meantime, I encourage everyone to make sure you have health coverage as this open enrollment period comes to an end.\n###\nContact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director  ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/washington-reviews/washington-review-december-14-2018-0", "Washington Review, December 14, 2018", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week in Washington, the House of Representatives addressed a portion of the remaining issues as the 115th Congress comes to a close. Our nation's investment in food and nutrition programs took first priority with the passage of the Farm Bill and the United States stood up to oppressive authoritarian powers in Latin America. I was able to write letters thanking our troops serving overseas, consider foreign policy towards Africa with my House Foreign Affairs Committee colleagues, and receive updates on the Kurdish region from the Kurdish Representative to the United States.\n\nFarm Bill\nEvery five years, Congress must reauthorize the funding for essential programs tied to agriculture  from subsidies for farmers to nutritional assistance like SNAP  in a legislative package known as the Farm Bill. Unfortunately, even as the deadline for these critical programs loomed over us, this traditionally bipartisan process was disrupted when extreme, ideological measures were tacked on to the first version of the Farm Bill.\nFrom severe cuts in SNAP benefits to proposals undermining the Clean Water Act, I could not support a bill that went against my beliefs and was so damaging to not only our district, but communities around the country. I voted No on May 18, 2018 and again on June 21, 2018 to this first version of H.R. 2, the legislative title of the Farm Bill, which in the end passed the House by a vote of 213-211.\nFortunately, after the Senate passed their own version of the Farm Bill and conferenced with the House, these extreme measures were stripped and the bill returned to its core purpose of renewing the federal programs proven to work. This Wednesday, I was proud to vote in favor of this new version of H.R. 2, which safeguards funding for the SNAP program, expands The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), maintains protections for endangered species, authorizes funding to combat the opioid epidemic, and invests $300 million in disease prevention research. The amended Farm Bill passed the Senate by a vote of 87-13 and passed the House by a vote of 369  47. President Trump is now expected to sign the Farm Bill into law.\nLegislation\nAfter years of hard work from a bipartisan group of leaders spanning both the House and the Senate, I am proud that a bill I have worked on, H.R. 1918, the Nicaraguan Investment and Conditionality (NICA) Act, is now headed to the President's desk for signature. The NICA Act imposes strict measures to curb financial corruption and support free, fair elections in Nicaragua. Daniel Ortega, Rosario Murillo, and their oppressive regime will no longer be able to hide behind international financial institutions in their grab for more power. Passing the House of Representatives on Tuesday by a unanimous vote, the NICA Act is a strong signal to Nicaragua and the international community that the United States stands for the freedom and human rights of Nicaraguans.\nAdditionally, my bill H.R. 7245, the Venezuela Humanitarian Relief, Reconstruction, and Rule of Law Act of 2018, was introduced in the House on Monday. This legislation would provide desperately needed humanitarian relief for Venezuelans living under the brutal autocracy of President Maduro and advance measures to restore democracy. Serving on the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, my colleagues and I have listened for years to heartbreaking testimony on the crisis taking place in Venezuela. It is time for the United States to stand up for the rights of the Venezuelan people.\nMeetings & Hearings\nOn Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee received testimony on the relationships that the United States is building with African nations. America must build strong partnerships with these countries that encourage international development, protect human rights, and end corruption. I questioned representatives of the Trump Administration on how our country plans to actively foster these relationships especially in the face of derogatory comments from the President. Later that day, I met with Her Excellency Bayan Sami Abdul Rahman, the Kurdish Representative to the United States. We discussed pressing developments in the region and international security priorities.\nThankyou for reading the Washington Review. Again, hearing from my constituents enables me to be a better representative of the 8thDistrict. For regular updates, you may stay in touch by leaving comments on myFacebook,Twitter, andwebsite.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-announce-14m-in-federal-funding-to-support-njs-hiv-treatment-and-prevention-efforts", "Menendez, Booker Announce $14M in Federal Funding to Support NJ\u2019s HIV Treatment and Prevention Efforts", "2018-12-14", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker Announce $14M in Federal Funding to Support NJ's HIV Treatment and Prevention Efforts \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker Announce $14M in Federal Funding to Support NJ's HIV Treatment and Prevention Efforts \n\t\n\t\n\tFriday, December 14, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nNEWARK, N.J.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced the awarding of $14,397,054 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support the N.J. Department of Health's HIV surveillance and prevention efforts.\r\n \r\nObtaining cost-effective care is critical for individuals and families living with HIV/AIDS and it is our duty to do all we can to help ensure they have access to the critical care and services they need, said Sen. Menendez. I'm pleased that this funding will allow New Jersey to continue its vigorous efforts in ensuring those living with HIV/AIDS receive the comprehensive treatment they deserve and will expand access to preventative measures.\r\n\"New Jersey has one of the largest populations of residents living with HIV/AIDS in the nation, so it is imperative that we ensure our state receives robust funding and the resources necessary to deliver comprehensive and efficient care to so many affected individuals, said Sen. Booker. This federal funding will provide New Jerseyans living with HIV the continuum of care they need to help improve health outcomes while taking steps to help prevent future cases.\r\n \r\nWith the HIV Surveillance and Prevention grant, the N.J. Department of Health will implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) surveillance and prevention programs, which includes ensuring people living with HIV are aware of their infection and are properly treated as well as expanding access to proven HIV preventatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-endorses-pelosi-call-for-trump-tax-returns", "Pascrell Endorses Pelosi Call for Trump Tax Returns", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "PATERSON, NJ Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), New Jersey's only member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, reacted positively to incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's endorsement of efforts to obtain Donald Trump's personal and business tax returns by invoking the committee's power under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 6103(f).\nI stand in strong support of Speaker-designee Pelosi's calls for scrutiny of Donald Trump's tax returns. With the next Speaker of the House dedicated to the pursuit of transparency, I am confident we will have the will and the tools to finally expose Trump's financial history to sunlight. I have been pursuing this fight since February 2017. We will not rest on the committee until Donald Trump's personal and business records are given total scrutiny. We must see how far the crimes go.\nRep. Pascrell has been Congress's most vocal proponent of releasing President Trump's tax returns in order to reveal any potential conflicts of interest.Since February 2017, Pascrell has led the call for the chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means to invoke Section 6103 of the tax code to obtain Trump's tax returns. Pascrell believes that exposing the tax returns to sunlight is critical to revealing any potential conflicts of interest, including those with Russian entities.With today's proceedings, Republicans have voted 18 times to block Democratic resolutions seeking the tax returns.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/es/noticias-y-eventos/prensa/menndez-rubio-durbin-leahy-introducen-proyecto-de-ley-para-otorgar-estatus-de-proteccin-temporal-a-venezolanos-que-se-ven-forzados-a-huir-del-pas", "Men\u00e9ndez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introducen Proyecto de Ley para Otorgar Estatus de Protecci\u00f3n Temporal a Venezolanos que se ven Forzados a Huir del Pa\u00eds", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menndez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introducen Proyecto de Ley para Otorgar Estatus de Proteccin Temporal a Venezolanos que se ven Forzados a Huir del Pas \n\t\t\t\n\t Menndez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introducen Proyecto de Ley para Otorgar Estatus de Proteccin Temporal a Venezolanos que se ven Forzados a Huir del Pas \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 13, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON  El da de hoy, el Senador Bob Menndez (D-N.J.), Miembro de Ms Alto Rango del Comit de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado present el Proyecto de Ley de Asistencia de Estatus de Proteccin Temporal y Asilo para Venezuela de 2018 (Venezuela Temporary Protected Status and Asylum Assistance Act of 2018) junto a los Senadores Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) y Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.). El proyecto de ley bipartidista busca otorgarle estatus de proteccin temporal (TPS) a los venezolanos elegibles que huyen de las condiciones extremas en sus hogares y brindar apoyo a los sistemas de migracin en los pases que rodean a Venezuela.\r\n \r\nLa extraordinaria profundidad de la crisis poltica, econmica y humanitaria de Venezuela ha obligado a millones de venezolanos a huir de su pas, creando una conmocin que impacta a toda la regin, dijo el Senador Menndez. Otorgar un estatus de proteccin temporal para individuos elegibles y el apoyo a los sistemas de migracin en la regin para poder ayudar a los venezolanos que no pueden regresar a su pas de manera segura es una decisin humanitaria y moralmente responsable.\r\nMientras que los venezolanos continan enfrentando serias amenazas a su seguridad y medios de vida a manos de la tirana narcoterrorista de Maduro, es evidente que las condiciones en el pas justifican el otorgamiento de un estado de proteccin temporal a los ciudadanos venezolanos que residen en los Estados Unidos, dijo el Senador Rubio. La concesin de esta proteccin brindar una solucin temporal a muchos venezolanos que temen regresar a su pas de origen debido a la crisis actual y las condiciones extremadamente difciles.\r\nCuando viaj a Venezuela a principios de este ao, encontr un pas en el lmite, enfrentando una superposicin de crisis econmicas, humanitarias y polticas. El gobierno venezolano bajo el presidente Maduro ha tomado una serie de acciones represivas y antidemocrticas, incluido el encarcelamiento cobarde del miembro de la Asamblea Nacional Juan Requesens, que amenaza a su propia gente y la ha aislado del mundo, dijo el Senador Durbin. Venezuela enfrenta una crisis y Estados Unidos tiene la responsabilidad de responder de una manera que est a la altura de nuestros valores. Est a nuestro alcance ayudar a mantener a los hombres, mujeres y nios inocentes fuera de peligro aprobando la Ley de Estado de Proteccin Temporal de Venezuela de 2018.\r\nEl pueblo venezolano est luchando para hacer frente a una economa que se ha derrumbado y un gobierno corrupto que est abrumado y que se basa en la represin para mantener el poder, dijo el Senador Leahy. Millones de venezolanos han huido a pases vecinos, que no pueden cuidarlos sin ayuda internacional y este desastre humanitario no muestra signos de disminuir. Al otorgar el TPS podemos al menos brindar refugio a los venezolanos en este pas hasta que sea seguro regresar a casa.\r\n \r\nUnivision: Un proyecto de ley bipartidista pide TPS para los venezolanos que huyen de la crisis de su pas\r\nEstablecido por el Congreso de los Estados Unidos a travs de la Ley de Inmigracin de 1990, el Estatus de Proteccin Temporal --conocido comnmente como TPS-- es un programa renovable temporal que brinda alivio de la deportacin y el acceso a un permiso de trabajo para extranjeros de ciertos pases que no pueden regresar a su pas de forma segura debido a desastres naturales, conflictos armados, u otras condiciones extraordinarias.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-leads-call-for-facebook-to-disclose-whos-behind-its-political-ads", "Menendez Leads Call for Facebook to Disclose Who\u2019s behind its Political Ads", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Leads Call for Facebook to Disclose Who's behind its Political Ads \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Leads Call for Facebook to Disclose Who's behind its Political Ads \n\t\n\t\t Senators: Facebook has fallen short' on transparency \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 13, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today led several colleagues in urging Facebook to do more to increase transparency by disclosing to users who's paying for political ads running in on its social media platform, saying the company has fallen short on its efforts.\r\n \r\nMore than a year ago, after news reports revealed that Russian agents used Facebook to spread inflammatory posts to over 126 million Facebook users, Facebook promised Congress that it would provide additional disclosures on political ads. Yet, you continue to take in ad revenue from companies cloaked in secrecy, the senators stated in a letter to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. You have an opportunity to lead, to show the American public that you are committed to full transparency in the political spending arena.\r\n \r\nThe letter, cosigned by Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), cites reports of Facebook running $2.5 million in ads during the 2018 campaign from an obscure company offering online courses and certifications for concealed-carry permits and promoting an anti-gun safety agenda without disclosing to the public who paid for those ads.\r\n \r\nWe believe you also have a moral responsibility to ensure that your users are able to discern who and what is behind political ads shown on your platform. Such transparency will help ensure open and fair elections, free of dark money or foreign interference, the letter continued. Moreover, we believe it will serve to help you regain some of the lost trust in your company after it allowed Cambridge Analytica to gain access to the private data of more than 50 million users.\r\nTherefore we ask that you take additional steps to provide the public with information as to who is truly behind each and every political advertisement on your platform.\r\n \r\nFacebook continues to come under fire for its alleged role in Russia's disinformation campaign during the 2016 election. In April, Sen. Menendez sent two letters requesting information from the State Department and SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, following the scandal over the company's alleged misappropriation of the personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users for the purpose of psychologically targeting them in political campaigns.\r\nHowever, Facebook's increased scrutiny extends beyond the platform's role in our elections. Last week, Sen. Menendez led a bipartisan letter demanding answers from Facebook after a South Sudanese teen was allowed to be sold at auction as a child bride to the highest bidder on its social network. In November, Sens. Menendez and Kennedy wrote to Zuckerberg questioning Facebook's ability to secure its customers' personal data while expressing concerns that Facebook was reportedly courting detailed financial information from big U.S. banks about their customers.\r\nFull text of the letter sent today is below and can be downloaded here:\r\nDear Mr. Zuckerberg:\r\nWe write to express disappointment that your recent efforts at providing increased transparency concerning political ads has fallen short.\r\nAs reported in Wired, one of the biggest spenders on political ads during the 2018 midterms was an obscure company called Concealed Online. As you may know, Concealed Online is a for-profit company that offers online courses and certifications for concealed-carry permits in Virginia. During the 2018 campaign, Concealed Carry spent nearly $2.5 million on political ads.\r\nConcealed Carry's website states that the company provides quality online safety training courses for the purpose of applying for your Concealed Carry permit. Our mission is to help citizens gain the education to safely handle firearms and successfully defend themselves and their families. Yet, the company ran overtly political ads furthering an anti-gun safety agenda. One such ad stated, The election is just DAYS AWAY and Gun Control Lawmakers could do a FULL STOP [ ] on your 2nd Amendment rights! FAST-TRACK your Concealed Carry Certification ONLINE! It's FREE, EASY, and STILL LEGAL! IGNORE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Concealed Carry's website provides an address in Walnut, California but offers no information about ownership. Wired attempted to track down the true ownership of Concealed Carry but was told through the company's attorney that the owner would only agree to an anonymous interview. As such, the public is unable to ascertain the ownership of a company that you allow to place political advertisements on your platform. This is the case for a number of entities that advertise on Facebook.\r\nMore than a year ago, after news reports revealed that Russian agents used Facebook to spread inflammatory posts to over 126 million Facebook users, Facebook promised Congress that it would provide additional disclosures on political ads. Yet, you continue to take in ad revenue from companies cloaked in secrecy. Although no legal requirement exists mandating that political advertisers on social media platforms file disclosures with the Federal Election Commission, you could take it upon yourself to mirror the laws that exist for radio and television ads.\r\nDuring your testimony before the house Energy and Commerce Committee you stated, I consider us to be a technology company because the primary thing that we do is have engineers who write code and build product and services for other people. However, we know that actors foreign and domestic, notably the Russian government, continue to exploit Facebook to sow disinformation, promote propaganda, and subvert the 2016 presidential election. It is clear that the Russians viewed Facebook as a media company, and a tool through which they could employ developed information warfare tactics. Yet, to admit to the American public that you are a media company would require you to take on added responsibility of transparency, a responsibility you refuse to accept.\r\nDuring testimony before the Senate you said, [a]ny business has the opportunity to do things that might increase revenue in the short term, but at the expense of trust or building engagement over time. It would behoove you to consider your own statement as you work toward rebuilding trust with the American people. You have an opportunity to lead, to show the American public that you are committed to full transparency in the political spending arena.\r\nWe believe you also have a moral responsibility to ensure that your users are able to discern who and what is behind political ads shown on your platform. Such transparency will help ensure open and fair elections, free of dark money or foreign interference. Moreover, we believe it will serve to help you regain some of the lost trust in your company after it allowed Cambridge Analytica to gain access to the private data of more than 50 million users. Therefore we ask that you take additional steps to provide the public with information as to who is truly behind each and every political advertisement on your platform. Thank you in advance for your consideration.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-rubio-durbin-leahy-introduce-temporary-protected-status-legislation-to-support-displaced-venezuelans", "Menendez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introduce Temporary Protected Status Legislation to Support Displaced Venezuelans", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introduce Temporary Protected Status Legislation to Support Displaced Venezuelans \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Rubio, Durbin, Leahy Introduce Temporary Protected Status Legislation to Support Displaced Venezuelans \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 13, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON  Today, Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was joined by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in introducing the Venezuela Temporary Protected Status and Asylum Assistance Act of 2018. The bipartisan legislation seeks to grant Temporary Protected Status for eligible Venezuelans fleeing the dire conditions in their home and to provide support for migration systems in the countries surrounding Venezuela.\r\n \r\nThe extraordinary depth of Venezuela's political, economic, and humanitarian crisis has forced millions of Venezuelans to flee their country, creating upheaval that is now being felt throughout the region, Menendez said.Providing Temporary Protected Status for eligible individuals and supporting migration systems in the region to assist Venezuelans who are prevented from returning safely to their country is the humanitarian and morally responsible thing to do.\r\n\r\nAs Venezuelans continue to face serious threats to their safety and livelihood at the hands of Maduro's narcoterrorist tyranny, it is clear in-country conditions warrant granting temporary protected status to Venezuelan nationals residing in the U.S., Rubio said. Granting this protection will provide a temporary solution to many Venezuelans who fear returning to their homeland due to the ongoing crisis and extraordinarily difficult conditions.\r\n \r\n\r\nWhen I traveled to Venezuela earlier this year, I found a country on the edge, facing overlapping economic, humanitarian, and political crises. The Venezuelan government under President Maduro has taken a series of repressive and undemocratic actions, including the cowardly jailing of National Assembly member Juan Requesens, that threatens its own people and has isolated it from the world,Durbin said. Venezuela faces a crisis, and the United States has a responsibility to respond in a manner that lives up to our American values. It is within our power to help keep innocent men, women, and children out of harm's way by passing theVenezuela Temporary Protected Status Act of 2018.\r\n\r\nThe Venezuelan people are struggling to cope with an economy that has collapsed and a corrupt government that is overwhelmed and that relies on repression to hold onto power, Leahy said. Millions of Venezuelans have already fled to neighboring countries, which are unable to care for them without international aid. This humanitarian disaster shows no sign of diminishing. By granting TPS we can at least provide refuge to Venezuelans in this country until it is safe to return home.\r\n\r\nEstablished by the U.S. Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990, TPS is a temporary, renewable program that provides relief from deportation and access to a work permit for foreign nationals from certain countries who are unable to safely return to their home country due to natural disasters, armed conflicts, or other extraordinary conditions.\r\n\r\nThe full text of the bill can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/menendez-demands-senate-do-more-to-recalibrate-us-saudi-relationship", "Menendez Demands Senate Do More to Recalibrate U.S.-Saudi Relationship", "2018-12-13", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In explaining his vote in support of a joint resolution to cease American support for the brutal Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, Senator Menendez explained that American backing for the war in Yemen is inconsistent with American values. The Senator closed his remarks by calling on his colleagues to go further, assert true leadership,  and force the Trump Administration to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for all its foul deeds by passing his bipartisan Saudi Arabia Accountability and Yemen Act.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1145", "Gottheimer Hosts Fifth District School Superintendent Call on Combating Anti-Semitism and Hate Following Recent Attacks", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosts conference call on anti-Semitism.Following the discovery of anti-Semitic symbols in the Pascack Valley Regional School District, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a conference call for school superintendents, featuring experts from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP), as well as Superintendent of Schools Erik Gundersen from the Pascack Valley Regional School District on Tuesday. Speakers addressed concerns regarding anti-Semitic activity in New Jersey schools and shared best practices in curbing the rising trend. Superintendents from more than thirty North Jersey schools joined the call, including representatives from school districts in Bergen, Sussex, and Warren counties. The ADL was represented by Deputy Director Melanie Robbins, Associate Regional Director for New Jersey Alex Rosemberg, and Education Director for New York/New Jersey Nicole Straker. The NJOHSP was represented by Chief of Staff Patrick Rigby. On November 6th, Pascack Valley staff members found three Nazi swastikas in Pascack Valley High School. Additional swastikas and a racial slur were found at Pascack Valley High School at the end of November,  followed by anti-Semitic symbols and racial slurs scrawled on a bathroom wall in Pascack Hills High School in early December. A few days later, a similar incident occurred at Ridgewood High School. The ADL identified 1,986 anti-Semitic incidents perpetrated throughout the United States in 2017. This represents an increase of 57 percent over the incidents reported in 2016. New Jersey experienced the third-highest number of those incidents in the nation. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) said, These incidents are completely unacceptable. We cannot ignore the fact that our schools are facing a disturbing uptick in incidents of hate and intolerance. As both a parent and your Congressman, I am ready to work with New Jersey superintendents to ensure that instances of bias, hatred, and anti-Semitism are swiftly addressed and dealt with. Together, we must continue to send a strong and clear message that anti-Semitism and all acts of hate have absolutely no place anywhere in our communities. Evan R. Bernstein, Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League New York/New Jersey Regional Office said, We are grateful to Representative Gottheimer for convening a call today with ADL, NJOHSP, and dozens of school superintendents to discuss how we can collectively address hate, bias, and bigotry in our K-12 schools.  Last year, we at ADL saw a surge in anti-Semitic incidents targeting students across the country, which included an astounding 94 percent rise in incidents at K-12 schools. Unfortunately, elementary, middle and high schools have exceeded public spaces (such as parks and streets) as the locations with the most anti-Semitic incidents, surpassing homes, businesses, Jewish institutions, and college campuses.  We remain deeply troubled by these trends, but are heartened by the outpouring of support from elected officials and community leaders in New Jersey, who remain committed to addressing this very serious problem. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Representative Gottheimer and others to build a safer and more inclusive learning environment for our young people in New Jersey. Superintendent of Schools Erik Gundersen said, I appreciate that the Congressman and other local elected officials throughout the Pascack Valley area have rallied behind our district in light of these events.  It is important for all elected leaders and faith-based leaders to join their school partners to shed light on how our communities must stand up against hateful actions.  The Pascack Valley Regional High School District can't do this alone and needs the ongoing support, guidance, and expertise of our community partners and other national organizations, such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey as we strive to move forward.  Together, we will be able to inform, take action, and educate our students and communities on how we can stand up against hate. It is my hope that the Congressman's conference call, where we received a briefing from The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and The Anti-Defamation League, along with learning from Pascack Valley Regional's experience, will provide superintendents with the tools to more effectively address anti-semitic events - should they present themselves in additional schools around the 5th Congressional District. This summer, Congressman Gottheimer led a Synagogue Security Summit with experts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the NJOHSP. Congressman Gottheimer has also worked across the aisle in Congress to combat disturbing uptick in bias, intolerance, and hate crimes against Jewish institutions. He led 11 other members of New Jersey's Congressional Delegation in writing a letter to Congressional leadership, requesting a funding measure for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice for their programs to better secure Jewish Community Centers (JCCs). In September, the President signed the Protecting Religiously Affiliated Institutions Act (P.L. 115-249), legislation Congressman Gottheimer cosponsored, which criminalizes the intentional obstruction of any person's free exercise of religious beliefs by threat of force against religious property.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=500", "Watson Coleman, Grijalva Call on House Leaders to Ensure Criminal Justice Reform Bill Ends Private Prisons", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Following reports that Congress may move to pass a criminal justice reform bill before the end of the year, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Congressman Ral M. Grijalva (D-AZ) today sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging them to ensure the final measure that reaches the House floor includes a ban on private prisons.\r\nThe use of private prisons erodes the public's faith in the integrity of American sentencing policy, leaving them to wonder if the impetus for lengthy mandatory minimums, or forcibly detaining immigrant children, is an evidence-based solution, or just submission to the will of private companies profiting from those incidences of imprisonment, Watson Coleman and Grijalva wrote. \r\nIf this body is to consider a criminal justice reform bill, it must focus on ensuring sentences are fair. It must seek to remove bias. It must find ways to better rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them for society  keeping them closer to their families and training them for jobs when they've finished their sentences. It must find ways to remove the stigma and bias that follow the formerly incarcerated after they have served their time. We ask you to ensure that we vote on a criminal justice reform bill that truly delivers on the promise of reform  and for it to do that and all of the above, it must ban for-profit prisons.\r\nBoth Watson Coleman and Grijalva have been outspoken in efforts to reform the prison, rehabilitation and re-entry elements in the US criminal justice system. Watson Coleman is the author of the End For-Profit Prisons Act, legislation that would require the Department of Justice to phase out its contracts with private prison and community confinement companies, and requires federal employees to perform core correctional services  including housing, and disciplining offenders, at correctional facilities used by the Bureau of Prisons or the U.S. Marshal Service. Grijalva is the author of the Justice is Not For Sale Act, which bans private prisons, private detention centers, and contracts with private transportation companies; ends family detention; and removes ICE's daily mandate to fill 34,000 beds with detainees.\r\nTo view full letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-grijalva-call-on-house-leaders-to-ensure-criminal-justice-reform-bill-ends-private-prisons", "Watson Coleman, Grijalva Call on House Leaders to Ensure Criminal Justice Reform Bill Ends Private Prisons", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "\u201cWe ask you to ensure that we vote on a criminal justice reform bill that truly delivers on the promise of reform \u2014 and for it to do that\u2026it must ban for-profit prisons.\u201d\n\nFollowing reports that Congress may move to pass a criminal justice reform bill before the end of the year, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Congressman Ra\u00fal M. Grijalva (D-AZ) today sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi urging them to ensure the final measure that reaches the House floor includes a ban on private prisons.\n\n\u201cThe use of private prisons erodes the public\u2019s faith in the integrity of American sentencing policy, leaving them to wonder if the impetus for lengthy mandatory minimums, or forcibly detaining immigrant children, is an evidence-based solution, or just submission to the will of private companies profiting from those incidences of imprisonment,\u201d Watson Coleman and Grijalva wrote.\n\n\u201cIf this body is to consider a criminal justice reform bill, it must focus on ensuring sentences are fair. It must seek to remove bias. It must find ways to better rehabilitate prisoners and prepare them for society \u2013 keeping them closer to their families and training them for jobs when they\u2019ve finished their sentences. It must find ways to remove the stigma and bias that follow the formerly incarcerated after they have served their time. We ask you to ensure that we vote on a criminal justice reform bill that truly delivers on the promise of reform \u2014 and for it to do that and all of the above, it must ban for-profit prisons.\u201d\n\nBoth Watson Coleman and Grijalva have been outspoken in efforts to reform the prison, rehabilitation and re-entry elements in the US criminal justice system. Watson Coleman is the author of the End For-Profit Prisons Act, legislation that would require the Department of Justice to phase out its contracts with private prison and community confinement companies, and requires federal employees to perform core correctional services \u2013 including housing, and disciplining offenders, at correctional facilities used by the Bureau of Prisons or the U.S. Marshal Service. Grijalva is the author of the Justice is Not For Sale Act, which bans private prisons, private detention centers, and contracts with private transportation companies; ends family detention; and removes ICE\u2019s daily mandate to fill 34,000 beds with detainees.\n\nTo view full letter, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=872", "Senate & House Lawmakers Release Updated First Step Act", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Majority Leader, House Speaker pledge to consider criminal justice reform package this year \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 12, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON  A bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers today released revised text of the First Step Act to continue building support for criminal justice reform. This update was brokered by the White House and a bipartisan group of lawmakers in both chambers of Congress. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Speaker Paul Ryan have pledged to take up the revised package before the end of the year.\nOur broken criminal justice system is a cancer on the soul of our nation that's disproportionately preyed upon low-income Americans, the addicted, and people of color. This bill is a meaningful step in the right direction that will help correct the ills of the failed War on Drugs. It will have a profound effect on thousands of families suffering under the burden of our broken system, Senator Cory Booker said.\nOver the last several years, we've expanded support for comprehensive criminal justice reform by listening to stakeholders and lawmakers to strike a balance that reduces crime and recidivism, and the associated taxpayer burden, while ensuring that dangerous and career criminals face steep consequences for their actions. Today's update represents the latest in our effort to achieve this goal. I appreciate the engagement from many of my colleagues to fine tune the most significant criminal justice reform in a generation, and I applaud President Trump and the White House for bringing everyone to the table to make this happen. Following these changes and the growing demonstration of support for this bill, Leader McConnell is keeping his word by pledging to hold a vote this year, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley said.\nThe bipartisan First Step Act is a once in a political lifetime aligning of the stars. Republicans, Democrats, President Trump, Fraternal Order of Police, and ACLU have all thrown their support behind our bill. This bipartisan compromise could be one of the most important things we do when it comes to criminal justice not only this year but for a long time. I commend my colleagues for their spirit of cooperation on this important piece of legislation and I look forward to getting this job done in the closing weeks of this session, Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin said.\nAfter listening to many of our colleagues, this updated First Step Act addresses each of the concerns we've heard from stakeholders across the country. It is solid common-sense reform that will make our families stronger and our communities safer and I look forward to debating it on the Senate floor, Senator Mike Lee said.\nThis bill does two important things: lowers the recidivism rate and reduces sentences for nonviolent offenders which allows us to direct resources towards truly dangerous criminals. For a nonviolent offender to be released early, the offender has to acquire a necessary skill-set to be more productive once released. The bill also gives more latitude to judges to make sure lengthy sentences are not mandated for multiple nonviolent offenses. This has produced a great burden on the system and has taken a lot of people out of the workforce that could be productive. Finally, I very much appreciate Jared Kushner's tenacity when it comes to making sure the criminal justice reform legislation becomes law. I also appreciate President Trump's bold and energetic leadership on this issue. It was also an honor working side by side with Senator Tim Scott on another important reform. Senator McConnell's announcement that the Senate will take up criminal justice reform was music to my ears. Now, let's pass it into law, said Senator Graham\nWe know the reforms in this bill can yield real improvement in our criminal justice system because they've worked in states like Rhode Island and Texas. Now, we are poised to pass those reforms into law across the federal system. I am proud of the bipartisan work that has led us to this moment, and grateful to all the people  law enforcement, civil rights groups, former inmates, state and local officials, community leaders, and so many more  who helped us get here, Senator Sheldon Whitehouse said.\nAs an original co-sponsor of the First Step Act, I want to thank each and every person who has played an instrumental role in getting this once-in-a-generation bill to the Senate floor. This has been a team effort that has spanned the political spectrum; and for that, we should all celebrate. Meaningful criminal justice reform is just one step in ensuring that the scales of justice are balanced for every American a core principle of our nation. I am thrilled that President Trump, Chairman Grassley, various Senators, and advocacy groups worked side by side to prove to the American public that Congress still works. I look forward to ushering the First Step Act through the finish line and to the President's desk, Senator Tim Scott said.\nThe First Step Act represents years of bipartisan work to address some of the most egregious and unjust outcomes in our criminal justice system. While our work is not done, these reforms, and how senators came together to produce them, represent the best of the Senate, and it will make a real difference in the lives of so many. I am proud to cosponsor the First Step Act and believe now is the time to pass this historic legislation, Senator Patrick Leahy said.\nDuring my chairmanship of the House Judiciary Committee, I have made reform of our federal criminal justice system a top priority. It is clear that reforms are necessary to protect Americans from crime, to help ensure that offenders become productive members of society after they serve their time, and to adjust some sentences that are currently excessive. I am extremely pleased that we have reached a bipartisan, bicameral agreement on legislation to accomplish these goals, and I urge immediate consideration of this legislation so that we can send it to President Trump to sign into law, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte said.\nI am pleased to join with my colleagues in introducing the First Step Act, an important bill that will advance criminal justice reform. This bill includes critical changes to our sentencing laws that will reduce the impact of some mandatory minimum sentences, notably with retroactive application of the reduced crack cocaine sentences under the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010. The bill's reauthorization of the Second Chance Act is also a measure that is long overdue. We will continue to work in Congress to oversee the implementation of these reforms as well as the new system to allow some federal prisoners to earn early entry into pre-release custody. There is still more work to be done to ensure our criminal justice system is equally fair and just for every American; however, this bill is its namesake: a positive first step, House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jerry Nadler said.\nSeventeen months ago, the People's House partnered with the White House to improve public safety by lowering recidivism and prioritizing evidence-based rehabilitation, and we've continued moving forward with the Senate since the House passed this bill 360-59 last May. Lawmakers across both chambers and both parties agree that the time to act is now, and we agree on what that action looks like. Today, I stand with my colleagues in the House and Senate as we take strides that move the First Step Act closer to the president's desk,\" Congressman Doug Collins said.\nThe First Step Act is a historic piece of legislation that strikes a forceful blow against the mass incarceration epidemic in America. This bill will meaningfully reform our broken criminal justice system, enact fairer sentencing laws, reduce recidivism and save taxpayer dollars. It is a significant step toward redemption for thousands of non-violent drug offenders harshly treated by unjust crack-cocaine laws. The FIRST STEP Act represents the beginning of the end of over-criminalization in America, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries said.\nCriminal justice reform has been a top priority of the House Judiciary Committee for the last three and a half years, and I'm glad to help move it forward. I'm also pleased that this comprehensive package includes my reauthorization of the Second Chance Act, which has been widely successful in helping former inmates transition back to society, Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner said.\nI am pleased that our diligent efforts in the House allowed a fruitful yield in the inclusion of sentencing reform to the First Step Act. I am also pleased that my amendment to create an Independent Review Committee that will oversee the implementation of the risk assessment tools and the bill generally, was also included in the final version of this bill. I look forward, in the next Congress, to expanding upon this preliminary progress, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said.\nThis bill is a good first step to address the issue of mass incarceration. I am pleased to work with my colleagues in both chambers to include a provision that addresses the egregious practice of shackling women who are pregnant, especially during labor and delivery. I'm excited that Congress will be coming together in a bipartisan fashion on this important issue and I look forward to continuing to work on criminal justice reform in the upcoming Congress, Congresswoman Karen Bass said.\nThe revised legislation further clarifies eligibility for earned time credits following successful completion of evidence-based recidivism reduction programs, and expands on the existing list of disqualifying offenses. The changes address points raised by some law enforcement groups and provides for additional transparency in the Bureau of Prisons' risk assessment framework. A summary of the update can be found HERE. Text is available HERE.\nThe First Step Act is endorsed by President Trump and cosponsored by more than a third of the Senate, evenly balanced among Democrats and Republicans. The recent updates to the bill have garnered the support of additional senators in recent days, including Senators Thom Tillis, Ted Cruz, David Perdue and John Cornyn.\nHere's a complete list of current cosponsors:\n1.  Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa)\n2.  Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)\n3.  Mike Lee (R-Utah)\n4.  Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.)\n5.  Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)\n6.  Cory Booker (D-N.J.)\n7.  Tim Scott (R-S.C.)\n8.  Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)\n9.  Joni Ernst (R-Iowa)\n10. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.)\n11. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.)\n12. Chris Coons (D-Del.)\n13. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.)\n14. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.)\n15. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.)\n16. Doug Jones (D-Ala.)\n17. Susan Collins (R-Maine)\n18. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)\n19. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.)\n20. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.)\n21. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)\n22. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii)\n23. Rob Portman (R-Ohio)\n24. Angus King (I-Maine)\n25. Todd Young (R-Ind.)\n26. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii)\n27. Bill Cassidy (R-La.)\n28. Ben Cardin (D-Md.)\n29. Steve Daines (R-Mont.)\n30. Tina Smith (D-Minn.)\n31. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.)\n32. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.)\n33. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)\n34. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.)\nThe First Step Act is backed by a number of law enforcement groups, including the nation's largest police group. It's also supported by 172 former federal prosecutors including two former Republican U.S. attorneys general, two former deputy attorneys general and a former director of the FBI along with sheriffs from 34 states across the country. The National Governor's Association, which represents the governors of all 50 states, praised the bill. A broad coalition of conservative and progressive groups along with a host of business leaders and faith-based organizations also support the First Step Act.\nMore information on the revised First Step Act\n  Text of revised First Step Act\n  Summary of revised First Step Act\n  Summary of First Step Act as introduced\n  Current cosponsors and endorsements", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/es/noticias-y-eventos/prensa/menndez-y-rubio-piden-a-trump-que-reconozca-a-la-asamblea-nacional-de-venezuela-como-la-nica-institucin-legtima-del-pas-", "Men\u00e9ndez y Rubio Piden a Trump que Reconozca a La Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela como la \u00danica Instituci\u00f3n Leg\u00edtima del pa\u00eds", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menndez y Rubio Piden a Trump que Reconozca a La Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela como la nica Institucin Legtima del pas  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menndez y Rubio Piden a Trump que Reconozca a La Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela como la nica Institucin Legtima del pas  \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 12, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, DC El Senador Bob Menndez (D-N.J.), el Miembro de Ms Alto Rango del Comit de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado de los Estados Unidos, envi una carta junto al Senador Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) instando al Presidente Trump a que una vez ms denuncie a Nicols Maduro como presidente ilegtimo de Venezuela y que reconozca a la Asamblea Nacional como la nica institucin democrtica que queda en el pas. Segn el artculo 231 de la Constitucin venezolana, \" El candidato elegido o candidata elegida tomar posesin del cargo de Presidente o Presidenta de la Repblica el diez de enero del primer ao de su perodo constitucional, mediante juramento ante la Asamblea Nacional.\" Dado que las elecciones del pasado 20 de mayo del 2018 no fueron democrticas, y fueron organizadas por la fraudulenta Asamblea Nacional Constituyente, a partir del 10 de enero del 2019, el Congreso democrticamente elegido en Venezuela asumir el liderazgo de la nacin.\r\nEl texto completo de la carta se encuentra a continuacin:\r\nDear Mr. President:\r\nUnder the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's 1999 constitution, the country is supposed to inaugurate a democratically-elected president on January 10, 2019. Article 231 of Venezuela's constitution states that [t]he candidate elected will take possession of the role of President of the Republic on the 10th of January of the first year of its constitutional period, by oath to the National Assembly. The regime of Nicols Maduro, however, has turned Venezuela away from the path of democracy and down the path of dictatorship. We therefore request that you condemn the Maduro regime's rule as illegitimate, and formally recognize the Venezuelan National Assembly as the only legitimate democratic institution remaining in the country's national government.\r\nIn May 2018, the Maduro regime held fraudulent elections that failed to meet established international standards for a free, fair and transparent electoral process. These elections were rightly denounced as a sham by the United States and democracies worldwide. Moreover, Maduro continues to repress and violate the human rights of the Venezuelan people. According to the nongovernmental organization Foro Penal, the Maduro regime has imprisoned 288 political prisoners to date. Additionally, the regime uses food as a political weapon and means of control, providing what little available sustenance remains only to his party's supporters and engaging in a forced starvation strategy against the Venezuelan people for coercive purposes that, we believe, amounts to crimes against humanity.\r\nIn support of the Venezuelan people, we introduced the Venezuela Relief, Reconstruction, and Rule of Law Act of 2018 (S. 3486), which unequivocally states that:\r\n\r\nIt is the sense of Congress that actions taken by the Government of Venezuela that require legislative approval, ratification, or concurrence, including the provision or refinancing of debts, should only be recognized as legitimate by the United States and the international community if such legislative actions are performed by the democratically-elected National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.\r\nMoreover, S. 3486 declares that it should be the policy of the United States to recognize the democratically-elected National Assembly of Venezuela as the only legitimate national legislative body in Venezuela.\r\n\r\nWe support what the United States has done so far to stand with the Venezuelan people in their struggle against the dictatorship of Nicols Maduro and protect our national security interests in Latin America. We believe our nation canand mustdo more. As we approach January 10, 2019, we therefore urge your Administration to formally recognize the National Assembly of Venezuela as the only remaining democratic institution in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela's national government.\r\nSincerely\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-calls-for-fbi-fec-investigation-into-illegal-russian_funneled-into-2018-midterms", "Menendez Calls for FBI, FEC Investigation into Illegal Russian $$$ Funneled into 2018 Midterms", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Calls for FBI, FEC Investigation into Illegal Russian $$$ Funneled into 2018 Midterms \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Calls for FBI, FEC Investigation into Illegal Russian $$$ Funneled into 2018 Midterms \n\t\n\t\t Senator: Investigation must expose which 2018 candidates accepting NRA $$$ and staff knew of or helped facilitate flow of Russian $$$ to their campaigns \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 12, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Alarmed by reports of a pending plea deal and conviction of accused Russian agent Maria Butina, who ingratiated herself with the National Rifle Association (NRA) in order to influence our elections, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today called for a federal investigation into whether the Kremlin funneled money to the NRA during the 2016 or 2018 elections in order for the American people to better understand the depth and breadth of the Kremlin's reach within our democratic institutions.\r\n \r\nI am writing to request your assessment on whether Kremlin funds have been directed through the NRA to support U.S. political campaigns during the 2018 election cyclean action that, if it occurred, would represent a breach of U.S. law and violate the sovereignty of our democratic system and, as such, merits close scrutiny by your respective agencies, Sen. Menendez stated in a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray and FEC Commissioner Caroline Hunter. I also request that your agencies work to determine whether individuals serving as candidates, campaign staff or volunteers in any House or Senate races were aware of, or helped to facilitate, the flow of Russian money to these campaigns.\r\n \r\nThe case against Butina and her pending guilty plea would ostensibly confirm the assessments of U.S. intelligence and national security experts that the Government of the Russian Federation is continuing its attempt to disrupt democratic institutions and processes in our country beyond the 2016 presidential race. The Senator pressed Director Wray and Commissioner Hunter that it is the responsibility of their agencies to counter threats emanating from the Kremlin against our electoral processes\r\n \r\nEffectively neutralizing these threats requires that we identify them in real-time, which is why it is important that your agencies direct scrutiny to not just a possible Russia-NRA conduit during the 2016 election, but also whether that conduit is still active today, the letter continued.\r\n \r\nThe Senator noted that preliminary findings, released earlier this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee, suggest that the Kremlin used the NRA to improperly direct financial support to Donald Trump's 2016 campaign.\r\nFull text of the letter is below and can be downloaded here:\r\nDear Director Wray and Commissioner Hunter:\r\nAmid reports of a pending plea deal and conviction of Maria Butina, a Russian national with strong ties to the National Rifle Association (NRA), it is clear that Russian meddling in U.S. elections continued well past the 2016 presidential race and included the November 2018 midterms. It is critical that the American people fully understand the depth and breadth of the Kremlin's reach within our democratic institutions, including whether the Kremlin funneled money to the NRA during the 2016 or 2018 elections.\r\nSpecifically, I am writing to request your assessment on whether Kremlin funds have been directed through the NRA to support U.S. political campaigns during the 2018 election cyclean action that, if it occurred, would represent a breach of U.S. law and violate the sovereignty of our democratic system and, as such, merits close scrutiny by your respective agencies.\r\nPreliminary report findings released earlier this year by the Senate Judiciary Committee suggest that the Kremlin improperly directed financial support to the campaign of 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump, using the NRA as a channel to do so. I understand the FBI has also been investigating these claims. I also request that your agencies work to determine whether individuals serving as candidates, campaign staff or volunteers in any House or Senate races were aware of, or helped to facilitate, the flow of Russian money to these campaigns.\r\nThis past March, we learned that Russian politician Alexander Torshin used his ties to the NRA to gain access to those close to the President, including Donald Trump Jr. Even more troubling is the claim that Torshin served as a 2012 U.S. election observer, a role he obtained via his ties to the NRA.\r\nLeaders of U.S. national security agencies expressed concerns in an August 2 White House press conference that the Government of the Russian Federation is continuing to attempt to disrupt democratic institutions and processes in our country, including the November 2018 midterm elections. I share those concerns and agree, Director Wray, with your call for fierce determination and focus by relevant U.S. agencies in countering threats emanating from the Kremlin against our electoral processes.\r\nEffectively neutralizing these threats requires that we identify them in real-time, which is why it is important that your agencies direct scrutiny to not just a possible Russia-NRA conduit during the 2016 election, but also whether that conduit is still active today.\r\nThank you in advance to your prompt attention to this matter.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-celebrates-major-wins-for-new-jersey-in-final-passage-of-2018-farm-bill", "Menendez Celebrates Major Wins for New Jersey in Final Passage of 2018 Farm Bill", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Celebrates Major Wins for New Jersey in Final Passage of 2018 Farm Bill \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Celebrates Major Wins for New Jersey in Final Passage of 2018 Farm Bill \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 12, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez voted in favor of the bipartisan farm bill, which was reported by a bicameral conference committee and passed by a vote of 87-13. The 2018 Farm Bill protects and maintains the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which helps 818,000 low income New Jerseyans buy groceries to feed their families, continues investments in programs that support crops essential to New Jersey such as blueberries and cranberries, improves and expands federal programs for urban and vertical farming, implements a permanent ban on the slaughter of cats and dogs for human consumption and reauthorizes the Cotton Trust Fund to help the state's clothing manufacturers.\r\n \r\nI'm proud that this bipartisan bill will deliver big wins to New Jersey and that it protects hardworking families from cuts to vital programs, said Sen. Menendez. This legislation will help the Garden State live up to its name by supporting sustainable agriculture and farm jobs in South Jersey while encouraging innovation by urban farmers.\r\n \r\nUrban Farming\r\n \r\nThe bill improves urban and vertical agriculture by requiring the U.S. Department of Agriculture to update its farm policy to include urban and indoor farmers to ensure they can access loans, conservation programs, and risk management tools.\r\n \r\nSpecialty Crop Protections\r\n \r\nThe bill provides mandatory funding for the Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC) program which will help New Jersey's speciality crop producers, such as cranberry and blueberry farmers access export markets.\r\nLevel funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant is maintained in the bill. The SCBGP provides block grants to state departments of agriculture to use to enhance the competitiveness of their specialty crops. New Jersey uses the grant, in part, to finance the Jersey Fresh marketing program that advertises New Jersey produce.\r\n \r\nCotton Trust Fund\r\n \r\nThe bill reauthorizes the Cotton Trust Fund, a program Senator Menendez has been a long time champion of that protects New Jersey jobs by leveling the playing field for New Jersey clothing manufacturers through the elimination of incentives to offshore jobs.\r\n \r\nIn 2011, Sen. Menendez introduced legislation to restore the Cotton Trust Fund. The bill was included in the 2014 Farm Bill and the 2018 Farm Bill maintains Sen. Menendez's improvements.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendezs-latest-corporate-diversity-survey-finds-women-minorities-continue-to-be-underrepresented-in-the-boardroom-", "Menendez\u2019s Latest Corporate Diversity Survey Finds Women, Minorities Continue to be Underrepresented in the Boardroom", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez's Latest Corporate Diversity Survey Finds Women, Minorities Continue to be Underrepresented in the Boardroom  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez's Latest Corporate Diversity Survey Finds Women, Minorities Continue to be Underrepresented in the Boardroom  \n\t\n\t\t America's top performing companies have moved slowly when it comes to diversifying their top jobs since Menendez began his study in 2010 \n\t\n\t\n\tWednesday, December 12, 2018\n\t\n\tWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez released his 2017 Corporate Diversity Survey, which examined demographic diversity among the top executives, corporate boards and procurement practices of America's most successful companies, found most Fortune 100 companies dragging their feet when it comes to diversity. Sen. Menendez also led Members of the Tri-Caucus in sending a letter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to publish, for the first time, employment data on women and minorities in executive positions from the top performing 500 companies since 2000, using the data it gathers each year from its annual EEO-1 survey. \r\nI've long held that the need for greater diversity at every level of our economy is not an act of benevolence but a necessity for businesses looking to compete in a diverse 21st century America, said Sen. Menendez. One might assume that the diversification of the American people would automatically translate into the diversification of American corporate power, yet barriers for women and people of color remain stubbornly persistent throughout corporate culture as this Survey confirms. As our country undergoes tremendous demographic and economic change, it is time the leaders of America's most successful companies recognize that diversity is not just a buzzword  it's a deliverable. \r\nWe in the Congressional tri-caucus believe that it's critical that the leadership in all sectors of our country are better represent the make up our increasingly diverse nation,said Rep. Judy Chu,Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair.It's especially true when it comes to corporate boards and senior executive level positions in major corporations.\r\nFew large corporations in America truly reflect the face of our nation and it's clear from the survey that some are not even trying, said Rep. Joaquin Castro, Hispanic Caucus Chair-Elect. Without diversity, people of color will have too few advocates committed to fighting for increased financial resources and investments from corporations in their communities.\r\nSixty-one Fortune 100 companies participated in the voluntary and self-administered survey. Sen. Menendez released the report during a press call with leading advocates, researchers and executives from companies committed to increasing corporate diversity, including Rep. Judy Chu Chair, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair; Rep. Joaquin Castro, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair-Elect; Corey Anthony, Chief Diversity Officer for AT&T; Idalia Hill, Communications Lead for the CEO Action Network, and Cid Wilson with the Alliance for Board Diversity. \r\nI would say, while we're very proud of the work we've done at AT&T and we continue to do, but we also recognize we are not declaring victory, said Corey AnthonyAT&T's Chief Diversity Officer.There's opportunities for us to improve so we're always in the mode of just continuing to improve and looking for ways to move the ball forward, in terms of how we interact with each other internally but also how we interact and engage with the communities surrounding us.\r\nAt the end of the day all of this comes down to the idea that diversity, inclusion on corporate boards and executive teams because leadership as the top drives the attitudes and priorities of companies and organization, said Cid Wilson with the Alliance for Board Diversity. Unless we have good leaders, unless we have diverse leaders that actually think differently and innovate then I think we're going to continue to not benefit from all of what our residents and citizens bring to the table.\r\nSen. Menendez's 2017 Corporate Diversity Survey found that despite diversity and inclusion having made their way into the everyday lexicon of America's top performing companies, many companies talk the talk, without walking the walk. The vast majority of companies do not set tangible targets to deliver on their self-professed commitment to diversity, with only 37.7% of the surveyed companies including numeric targets for diversity at the executive team levels and only 11.5% of companies setting specific targets for diverse recruitment among their Board of Directors. Even more alarming, although 95% of the participating companies had a supplier diversity program, 40% saw a decrease in the number of women- and minority-owned suppliers, tripling the amount from his 2014 sample.\r\nEvery year, EEOC conducts a wide-ranging survey with every employer in the United States with 100 or more employees, as mandated under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.Since 1966, companies have been required to disclose their employment data categorized by race/ethnicity, gender and job category, but the data rarely gets reported in a comprehensive fashion.\r\nAlthough the EEOC is prohibited by law from disclosing individual company data, it can publicly report information using aggregate data collected through the EEO-1 survey, Members of the Tri-Caucus wrote in a letter to the members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. We request that the EEOC publish a comprehensible table, chart and graph showing how many women and minorities occupy the Executive/ Senior Level officials' category in the country's top 500 companies, by year since 2000, and that this information be updated every year in a convenient place for the public to find on the EEOC's website.\r\nTo print and download the 2017 Corporate Diversity Survey, Key Findings and Recommendations please click here.\r\nThe full text of the letter sent to the EEOC can be found here. \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/bob-menendez-speaks-on-need-to-protect-elections-from-foreign-money-and-influence", "Bob Menendez speaks on need to protect elections from foreign money and influence", "2018-12-12", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Newark \n\t\t                       \tOne Gateway Center, Suite 1100  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNewark, New Jersey 07102  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.3030  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t973.645.0502 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Barrington \n\t\t                       \t208 White Horse Pike, Suite 18  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBarrington, New Jersey 08007  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.757.5353  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t856.546.1526 (fax)\n\t\t                    \n\t\t                \n\t\t                \n\t\t                    \n\t\t                         Washington \n\t\t                        528 Hart Senate Office Building  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWashington, D.C. 20510  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.224.4744  \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t202.228.2197 (fax)", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norcross-appointed-democratic-leadership-committee-116th-congress", "Norcross Appointed to Democratic Leadership Committee for 116th Congress", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) has been appointed by Leader Nancy Pelosi to serve as the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee's Parliamentarian for the 116th Congress. This is Norcross' third consecutive appointment to the committee that shapes and implements the party's agenda, advises the Caucus on important issues and assigns members to committees.\nIt's an honor for me to serve in a leadership role on the Steering and Policy Committee where I can help shape our agenda for working families and ensure that committees are well-balanced with my colleagues from New Jersey, said Congressman Norcross.\nNorcross was also unanimously elected to serve as a Vice Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus in the 116th Congress, is the co-founder of the Building Trades Caucus, Vice-Chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Opioid Epidemic and a Co-Chair of the Rebuilding America Caucus. An electrician by trade, Norcross has a long history of fighting for workers in New Jersey.\nNorcross added: As we enter the majority, it's more important than ever that we listen to and address the needs of hardworking men and women. I know the struggles that America's working families are facing because I've been there myself. I was once a single parent having to balance work, family life and my checkbook. I look forward to sharing my experiences with my colleagues and newly-elected peers in this leadership role.\nSince being elected to Congress in 2014, Norcross has prioritized issues of importance to the American worker. He's advocated strongly for pay equity for women, retirement security and the proper enforcement of U.S. Department of Labor and NLRB regulations that protect our workforce. He sat in the U.S. Supreme Court during opening arguments for both Janus v. AFSCME and Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association and, surrounding both cases, loudly advocated for unions and workers' rights. He also broke new ground as a co-founder of the Congressional Building Trades Caucus, which educates fellow Members about construction careers, the value of apprenticeships, Project Labor Agreements and Davis-Bacon laws, among other critical issues for working men and women.\n###\nContact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director  ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-hails-house-passage-of-bipartisan-traumatic-brain-injury", "Pascrell Cheers House Passage of Bipartisan Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Today, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the co-chairman of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, celebrated the passage in the House of Representatives of H.R. 6615, theTraumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Program Reauthorization Act of 2018. The legislation extends federal TBI programs through 2023. Italso authorizes resources to boost the CDC's efforts to launch a National Concussion Surveillance System as a means to fill longstanding data gaps and provide a better estimate of the TBI burden.\nHelping people who have suffered these catastrophic injuries isn't a political subject, which is why it has such strong sponsors and support from Democrats and Republicans in both ends of the Capitol, said Rep. Pascrell, co-founder and co-chair of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force. This critical funding will help federal agencies, states, and local providers continue to conduct breakthrough research, while providing support to service members on and off the battlefield, athletes on the ballfield, and patients and families across the country who are living with brain injuries. We have a long way to go, but the journey forward is clearer today with the passage of this bill. I will continue working to ensure that this legislation passes the Senate and swiftly makes it way to the President's desk.\nThe brain injury community applauds the Congress for passing the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Act Reauthorization of 2018, said Susan Connors, president and CEO of the Brain Injury Association of America. BIAA is grateful to Reps. Pascrell and Rooney co-chairs of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force for shepherding this important legislation through the House of Representatives.\nThe National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA) applauds the leadership of Congressmen Pascrell and Rooney to reauthorize the TBI Act, said Rebeccah Wolfkiel, Executive Director of NASHIA. The TBI Act is the only federal law dedicated to creating systems of support for individuals with brain injury, and their families. We are especially pleased to see the authorization of a concussion surveillance system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This additional data will help to define true national estimates of TBI-related disability for the first time ever.\nThe TBI Reauthorization Act provides funding to allow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement a study on the extent of brain injury for the first time. Additionally, this legislation will modernize how the federal government oversees TBI research, treatment options, and prevention measures. H.R. 6616 also provides an adjustment to account for the long overdue increase in funding for TBI that Rep. Pascrell fought to pass in the FY 2018 Omnibus Appropriations bill earlier this year.\nEarlier today, Rep. Pascrell spoke on the House floor in support of the TBI Reauthorization Act, which can be viewed here.\nThe Traumatic Brain Injury Program Reauthorization of 2018 is supported by the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA), and the American Academy of Neurology.\nFor two decades, Rep. Pascrell has been a leader in advancing brain injury policy on Capitol Hill. He co-founded the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force in 2001 and has served as task force co-chair since its inception. The Task Force works to increase awareness of brain injury in the United States, supports research initiatives for rehabilitation and potential cures, and strives to address the effects these injuries have on all Americans, including children, members of the Armed Forces, and athletes.\nReps. Pascrell also champions funding for programs at the Department of Defense that go towards TBI research and treatment, such as the Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Research Program, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, and the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/bi-partisan-group-of-lawmakers-commend-final-passage-of-nica-act-sending", "Bi-Partisan Group of Lawmakers Commend Final Passage of NICA Act, Sending to Presidents Desk", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, DC)  Representative Albio Sires (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee, Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), ChairmanEmeritusof the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, was joined by Senators Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) as well as Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in welcoming the final passage of H.R. 1918, the Nicaraguan Investment and Conditionality Act (NICA), which now heads to the President's desk to be signed into law. The NICA Act seeks to condition U.S. approval for loans to the Ortega regime from international financial institutions. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced similar legislation, S. 2265, in the Senate. After its approval in the House on October 3, 2017, H.R. 1918 was amended in the Senate to include Senator Bob Menendez's (D-NJ) S. 3233, the Nicaragua Human Rights and Anticorruption Act of 2018, which seeks to impose additional sanctions on Nicaraguan regime officials, and which also included Senator Marco Rubio's (R-FL) amendment targeting the regime's enablers. The amended H.R. 1918 passed the House of Representatives on December 11, 2018 by unanimous consent.\nStatement by Sires: I would like to thank my colleagues for passing this essential piece of legislation that holds the regime accountable for its misuse of international loans. This legislation directs the U.S. to curb Ortega's access to international financing institutions until he undertakes serious efforts to combat corruption and hold free, fair and transparent elections. It has become clear that Ortega has no plans to work for the good of the Nicaraguan people, but only do what he can to fill his family's coffers while he still can. The United States will not stand idly by as the regime continues to stifle democratic processes, consolidate power, and accumulate vast amounts of wealth while the Nicaraguans struggle daily to make ends meet. The Nicaraguan people have suffered at the hands of Ortega and his cronies for far too long, and I urge the President to promptly sign this bill into law. I would like to thank my good friend from Florida, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, and Senator Menendez for their leadership on this issue.\nStatement by Ros-Lehtinen: I thank my colleagues in the House and Senate for passing the NICA Act that will help the Nicaraguan people break free of Ortega's despotic rule. I am especially thankful to Bob, Ted, Marco, Patrick, Eliot, and Albio who joined me in this effort from the very beginning, as we witnessed years of Ortega's increased corruption and repression. With the final passage of the amended NICA Act, Congress took a leap forward in creating further accountability against the heinous abuses committed by Ortega and his puppets. In a desperate effort to cling to power, Ortega and his thugs have continued to clamp down on free speech and peaceful demonstrations. The United States has answered the call of the Nicaraguan people and will continue to do so in support of much needed electoral and human rights reforms.\nStatement by Menendez: Today's final passage of the NICA Act shows that the United States Congress will not stand idly by as the Ortega regime continues its dictatorial campaign of extrajudicial killings and repression against the people of Nicaragua, said Senator Menendez, Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. This bipartisan legislation will hold Ortega, Murillo, and their accomplices accountable for their widespread human rights abuses and for plundering state coffers for their own profit. This bill also ensures that U.S. sanctions will target the Ortega regime without affecting the Nicaraguan people, and offers much-needed support for a negotiated solution to this crisis.\nStatement by Cruz: I have been proud to work alongside Rep. Ros-Lehtinen and our colleagues in the House and Senate to pursue meaningful democratic reform and combat human rights abuses in Nicaragua, Senator Cruz said. For years we fought hard for this meaningful legislation, and today's vote in support sends a loud message to the Ortega regime that the United States will not allow regimes that commit such atrocities and undermine the rule of law to benefit from international financing.\nStatement by Rubio: In an important day for the Nicaraguan Community, Congress today overwhelmingly passed the NICA Act after many months of hard work behind the scenes, Senator Rubio said. We are one step closer to expanding sanctions and other pressures against the oppressive Ortega regime and sending a clear message that the United States will not tolerate the ongoing human rights violations. I thank Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who spearheaded these efforts, for her tireless work in support of democracy in the Western Hemisphere.\nStatement by Leahy: The violence perpetrated by agents of the Ortega Government against Nicaraguan students and other protesters has shocked the hemisphere, said Senator Patrick Leahy. The purpose of this bill is to signal to the Nicaraguan people that we support their desire for a government that is not corrupt, does not act with impunity, and respects the civil and political rights of its citizens. The best way forward is a free and fair election, as soon as possible.\nStatement by Engel: \"It's long past time for Congress to hold Daniel Ortega and his cronies accountable for the egregious crimes that they continue to commit against the Nicaraguan people. Passage of the NICA Act sends a loud and clear message that the House of Representatives and Senate will continue our steadfast support for democracy and the rule of law in Nicaragua.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://sires.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ranking-member-sires-and-chairman-emeritus-ileana-ros-lehtinen-introduce", "Ranking Member Sires and Chairman Emeritus Ileana Ros-Lehtinen Introduce Comprehensive Legislation to Address the Crisis in Venezuela", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Albio Sires", "S001165", "sires.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "(Washington, D.C.)  Congressman Sires, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, and Chairman Emeritus Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (FL-27) made the following statement after introducing H.R. 7245, The Venezuela Humanitarian Relief, Reconstruction, and Rule of Law Act of 2018, legislation targeting the disintegration of democracy in Venezuela:\nFor far too long Maduro has incrementally dismantled Venezuela's democracy while oppressing, disenfranchising, and denying the basic needs of his own citizenry. The humanitarian crisis grows more dire by the day, while Maduro and his cronies continue to fortify their illegitimate and despotic regime at the people's expense. This legislation is a crucial step in demonstrating our commitment to standing shoulder to shoulder with the Venezuelan people by putting greater pressure on the regime to restore democracy to the Venezuelan people.\nH.R. 7245 takes comprehensive approach by authorizing desperately needed humanitarian aid while increasing the costs of supporting the Maduro regime and holding these officials accountable. Specifically, this legislation authorizes humanitarian assistance for Venezuelans fleeing Maduro's government and reaffirms U.S. support for the legitimately elected National Assembly. Furthermore, this bill will enhance pressure on individuals in the Venezuelan government, push for greater accountability for crimes against humanity, and work to return assets plundered by Maduro back to the Venezuelan people.\nRep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (FL) and Rep. Norma Torres (CA) also joined as original cosponsors.\nFull text of the Venezuela Humanitarian Relief, Reconstruction, and Rule of Law Act of 2018 can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=498", "Watson Coleman Responds to President's Request for Border Wall Funding", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC (December 11, 2018)  Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the President and Vice President met with Democratic Leadership about the approaching government budget shutdown. \"What we saw today was a President, someone who considers himself a leader, throwing a tantrum when told he couldn't get everything he wants. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I take border security very seriously. However, it is in the name of our security that I remain opposed to the President's ill-conceived and prohibitively expensive plan for a border wall. There are dynamic, modern day surveillance and enforcement techniques that can secure our border.Aboneheaded wall across our southern border is not one of them. In addition to the wastefulness of effort and resourcesit would taketo build Trump'swall, any plan to build it will bear hidden astronomical costsboth tostaffitand maintain it everyyearafter it's complete. \"The American people spoke on November 6. They sent a Democratic majority to Congress and they entrusted a Democratic Congress to address the border. The American people have firmly rejected Trump's boondoggle of a wall. In fact, all but one border district will send a Democrat to Congress. If Donald Trump wants to bet a disruptive government shutdown on his foolishobsession with aborder wall,then that's his prerogative.But,he should look for 218 votes from the236 Republicansthat stillcontrolCongress for the time being notto meor any other Democrat.I will not be voting forTrump'swallunder any circumstances.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-responds-to-presidents-request-for-border-wall-funding", "Watson Coleman Responds to President's Request for Border Wall Funding", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC (December 11, 2018) \u2013 Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) issued the following statement after the President and Vice President met with Democratic Leadership about the approaching government budget shutdown.\n\n\"What we saw today was a President, someone who considers himself \u201ca leader,\u201d throwing a tantrum when told he couldn\u2019t get everything he wants. As a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, I take border security very seriously. However, it is in the name of our security that I remain opposed to the President\u2019s ill-conceived and prohibitively expensive plan for a border wall. There are dynamic, modern day surveillance and enforcement techniques that can secure our border. A boneheaded wall across our southern border is not one of them. In addition to the wastefulness of effort and resources it would take to build Trump\u2019s wall, any plan to build it will bear hidden astronomical costs both to staff it and maintain it every year after it\u2019s complete.\n\n\"The American people spoke on November 6. They sent a Democratic majority to Congress and they entrusted a Democratic Congress to address the border. The American people have firmly rejected Trump\u2019s boondoggle of a wall. In fact, all but one border district will send a Democrat to Congress. If Donald Trump wants to bet a disruptive government shutdown on his foolish obsession with a border wall, then that\u2019s his prerogative. But, he should look for 218 votes from the 236 Republicans that still control Congress for the time being \u2013 not to me or any other Democrat. I will not be voting for Trump\u2019s wall under any circumstances.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-06-27T23:11:43Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=871", "House Sends Bipartisan Booker Bill to Improve Outcomes for Sickle Cell Disease Patients to President's Desk", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Legislation was cleared by Senate in October; 90 percent of sickle cell disease patients are African-American \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tDecember 11, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON, D.C. - The bipartisan Sickle Cell Disease and Other Heritable Blood Disorders Research, Surveillance, Prevention, and Treatment Act  introduced by Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) in February and cleared by the Senate in October  will head to the President's desk to be signed into law after the U.S. House passed it earlier today. A companion bill in the U.S. House was introduced by Representatives Danny Davis (D-Il) and Michael Burgess (R-TX). \nThe legislation seeks to improve sickle cell disease treatment, research, monitoring, and prevention. Sickle cell disease is a group of rare red blood cell disorders that cause debilitating pain, severe infections, and countless other health complications, including organ damage and stroke. It is estimated that SCD affects 100,000 Americans - an estimated 90 percent of whom are African-American  but the exact figure is unknown due to limited efforts to collect data on the disease.\nEven though sickle cell disease is the most common inherited blood disorder in our country, research and treatment lags behind that of other chronic illnesses, said Booker. Our legislation will help find new ways to improve the lives of people suffering from sickle cell disease. It's time we start treating sickle cell disease as a serious and debilitating illness and allocate adequate resources to monitoring, researching, and treating it.\nDespite medical advances, SCD patients continue to have difficulty accessing care and knowledgeable providers, and the average life expectancy for a patient with the condition remains 20 to 30 years lower than the average American.\nThis legislation will allow the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to issue grants to eligible entities (which include states, state or local health departments, and institutions of higher education) for the purposes of:\n Collecting data on sickle cell disease, including on its prevalence, geographic distribution, and the health disparities that exist; and\n \nConducting public health initiatives with respect to the disease, including developing strategies to improve access to screening, treatment, and management for sickle cell disease\n \nThe bill will also reauthorize and expand the Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program for four years.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-announce-56m-in-federal-funding-to-improve-roadways-in-toms-river", "Menendez, Booker Announce $5.6M in Federal Funding to Improve Roadways in Toms River", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker Announce $5.6M in Federal Funding to Improve Roadways in Toms River \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker Announce $5.6M in Federal Funding to Improve Roadways in Toms River \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 11, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced $5,660,000 in federal funding from the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program to construct several roadway improvements in Toms River.\r\n \r\nNew Jersey's roads are among the nation's busiest. With a growing population, it is imperative that our infrastructure can withstand the level of traffic our roads experience and that travelers are safe. This project will ensure safety for motorists and pedestrians as well as create easy travel in the business district said Sen. Menendez, the ranking member of the Senate's mass transit subcommittee. This type of federal investment pays for itself by ensuring our infrastructure is safer and more reliable, strengthening our economy and creating good-paying jobs.\r\nNew Jerseyans are far too familiar with the consequences of the government's failure to invest in our aging infrastructure, said Sen. Booker. \"This project will strengthen both motorist and pedestrian safety while stimulating growth in Toms River. Federal investments in modernizing our roads and bridges through proven programs like BUILD are not only critical to maintaining the safety of the traveling public, but also to creating jobs and increasing New Jersey's economic competitiveness.\r\n \r\nThe funding will allow for the improvement and reconstruction of several roadways near exit 81 off the Garden State Parkway to create easier access to the township's waterfront business district. The project also includes adding or improving approximately eight traffic signals in the project area.\r\nThe BUILD grant program was previously named Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants under the Obama Administration. Sen. Menendez--and Sen. Booker since he took office in 2013--has successfully fought for $143,828,056 in vital transportation projects benefiting New Jerseyans since the BUILD/TIGER program was created in 2009, including for the following projects:\r\n\r\nRoute 3 Bridge in North Bergen Replace the structurally deficient highway overpass in North Bergen, near New Jersey Transit's park and ride to improve mobility, accessibility, and safety for New Jersey drivers, transit riders, and pedestrians. (N.J. Dept. of Transportation, 2018)\r\n\r\nReconstruct a network of streets covering approximately two miles north of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge, integrating complete and green street concepts, and provide multi-modal transportation access and circulation improvements that directly address Camden's infrastructure needs and support existing and future economic development to facilitate ongoing community revitalization efforts. (City of Camden, 2016)\r\n\r\nExpedite pre-construction activities, whichbroke ground in Octoberand need to be completed prior to the full replacement of the century-old Portal Bridge that spans the Hackensack River and is a lynchpin on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor (NEC). Portal Bridge replacement is a critical component of the Gateway Project to build new trans-Hudson River rail tunnels and improve operations between Newark and New York Penn Stations. (N.J. Transit, 2015)\r\n\r\nImprove traffic flows in and out of the port gates and improve the driver experience when using the port by combining modern facilities with technology innovations, and significantly update the storage capacity of the Port Newark Terminal for containerized goods, creating more than 300 permanent jobs. (Essex County, 2014)\r\n \r\n$10,000,000 SEPTA-CSX Separation Project\r\n \r\nSeparate passenger and freight trains on the Southeasten Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's (SEPTA) West Trenton Regional Rail Line to increase rail capacity, provide congestion relief on a rapidly growing corridor and faster and more reliable service, and encourage greater transit use. (SEPTA, 2013)\r\n\r\nBuild new South Hudson Intermodal Facility in Bayonne and expand the capacity of the largest port on the East Coast to accommodate larger shipping vessels following the expansion of the Panama Canal. (Global Container Terminal, 2012)\r\n\r\nRepair DelAir Bridge, linking the rail networks of Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the Port of Salem, including the ports of Paulsboro and Camden, to accommodate the transport of industry-standard 286,000 lb. rail cars and enhance freight movement throughout the northeast region. (South Jersey Port Corporation, 2011)\r\n\r\nImprove traffic flow and transit times in one of the most heavily used corridors in the nation through the use of innovative technology, using real-time image-based vehicle detection, broadband wireless communications, and an adaptive control system. (N.J. Meadowlands Commission, 2010)\r\n\r\nRepair, reconstruct and improve 16.3 miles of pedestrian and bicycle facilities linking Camden and Philadelphia that will complete a 128-mile regional network in six counties around Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. (Camden/Philadelphia, 2009)\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-presses-trump-administration-on-failure-to-police-chinese-acquisition-of-critical-us-technology", "Menendez Presses Trump Administration on Failure to Police Chinese Acquisition of Critical U.S. Technology", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Presses Trump Administration on Failure to Police Chinese Acquisition of Critical U.S. Technology \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Presses Trump Administration on Failure to Police Chinese Acquisition of Critical U.S. Technology \n\t\n\t\t Letter comes after WSJ reported a Chinese state-owned firm may become the beneficial owner of critical U.S. technology, potentially exposing it to China's government \n\t\n\t\n\tTuesday, December 11, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\n \r\nWASHINGTON  United States Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), senior member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, and Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today asked Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to explain how a Chinese state-owned firm was able to use offshore companies to potentially acquire restricted American technology. According to a December 4 article in the Wall Street Journal, China Orient used subsidiaries and offshore third parties to evade U.S. export control laws and acquire a majority stake in a U.S. company seeking to purchase a U.S.-made satellite. Senator Menendez sent the Secretaries a list of thirteen detailed questions about the transaction, and urged them to commit to provide briefings on any review of the deal.\r\n \r\nFailure to review this and other similarly-situated transactions, in which Chinese stated-owned entities may gain footholds in sensitive technologies, poses a significant threat to U.S. national security, wrote the Senator.\r\n \r\nMenendez authored an amendment in the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018 that granted the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) authority to mandate declarations for suspect transactions like China Orient's. The law, which passed on August 13, 2018, allows CFIUS to mandate the disclosure of investments by state-owned companies that use opaque corporate structures or financing arrangements to evade CFIUS review and gain access to critical U.S. technology.\r\nThe text of the letter can be found here and below:\r\nDear Secretary Mnuchin and Secretary Ross,\r\nI write to bring to your attention to reports that a Chinese state-owned firm may have used a complex financial deal to evade U.S. export controls and review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). As a result, the Chinese state-owned firm may ultimately become the beneficial owner of critical U.S. technology, potentially exposing that technology to China's government or military.\r\nA December 4 article by The Wall Street Journal states that China Orient Asset Management Co. (China Orient), a firm owned by China's Ministry of Finance, sought a stake in Global IP, a U.S. startup that was seeking to acquire a satellite to improve web access in Africa.[1] After realizing that U.S. laws prohibited China Orient from taking a direct, sizeable stake in Global IP, China Orient reportedly used subsidiaries in Hong Kong and the British Virgin Islands to lend money to another British Virgin Islands company, Bronzelink Holdings Ltd. (Bronzelink), which in turn acquired a 75 percent stake in Global IP.\r\nThis investment allegedly gave China Orient, through its subsidiary, the ability to influence Global IP's decision-making and to access information that may be restricted under U.S. export controls. The article notes how the Chinese investors urged Global IP to pursue Boeing specifically to manufacture the satellite. Another instance describes how Global IP's board members, appointed by China Orient, then sought to review a manufacturing contract with Boeing that contained exhibits detailing Boeing's technology and may have been restricted by export control laws. The article further states that when one of Global IP's founders ordered the company's general counsel to determine whether the company, following the Chinese investment, was still eligible to own a U.S.-made satellite, the counsel determined that Global IP could not prove it was independent of the Chinese government. Global IP's board reportedly refused to discuss the general counsel's findings.\r\nTo ensure that CFIUS reviews such cases, I wrote an amendment to the Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act of 2018, unanimously adopted by the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and signed into law, to give CFIUS the authority to mandate declarations for transactions where opaque corporate structures or financing arrangements could be used by state-owned or state-controlled entities to evade CFIUS review and gain access to critical U.S. technology.[2] Failure to review this and other similarly-situated transactions, in which Chinese stated-owned entities may gain footholds in sensitive technologies, poses a significant threat to U.S. national security.\r\nIn light of the concerns raised by this article, I request you answer the following questions:\r\n \r\nDoes CFIUS, or your Departments individually, consider the Global IP transaction to be a covered transaction as defined under 50 USC 4565(a)(4)?[3]\r\nAlthough the provision was not in force at the time of this specific transaction, would CFIUS, or your Departments individually, consider the Global IP transaction to be a foreign government-controlled transaction as defined under 50 USC 4565(a)(7)?[4]\r\nDid Global IP, China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, or Bronzelink at any point submit to CFIUS a written notice of the proposed transaction between Global IP and China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, and Bronzelink? If so, when?\r\nWhen did your Departments first become aware of Global IP and the financing structure employed by Global IP, China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, and Bronzelink?\r\nWhen was CFIUS first alerted to the investment by China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, and Bronzelink in Global IP?\r\nDid CFIUS conduct a review of the proposed investment by China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, and Bronzelink in Global IP? If so, when?\r\nDid CFIUS consider a unilateral initiation of review under 50 USC 4565(b)(1)(D)?[5] If so, when did CFIUS complete the review and what did CFIUS find? If not, why did CFIUS choose not to conduct such a review?\r\nWill you commit to brief my staff within 30 days on the status of any pending CFIUS review of this transaction?\r\nHas CFIUS or any of its member agencies ever found Global IP, China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, or Bronzelink to have breached a mitigation agreement or submitted false or misleading material information to CFIUS?\r\n \r\n10. Has CFIUS reviewed any other transactions by Global IP, China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, or Bronzelink? If so, please provide a list of those transactions.\r\n11. Did the Commerce Department grant Boeing an export license for sale of the satellite to Global IP? If so, when?\r\n12. Do any CFIUS members, or staff of CFIUS member agencies tasked with CFIUS work, hold any financial interest in Global IP, China Orient, China Orient's subsidiaries, Bronzelink, Boeing, or any other satellite manufacturer, owner, or operator?\r\n13. Will you commit to brief my staff within 30 days on your planned implementation of 50 USC 4565 (b)(1)(C)(v)(IV)(bb)(BB)?\r\nI request that you respond in writing by December 26. Thank you for your attention to this issue.\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/video/view/menendez-to-deliver-floor-remarks-on-un-climate-change-negotiations", "Menendez to Deliver Floor Remarks on UN Climate Change Negotiations", "2018-12-11", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "TODAY, December 11th at approx. 5:10 PM, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, will deliver remarks on the Senate Floor about the ongoing negotiations at COP24 on the implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, and the Trump Administration's leadership failures on combatting climate change.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-praises-scotus-decision-planned-parenthood", "Pallone Praises SCOTUS Decision on Planned Parenthood", "2018-12-10", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC- Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement on the Supreme Court's decision to affirm lower court rulings that prevent states from blocking Medicaid access for providers like Planned Parenthood.\nPallone is the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over health care.\nThe Supreme Court was right to prevent states from blocking Medicaid patients from having access to care provided by Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood offers essential services vital to women's health, and the organization delivers life-saving preventative care for millions of patients each year. Medicaid provides care for our nation's most vulnerable and  without Planned Parenthood  many Americans on Medicaid would have no place to turn to for health care.\nMore than 100,000 New Jersey residents are served each year by Planned Parenthood's 22 health centers in our state, nine of which are located in Medically Underserved Areas. It is our responsibility to step up and stand with Planned Parenthood and I will continue to do so on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1139", "Gottheimer Spreads Holiday Cheer at Famous Warren County Christmas Tree Farm", "2018-12-08", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Gottheimer and Wyckoff's owner John Wyckoff Jr. trim and shape Christmas treesOn Saturday, December 8, 2018, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Wyckoff's Christmas Tree Farm in Belvidere as part of his Josh on the Job tour. Gottheimer, Belvidere Mayor Joe Kennedy, and owner John Wyckoff Jr. toured the 170-acre farm that boasts over 65,000 Christmas trees and helped shake and wrap trees for North Jersey families. Wyckoff's is one of the country's premier Christmas tree farms and has had its trees in homes from North Jersey to the White House, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). I will continue to fight in Congress for lower taxes, less unnecessary regulation, and small, family-owned businesses like Wyckoff's that are the backbone of our economy. Thank you to John Jr., for having us at your beautiful farm and for helping generations of families create lasting memories. Wyckoff's Christmas Tree Farm, a seventh-generation family farm, is New Jersey's official Christmas tree supplier to the White House, won the 2013 National Christmas Tree Association's Grand Champion Award, and has been named New Jersey's Grand Champion Grower 10 times. According to the New Jersey Christmas Tree Growers' Association, the Garden State is home to our country's first Christmas tree farm.  Below: Gottheimer helps the Wyckoff's staff shake loose the extra needles from the trees\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\nBelow: Gottheimer helps to wrap the trees to get them ready for North Jersey families\r\n\r\n\r\n    \r\n        \r\n            \r\n        \r\n    \r\n\r\n\r\n  \r\nBelow: Gottheimer and Wyckoff tour the sprawling 170-acre Christmas tree farm", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/taxonomy/story-type/blog/e-newsletter-protecting-njs-coast", "E-Newsletter: Protecting NJ's Coast", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Neighbors, \nAs a lifelong resident of the Jersey shore, I know firsthand what a tremendous resource our beaches are, both for those who live here and for those who come to visit year after year. The Jersey Shore is a priceless natural treasure and is the engine for a tourism industry that generates $44 billion a year and directly supports almost half a million jobsnearly ten percent of New Jersey's entire workforce.That's why I've spent my career working to stop ocean dumping, to keep our beaches and sensitive coastal areas clean, and to stop the industrialization of our coast.\nUnfortunately, we saw another step taken towards offshore drilling in the Atlantic by the Trump administration last week. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) approved five permits for seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean. These permits are expected to cover a very wide swath of the Atlantic, from the tip of southern New Jersey, to Cape Canaveral, Florida.\nRep. Pallone joining NJ environmental advocates on the Asbury Park boardwalk to denounce plans for seismic testing \nSeismic testing involves the use of large, seismic air-guns that fire loud blasts of air at the ocean floor. This can disrupt migratory patterns and cause marine wildlife to abandon important habitats. Seismic testing is also designed to lead to offshore drilling.\nWe all remember the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster and the impact it had on our country. That tragedy was unprecedented, resulting in eleven lives lost, and economic and environmental devastation that far exceeded what many formerly believed would be the worst-case scenario for an offshore oil accident. We simply cannot afford the same type of spill in the Atlantic.\nThe good news is that our state is united against offshore drilling. I've worked with members from across the aisle to urge the administration to abandon its plans for seismic testing. I'll do whatever I can to stop this immediate threat to the shore economy.\nIf you have a moment, please respond to this email or contact my office to share your thoughts on drilling in the Atlantic and what we can do to protect our beaches. It is my job to represent you and I would appreciate your input on this crucial issue.\nServing You \nLastly, one of my privileges as a Member of Congress is to assist my constituents on a range of issues, whether it be help with a federal agency, ordering a flag, orrequesting tours and ticketsfor a visit to Washington DC. Please take a moment to visit my website to find out how I can serve you.\n\nCongressman Pallone", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-decries-ballooning-trade-deficit", "Pascrell Decries Ballooning Trade Deficit", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), the Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Trade, issued a statement on reports that the United States deficit climbed to a decade-long high in October amid a record shortfall with China.\nThe trade deficit in October rose to a 10-year high despite Trump's promises to cut it. Ironically, the record shortfall with China comes just as Trump is slapping tariffs on imports from the country. His chaotic policies on China have done nothing to ease our trade deficit or bring back American jobs.\nAccording to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the goods and services deficitwas $55.5 billion in October, up $0.9 billion from $54.6 billion in September, revised. October exports were $211 billion, $0.3 billion less than September exports. October imports were $266.5 billion, $0.6 billion more than September imports. Year-to-date, the goods and services deficit increased $51.3 billion, or 11.4 percent, from the same period in 2017. Exports increased $149.3 billion or 7.7 percent. Imports increased $200.6 billion or 8.4 percent.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://payne.house.gov/press-release/rep-payne-jr-announces-winners-2018-congressional-app-challenge", "Rep. Payne, Jr. Announces Winners of the 2018 Congressional App Challenge", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Payne", "P000604", "payne.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) announced the winners of the 2018 Congressional App Challenge for high school students in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District. Gurvir Singh and Paul Niziolek of Linden High School in Linden, New Jersey, were named the winners for their gaming app, The Trials. Rep. Payne, Jr., issued the following statement:\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is a great opportunity for young people to innovate and create, said Congressman Payne, Jr. I congratulate Gurvir and Paul for their work. They went above and beyond when creating The Trials. It shows their talent and determination. By investing in STEM education, our nation will continue to develop bright young stars like Gurvir and Paul. I'm proud to represent them and happy to send them congratulations.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition intended to highlight the value of computer science and STEM education by encouraging U.S. high school students to learn how to code by creating their own applications. Entries to the competition in New Jersey's 10th Congressional District were judged by a panel of local experts on several criteria, including quality of the idea, implementation of the idea, and demonstrated excellence of coding and programming skills.\n\nAs a winning app in the contest, The Trials will be displayed on the Congressional App Challenge website and on a digital display in the U.S. Capitol Building for the next year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov?p=press_release&id=870", "Senators urge U.S. News to consider a school's role in spurring social mobility in 2020 college rankings", "2018-12-07", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Cory Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 7, 2018\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWASHINGTON  U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), and Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) today sent a letter urging U.S. News & World Report to further change their methodology for college rankings by more expansively considering a school's diversity, inclusion, and representation.\nU.S. News may claim that it now adequately addresses economic diversity by adjusting its new Pell metrics by the share of the student body receiving such grants. But this adjustment still leaves in the background the question of how widely schools open their doors to such students,the Senators wrote. Moreover, it fails to consider the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in its own right. At the schools U.S. News rates most highly, this approach means the heart of the problem remains inadequately considered. Without an exclusive metric assessing the access a college or university provides to historically underrepresented students, deep inequities will continue to be masked. \nThe letter is available here and is copied below.\nDecember 3, 2018\nMr. Brian Kelly\nEditor\nU.S. News & World Report\n1050 Thomas Jefferson St NW\nWashington, DC 20007\nDear Mr. Kelly:\nWe write regarding the recent updates to the 2019 U.S. News & World Report (U.S. News) Best Colleges Rankings. While the 2019 edition includes modest improvements to reflect colleges' role in boosting social mobility, we urge you to consider further changes to your methodology by more expansively considering a school's diversity, inclusion, and representation. We join others in questioning whether the changes represent a true embrace of social mobility, as your ranking system still fails to consider the extent to which colleges enroll historically underrepresented students.   As the leading mass media ranking outlet, we fear U.S. News continues to create a perverse incentive for schools to adopt or maintain policies that perpetuate social and economic inequalities. We urge U.S. News to comprehensively update its rankings to recognize the colleges that transform the lives of millions of historically underrepresented students and their families instead of the privileged few.\nAmerica's best colleges and universities are those that look like America, educate all of our students, and prepare them for a diverse and global workforce. As the primary mass media arbiter of college prestige relied upon by many students, families, and colleges, U.S. News has an obligation to assess American higher education fairly. U.S. News should acknowledge and correct for the role its rankings have played in fueling the collegiate arms race and preserving regressive admission policies like legacy enrollment and early decision. This approach prioritizes prestige and exacerbates America's deeply ingrained and racialized wealth disparities.\nWe appreciate that U.S. News has taken a first step this year in the consideration of low-income students by accounting for both the graduation rate of Pell Grant recipients at an institution and whether a college graduates those students at the same rate as their peers. Colleges should urgently work to close gaps in access to and outcomes at their campuses, and we are grateful that U.S. News has incorporated measurements of that work into its rankings for the first time.\nThose two indicators, however, each make up only 2.5 percent of the ranking's methodology. While the new indicators are a noble start, they amount to a negligible change and pale in comparison to the substantial weight given to identifying wealthy and exclusive collegesregardless of whether they serve a broad cross section of America's students. Sixty-five percent of a school's ranking is still based on a vague measure of expert opinion (20 percent), faculty resources (20 percent), student excellence (10 percent), student spending (10 percent), and alumni giving (5 percent).   Additionally, U.S. News made very narrow changes to the metrics that value prestige, such as eliminating the acceptance rate metric that before comprised only 1.25 percent of the formula and reducing the weight on standardized test scores by a fraction of a percentage point. Inevitably, ranking systems reflect their creators' views about what makes for a good college. In the end, even after these tweaks, U.S. News's methodology reflects an assumption that a college's success in fundraising matters to its quality as much as its success in serving students from every walk of American life.  We believe judgments like that are indefensible.\nU.S. News may claim that it now adequately addresses economic diversity by adjusting its new Pell metrics by the share of the student body receiving such grants. But this adjustment still leaves in the background the question of how widely schools open their doors to such students.  Moreover, it fails to consider the importance of diversity, inclusion, and representation in its own right. At the schools U.S. News rates most highly, this approach means the heart of the problem remains inadequately considered.  Without an exclusive metric assessing the access a college or university provides to historically underrepresented students, deep inequities will continue to be masked. For example, the nation's most selective colleges currently enroll only 14 percent Pell students and have a median endowment of $1.2 billion,  but we know that 40 percent of all high school graduates are low-income,  and of those that score in the top 10 percent of the ACT, 20 percent are low-income. Meanwhile, the thousands of colleges doing the hard work of enrolling and supporting underrepresented students have a median endowment just one-hundredth the size of their more selective peers$10 million.   While this year's changes are steps in the right direction, they fall short of truly acting to recognize collegesincluding many of our nation's minority-serving institutions and community collegesthat serve as our country's engines of social mobility and incent others to do so. We encourage U.S. News to take that next and more meaningful stride.\nAs our country's public conversation again grapples with the repercussions of stark wealth inequalityincluding the tremendous overrepresentation of alumni from elite high schools, colleges, and law schools across all three branches of our federal government and in other powerful positions of leadershipour nation's wealthiest colleges must face public scrutiny and accountability for the role they play in either alleviating or cementing income inequality.\nWe urge U.S. News to use its influential platform to better align its rankings with the three longstanding goals behind federal financial aid: improving college access, supporting student success, and providing every talented student a pathway to economic stability and meaningful participation in our country's economic, social, and civic life. Doing so will provide colleges and universities with a single, clear roadmap for how to pursue academic excellence and how diversity, inclusion, and representation are key indicators of the extent to which a college contributes to those goals.\nWe all have a stake in combatting rising social immobility and providing a fair pathway of opportunity for all. We ask that U.S. News make further improvements in next year's 2020 Best Colleges Rankings and build on its initial steps to address a college's role in spurring social mobility. We hope that U.S. News will work hard to recognize the colleges that educate America's diverse students and prepare the next generation of diverse American leaders.  We look forward to your response.\nSincerely,\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1134", "Third Deadly Bus Accident This Week Signals Urgent Need for SECURES Act, Requiring Seat Belts on School Buses", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week, the United States experienced three fatal accidents involving buses carrying school children. The spate of crashes during the holiday season heightens the urgent need for Congress to take action before the end of the year and pass the bipartisan Secure Every Child Under the Right Equipment Standards (SECURES) Act of 2018. The bill will require all school buses to have three-point lap-and-shoulder seat belts and encourages innovative measures to ensure that students are actually wearing their seat belts while on school buses. The evidence couldn't be clearer: seat belts in school buses save lives. Congress should be doing everything in its power, including passing the SECURES Act, before the end of the year, to help protect our children in New Jersey, Indiana, Illinois, Arkansas, and across the country. Department of Transportation studies concluded that adding lap-and-shoulder seat belts to school buses will save lives. How many more fatal school bus accidents do our families have to endure? said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). In Indiana on Wednesday, a school bus carrying children to a Christmas musical was hit from behind by a truck, killing a teenage boy. In Illinois on Wednesday, a school bus carrying a girls basketball team collided with a semi-truck, killing two. In Arkansas on Monday, a bus carrying a youth all-star football team overturned, killing one child and injuring 45 others. In May, Gottheimer announced his bipartisan SECURES Act following the Paramus bus accident that killed two in North Jersey, including Miranda Vargas. Gottheimer also introduced Miranda's Law, a bill that will require automatic notifications of driver violations to school districts and school bus companies within 24 hours, so they can take immediate action to keep unsafe drivers off the road and away from our children. With Gottheimer's assistance, the New Jersey Legislature passed a series of bills that would raise safety and accountability standards on all school bus operators, local school districts, and school bus drivers in New Jersey.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/norcross-nj-minimum-wage-progress", "Norcross on NJ Minimum Wage Progress", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "CHERRY HILL, NJ  Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross  a member of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, an electrician by trade and original co-sponsor of the Raise the Wage Act of 2017  issued the below statement following the introduction of legislation to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in New Jersey by Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin:\nGovernor Murphy, Senate President Sweeney and Speaker Coughlin joined me for their first public appearance together calling for $15 an hour minimum wage a little more than a year ago. Today, I'm glad to see that the process has begun in the legislature.\nWe know that New Jersey working families need and deserve a raise. South Jersey businesses like Cooper, Jefferson and Virtua Health are leading the way; they all recently announced they'll be raising the wage to at least $15 an hour because they know the current floor is far too low. And business groups, employers and working families agree  America's workers deserve a fair day's pay for a hard day's work.\nAs the 116th Congress kicks off in January, I will, once again, proudly introduce the Raise the Wage Act so all fulltime working Americans receive a living wage.\nRelated Content\n Norcross was unanimously elected to serve as Vice Chair and Liaison to Labor for Congressional Progressive Caucus in the 116th Congress, and said he looks forward to making certain that every person has the dignity of a good-paying job on November 29, 2018.\n\tIn an op-ed in Roll Call reacting to the news that Amazon is raising its minimum wage to $15 an hour, Norcross wrote Amazon is taking a step in the right direction, and it is well past time for Congress to follow suit on October 12, 2018.\n\tNorcross and three of his colleagues issued the findings of their Future of Work, Wages and Labor initiative on September 5, 2018.\n\tNorcross applauded Governor Murphy's prioritization of raising wages in an op-ed in The Star Ledger on July 22, 2018.\n\tNorcross, NJ Governor-Elect Phil Murphy, NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney and NJ Assembly Speaker-Designee Craig Coughlin stood with labor leaders and workers to call on all levels of government to raise wages for hardworking American families on November 20, 2017.\n\tNorcross reacted to theannouncement that Target will raise minimum wageon September 25, 2017.\n\tNorcross published an op-ed in The Record titledWhen they go low, we go higher wages on September 9, 2017.\n\tNorcross hosted colleagues in South Jersey for a day-long forum onThe Future of Work, Wages and Labor' on August 4, 2017.\n\tNorcross expressed strong support for the new Democratic agendaA Better Deal: Better Jobs, Better Wages, Better Future'onJuly 24, 2017.\n\tEight years after the last federal minimum wage increase, Norcross called on Congress to raise the federal minimum wage at a news conference with a bicameral group of lawmakers and low-wage workers on July 25, 2017.\n\tNorcross and all of House Education and the Workforce Committee Democrats urged Chairwoman Virginia Foxx to hold a full Committee hearing on the Raise the Wage Actin a letter on July 24, 2017.\n\tNorcross wrote first and foremost for me is raising wagesin an op-ed Sunday, July 23, 2017.\n\tNorcross and colleagues introduced the Raise the Wage Act onMay 25, 2017.\n\tNorcross was appointed to serve on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce and he vowed to represent New Jersey labor and working families onJanuary 5, 2017.\n Representing the American Worker\nAn International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) member and electrician by trade, Norcross has a long history of fighting for workers. He fought day in and day out to ensure South Jersey workers had good-paying jobs as a business agent for IBEW Local 351 and as president of the Southern New Jersey AFL-CIO. In the New Jersey state legislature, he was part of the successful fight to raise the minimum wage in New Jersey.\n###\nContact: Ally Kehoe, Communications Director  ally.kehoe@mail.house.gov", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-highlights-rwjbarnabas-health-investments-monmouth-medical-center", "Pallone Highlights RWJBarnabas Health Investments in Monmouth Medical Center", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.- Today Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) held a roundtable at Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) with administrators and health professionals to discuss investments by the RWJBarnabas Health System in the MMC campus and the center's growing role as a healthcare leader in New Jersey. Investments in MMC's Comprehensive Breast Center, for example, have led to national recognition for its use of robotics for mastectomies.\nMonmouth Medical Center is one of the leading health providers in New Jersey and I am pleased to see additional investments being made to grow its impact, said Pallone. The work being done in areas such as robotic surgery is just one example of why MMC is receiving national recognition. As the Chairman of the House Energy Commerce Committee, I will continue to promote and support MMC's mission in any way I can.\nMMC has been recognized nationally for patient safety and quality, and is one of eight New Jersey hospitals to receive a four-star rating from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the highest hospital rating in the state. It is also the region's only hospital to achieve an A grade from The Leapfrog Group in five key safety scores. It has also been recognized for its Jacqueline M. Wilentz Comprehensive Breast Center.  \n\tMost recently, MMC has expanded the use of these robotic surgery tools to diagnose and combat breast cancer. Traditional techniques may require a heavily invasive and potentially life-altering mastectomy, which may require cosmetic surgery. MMC's robotics technology allows surgeons to make small incisions on the side of the breast and replace any tissue they remove with an implant during the same procedure. The robotics technique leaves no scarring, and patients typically encounter less pain, shorter hospital stays, and a quicker return to normal activities.\nPallone is slated to become Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee in the new Congress in January. The committee's jurisdiction includes healthcare and health research.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-assails-destructive-postal-report", "Pascrell Assails Destructive Postal Report", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09), New Jersey's only member on the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, blasted a report issued by Donald Trump's task force on the U.S. Postal Service that seeks to weaken the USPS under the guise of saving it.\nThis task force is a vehicle to commit vandalism on our cherished Postal Service. Its report actually endorses the artificial pension requirement Republicans tied around USPS's neck in 2006 that requires USPS to prefund its employee pensions 75 years in advance, an unprecedented obligation that is slowly strangling USPS. The task force then pushes an agenda that would attack the collective bargaining rights of unionized employees and reduce delivery days and service standards. It would also dilute the constitutional promise of universal service by threatening to increase costs for rural communities. This report represents a slow-pincer movement towards privatizing America's postal service. While I didn't think the Trump administration had any interest in protecting the USPS, this report confirms that they want to actively harm it. Congress must stand up.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://pascrell.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/pascrell-celebrates-senate-passage-of-congressional-gold-medal-to", "Pascrell Celebrates Senate Passage of Congressional Gold Medal to Baseball Pioneer Larry Doby", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bill Pascrell", "P000096", "pascrell.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Today, U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-09) celebrated the passage in the Senate of H.R. 1861, legislation that will award the Congressional Gold Medal to Larry Doby, a star baseball player who helped break the Major League Baseball color barrier. With today's passage, the legislation co-sponsored by Jim Renacci (R-OH-16), Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and their colleagues now heads to the President's desk for signature into law.\nToday is a joyous day for sports and for this country, said Rep. Pascrell. Larry Doby endured horrendous racism and malice on and off the field to move America forward. The vitriol he had thrown at him would've crushed most people, but Larry was an incredibly courageous man who understood the importance of helping to break the color barrier in baseball. For too long, Larry Doby's courageous contributions to American civil rights have been overlooked. Awarding him this medal from our national legislature will give his family and his legacy more well-deserved recognition for his heroism. I want to thank Rep. Jim Renacci; Senators Sherrod Brown, Rob Portman, Cory Booker, and Bob Menendez; and so many others for their hard work in finally giving Larry his due.\nLarry Doby joined the Major Leagues shortly after the great Jackie Robinson and faced the same struggles and barriers without the same recognition. Every time I walk through Progressive Field, I am reminded of his contribution to Cleveland and America's favorite pastime, said Rep Renacci. I am proud that members of House and Senate could rally around recognizing Larry Doby's incredible life and career and get our efforts on the President's desk.\nLawrence Eugene Larry Doby (1923-2003) broke through racial barriers by becoming the first African American to play professional baseball in the American League. Doby served in the United States Navy in the Pacific during World War II. Upon his honorable discharge in 1946, Doby played baseball in the Negro League for the Newark Eagles, taking groundballs as an infielder at the old Ruppert Stadium, and nearby at Hinchliffe Stadium in Paterson, New Jersey.\nIn 1947, Doby's contract was purchased by the Cleveland Indians shortly after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in the National League. Doby played his first Major League game on July 5, appearing as a pinch hitter in a Saturday game at Comiskey Field against the Chicago White Sox.\nThat game would mark the start of a remarkable career. Appearing in 1,533 games as a player, Doby was an excellent hitter, batting .283, with 253 home runs and 969 runs batted in. Despite coming up as a second baseman and shortstop, Doby would excel in the field as a center fielder, setting an American League outfielder record for 164 consecutive errorless games. Over a 13-year career, Doby was voted to seven All-Star squads. After his playing career, Doby became the manager of the White Sox in 1978, just the second black Major League club manager. Doby was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998.\nIn addition to being the first African American to hit a home run in a World Series, Larry Doby was deeply committed to his community. In expression of this commitment, Larry served as the Director of Community Relations for the NBA's New Jersey Nets. This position granted Larry the opportunity to leverage his character and stature to participate in and influence youth in many of New Jersey's inner cities.\nH.R. 1861 is sponsored by Reps. Renacci and Pascrell and 293 of their House colleagues. Companion legislation in the Senate, S. 802, is sponsored by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Rob Portman (R-OH), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Scott (R-SC) and 67 other cosponsors.\nCongressman Pascrell first sponsored a bill (H.R. 5621) to award a gold medal to Doby in 2016 during the 114th Congress.\nThe Congressional Gold Medal is awarded by an act of Congress and requires two-thirds of the House of Representatives to cosponsor before the legislation can be considered in Committee or by the full House. Congressional Gold Medals have a long history in the Congress, with the first medal being awarded in 1776 to George Washington. Since then, Congress has authorized over 300 medals to be awarded. Color-barrier breaking athletes have been similarly recognized as Doby; Jackie Robinson received a Congressional Gold Medal in 2003.\nIn 1997, Rep. Pascrell sponsored legislation in Congress (H.R. 2116) designating the post office at 194 Ward Street in Paterson as the Larry Doby Post Office, which was signed into law. Rep. Pascrell also attended the ceremony inducting Larry Doby into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame. He authored a concurrent resolution in 2003 that passed the Congress posthumously celebrating Doby'slife and achievements. Pascrell further unveiled a postage stamp memorializing Doby with the United States Postal Service in 2011 at the Larry Doby Post Office in Paterson.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-celebrate-senate-passage-of_larry-doby-congressional-gold-medal-act", "Menendez, Booker Celebrate Senate Passage of Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker Celebrate Senate Passage of Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker Celebrate Senate Passage of Larry Doby Congressional Gold Medal Act \n\t\n\t\t The Legislation Heads to President's Desk to be Signed \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 6, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, D.C- U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) today praised the Senate's passage of legislation they introduced to honor Larry Doby, the first African-American to play in the American League, with the Congressional Gold Medal to recognize his career and historic contributions to our country. Doby grew up in Paterson, New Jersey.\r\nThe legislation passed the U.S. House in July, and moves to the President's Desk to be signed.\r\nLarry Doby made lasting and significant contributions to sports and our society at a time when African-Americans were socially excluded, marginalized, and segregated,said Booker.It's important that we honor this activist and athlete for both breaking barriers in professional baseball and his commitment to the greater cause of advancing equality and civil rights.\r\nToday's final passage means New Jersey baseball legend Larry Doby's life and legacy will finally be honored with a Congressional Gold Medal, said Sen. Menendez. It's a fitting tribute to a man whose tenacity and spirit helped him overcome immense adversity to shape the course of our nation's civil rights movement and change America's pastime. Larry Doby left an indelible mark on our nation's history and continues to inspire future generations.\r\nLawrence Eugene Larry Doby joined the Cleveland Indians in July 1947, becoming the first African-American to play in the American League. During his 13-year career in the American League, Doby tallied 1,533 games, batting .283, with 253 home runs and 970 runs batted in. He played in two World Series, leading the 1948 Cleveland Indians to a World Championship over the Boston Braves. He was the first African-American player to hit a home run in a World Series game, led the American League in home runs twice, and was voted to seven All-Star teams.\r\nIn 1978, the Chicago White Sox hired Doby as their manager and he became the second African-American manager in Major League history. He later served as Director of Community Relations for the New Jersey Nets of the National Basketball Association. He was inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1998 and the Ohio Civil Rights Hall of Fame in 2013.\r\nDoby was born in Camden, South Carolina in 1923 and moved to Paterson, New Jersey in 1938, where he became a standout athlete at Paterson Eastside High School. He attended Long Island University on a basketball scholarship before enlisting in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was discharged in 1946 and went on to play baseball in the Negro National League for the Newark Eagles. Doby passed away in 2003.\r\nThe Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian honor Congress can bestow. Previous recipients include Rosa Parks, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Elie Wiesel, Robert F. Kennedy, Walt Disney, Robert Frost, Wright Brothers, Major General Andrew Jackson, Major Henry Lee, Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and Jackie Robinson.\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-booker-pallone-lead-nj-delegation-in-urging-trump-admin-to-reverse-course-on-seismic-testing-offshore-drilling-", "Menendez, Booker, Pallone Lead NJ Delegation in Urging Trump Admin to Reverse Course on Seismic Testing, Offshore Drilling", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez, Booker, Pallone Lead NJ Delegation in Urging Trump Admin to Reverse Course on Seismic Testing, Offshore Drilling  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez, Booker, Pallone Lead NJ Delegation in Urging Trump Admin to Reverse Course on Seismic Testing, Offshore Drilling  \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 6, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (N.J.-06) today led the New Jersey congressional delegation in condemning the Trump Administration's decision to move forward with seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean for the purpose of oil and gas exploration that could jeopardize sea life, the environment and the Jersey Shore. A letter they sent to Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke urging them to reverse course was cosigned by U.S. Representatives Albio Sires (N.J.-08), Donald Norcross (N.J.-01), Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10), Frank LoBiondo (N.J.-02), Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.-05) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (N.J.-12).\r\nThis decision is a threat to our coastal ecosystems, and places the wishes of the oil industry above the needs and values of the people living and working in our shore communities, the letter stated. Seismic blasting and offshore drilling anywhere in the Atlantic is a threat to the ecosystems and coastal economies of states throughout our region. New Jersyeans and people up and down the East Coast remain steadfast against any effort to drill off of our shores. Allowing for seismic blasting in support of an oil drilling scheme that will never become reality is needlessly harmful. \r\nLast Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) authorized five companies to harm marine mammals during widespread seismic testing, which would include blasting just miles off the southern coast of New Jersey. This would pose profound harm to marine life and coastal ecosystems.\r\nThe Jersey Shore is home to nearly $800 billion in coastal properties and a tourism industry that generates $44 billion a year and supports over half a million direct and indirect jobs, or nearly ten percent of the state's entire workforce. New Jersey's vibrant fishing industry supports over 50,000 jobs. The state has one of the largest saltwater recreational fishing industries in the nation. All of these are threatened by offshore drilling.\r\nSens. Menendez and Booker and Rep. Pallone vehemently opposed the Trump Administration's decision in January to reopen the Atlantic to offshore drilling as part of the largest planned expansion of offshore drilling in decades in the Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific Oceans and the Gulf of Mexico, including in areas previously blocked off the Jersey Shore and throughout the Atlantic from Florida to Maine.\r\nSens. Menendez and Booker and Rep. Pallone led the charge in 2015 to remove the Atlantic Ocean from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Draft Proposed Program (Five-Year Plan).\r\nThe New Jersey lawmakers also successfully convinced President Obama before leaving office to permanently ban oil and gas exploration in areas of the Atlantic Ocean by exercising the authority granted to him by Congress under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA).\r\nIn May 2017, Sens. Menendez and Booker and Rep. Pallone reintroduced theirClean Ocean and Safe Tourism (COAST) Anti-Drilling Actthat prohibits the U.S. Department of Interior from issuing leases for the exploration, development, or production of oil or gas in the North, Mid-, or South Atlantic Oceanor the Straits of Florida.\r\n\r\nFull text of the letter is below and can be downloaded here:\r\n\r\nDecember 6, 2018\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Wilbur Ross\r\nSecretary\r\nU.S. Department of Commerce\r\n1401 Constitution Avenue NW\r\nWashington, DC 20230\r\n\r\nThe Honorable Ryan Zinke\r\nSecretary \r\nU.S. Department of the Interior \r\n1849 C Street NW,\r\nWashington, DC 20240\r\n\r\nDear Secretaries Ross and Zinke:\r\n\r\nWe write in strong opposition to seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean for the purposes of oil and gas exploration in light of the November 30th decision by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to authorize the harm and harassment of marine mammals. These authorizations pave the way for five companies to conduct widespread seismic testing, including allowing blasting just miles off the southern coast of New Jersey. This decision is a threat to our coastal ecosystems, and places the wishes of the oil industry above the needs and values of the people living and working in our shore communities. \r\n\r\nSeismic testing can be profoundly detrimental to marine life and to our coastal ecosystems. Seismic blasts can cause hearing loss in marine mammals, leading to strandings and mortality. The blasts can also cause abandonment of habitat; disruption of communication, feeding, and mating behaviors; and a decline in catch rates for our vital fishing industries. Species like the iconic North Atlantic right whale, which is already critically endangered, would be further threatened by this decision. \r\n\r\nCompounding our concerns is the fact that these harassment authorizations are being issued in service of allowing oil drilling in the Atlantic. The Administration has been single-minded in its efforts to sell our shores to the highest bidderbut time and again, the people most impacted by this plan have voiced their strenuous opposition. Seismic testing goes against the express wishes of the over 120 municipalities, 1,200 elected officials, 42,000 businesses, and 500,000 fishing families from up and down the Atlantic coast who have all voiced their opposition to oil and gas activities. \r\n\r\nSeismic blasting and offshore drilling anywhere in the Atlantic is a threat to the ecosystems and coastal economies of states throughout our region. New Jersyeans and people up and down the East Coast remain steadfast against any effort to drill off of our shores. Allowing for seismic blasting in support of an oil drilling scheme that will never become reality is needlessly harmful. We call on the Department of Commerce to immediately reverse these ill-founded authorizations, and the Department of the Interior to deny all pending seismic survey permits for seismic testing in the Atlantic Ocean.\r\n\r\nSincerely,", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-leads-bipartisan-letter-slamming-facebook-for-allowing-child-bride-auction-on-its-platform", "Menendez Leads Bipartisan Letter Slamming Facebook for Allowing Child Bride Auction on its Platform", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Leads Bipartisan Letter Slamming Facebook for Allowing Child Bride Auction on its Platform \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Leads Bipartisan Letter Slamming Facebook for Allowing Child Bride Auction on its Platform \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 6, 2018\n\t\n\t  WASHINGTON, D.C.  U.S. Senator Bob Menendez, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a staunch defender of human rights around the globe, today led a bipartisan letter to Facebook's founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, demanding answers after his company allowed a South Sudanese teen to be sold at auction as a child bride to the highest bidder on its social network. The letter was cosigned by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), John Kennedy (R-La.), and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).\r\nGiven the expansive reach of Facebook, and the repercussions from incidents such as this, you have a responsibility to put an immediate stop to these practices on all your platforms, the senators stated in a letter to Zuckerberg. While your company's mission may be to make the world more open and connected,' the auction of a child bride on your platform is a human rights violation that threatens girls' lives, health and future prospects. It is time that Facebook start taking real responsibility for abuses wrought on its platforms. It is not enough to say that you were unaware of the problems on your site.\r\nAccording to published reports, a South Sudanese man used Facebook to illegally purchase the 16-year-old girl's hand in marriage from her father in return for 530 cows, three Land Cruiser V8 SUVs and $10,000, prompting her to be dubbed in the press to be the most expensive bride in Africa. Despite children in South Sudan being protected under law from early marriage, more than half of South Sudanese girls are married before 18, including 17 percent before the age of 15.\r\nThe senators questioned Facebook's hands-off approach when it comes to matters of security and the spread of disinformation, noting that company leaders weren't aware of the illegal transaction on their platform until days later. They specifically want to know what proactive measures, if any, Facebook is taking to ensure no one is trafficked, auctioned, or sold on any of its platforms, and what policies are in place to alert law enforcement to instances of human trafficking on its platforms.\r\nFacebook has recently come under fire for its alleged role in Russia's disinformation campaign during the 2016 election. In April, Sen. Menendez sent two letters requesting information from the State Department and SCL Group, the parent company of Cambridge Analytica, following the scandal over the company's alleged misappropriation of the personal data of up to 87 million Facebook users for the purpose of psychologically targeting them in political campaigns. Last month, Sens. Menendez and Kennedy wrote to Zuckerberg questioning Facebook's ability to secure its customers' personal data while expressing concerns that Facebook was reportedly courting detailed financial information from big U.S. banks about their customers.\r\n\r\nFull text of the letter sent today is below and can be downloaded here:\r\n\r\nDecember 6, 2018\r\n\r\nMark Zuckerberg \r\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer\r\nFacebook, Inc.\r\n1 Hacker Way\r\nMenlo Park, California 94025\r\nDear Mr. Zuckerberg:\r\nWe write regarding the disturbing news that the father of a 16-year old South Sudanese girl used Facebook to announce an in-person auction of his daughter as a child bride.[1] South Sudanese law defines a child as anyone below 18 and states that every child has the right to be protected from early marriage. In South Sudan, approximately fifty-two percent of girls are married before age 18 and seventeen percent marry before they turn 15.[2] We find it unacceptable that your company is directly contributing to an abhorrent practice. \r\n\r\nAs recent news reports suggest, leadership at Facebook has taken a hands-off approach when it comes to matters of security and the spread of disinformation.[3] This appears to still be the case, as Facebook only became aware of the auction three days after the girl was married and more than two weeks after the day the family first announced its auction on the platform, on October 25.[4] Even more troubling are reports that human rights groups flagged the posting.[5]\r\n\r\nThe South Sudanese man who purchased the young woman paid 530 cows, three Land Cruiser V8 cars and $10,000.[6] Local media outlets called the girl the most expensive bride in Africa.[7] Activists worry that such a high price could prompt others to use Facebook as a means for auctioning off girls.[8] Given the expansive reach of Facebook, and the repercussions from incidents such as this, you have a responsibility to put an immediate stop to these practices on all your platforms. While your company's mission may be to make the world more open and connected,[9] the auction of a child bride on your platform is a human rights violation that threatens girls' lives, health, and future prospects. It is time that Facebook start taking real responsibility for abuses wrought on its platforms. It is not enough to say that you were unaware of the problems on your site. Thus, we request answers to the following questions:\r\n\r\n \r\nWhy did it take so long for Facebook to become aware of the auction of the South Sudanese child bride?\r\nWhat steps did Facebook take upon learning of the auction and subsequent wedding? \r\nWhat proactive measures is Facebook taking to ensure that no persons are trafficked, auctioned, or sold on any of your platforms?\r\nWhat policies does Facebook have in place to alert law enforcement to instances of trafficking on its platforms? \r\nHow does Facebook handle reports from users alerting it to possible instances of trafficking? \r\nAre you aware of other instances of persons being sold, auctioned, or trafficked on any of your platforms? And if so, please provide detailed descriptions of those instances. \r\n \r\n\r\nGiven the seriousness of the child bride auction, we request answers to the above questions by December 20, 2018. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. \r\n\r\nSincerely,\r\n\r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/press/menendez-votes-no-on-kraninger-for-cfpb-", "Menendez Votes No on Kraninger for CFPB", "2018-12-06", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Menendez Votes No on Kraninger for CFPB  \n\t\t\t\n\t Menendez Votes No on Kraninger for CFPB  \n\t\n\t\n\tThursday, December 6, 2018\n\t\n\t\r\nWASHINGTON, D.C.  Today, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking Committee, and who fought to establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, released the below statement after voting against the confirmation of Kathy Kraninger to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Republicans pushed through her confirmation on a party-line vote. Menendez has criticized Kraninger's nomination for months, including during her nomination hearing in the Senate Banking Committee last July.\r\nThe American people deserve a Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau who actually has experience protecting consumers, standing up to special interests, and navigating the complexities of mortgages, student loans, credit cards, and other financial products. Not only does Ms. Kraninger have zero experience defending the interests of consumers, she's proven to me she has zero interest in doing so.\r\nHer record of failure speaks for itself, overseeing the Trump Administration's despicable policy of separating babies from their mothers at our southern border and coordinating the White House's botched response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, which ultimately left thousands dead. Anyone who managed that catastrophe of a response shouldn't be in charge of standing up for regular Americans against financial institutions. Period. \r\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://gottheimer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1133", "Gottheimer, EPA Regional Administrator, NJ DEP Commissioner Tour Vernon Waste Mountain", "2018-12-05", "2018", "2018-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Josh Gottheimer", "G000583", "gottheimer.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Above: Gottheimer discusses next steps for the waste mountain in Vernon with DEP Commissioner Catherine McCabe and DEP Director of Solid Waste Enforcement Mike HastryVERNON, NJ - On Monday, December 3, 2018, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) led EPA Regional Administrator Pete Lopez, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Catherine McCabe, and local elected officials and experts on a tour of the waste mountain located at 3 Silver Spruce Road in Vernon. Since July, Gottheimer has asked that the site be tested to ensure its safety to the surrounding community as it pertains to lead water and other environmental contaminants. I want to thank Regional Administrator Lopez from the EPA and Commissioner McCabe from the DEP for joining me in Vernon today, said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). I think we can all agree that we want our air and water to be clean so that our families and our children can be safe. I am hoping that we can get the necessary tests on the site so we can all sleep a little bit better at night. I will never stop fighting for clean water and clean air for our New Jersey families We appreciate Congressman Gottheimer's office for putting yesterday's meeting together, and we will continue to work jointly with Congressman Gottheimer, Mayor Shortway and the proper authorities to make sure this issue is appropriately handled for the benefit of local residents and the environment, said Senator Steve Oroho, Assemblyman Parker Space, and Assemblyman Harold Wirths (LD24). It is important that testing be done in order to know what is going on inside the pile so that we can be confident our air and water are safe. We appreciate Congressman Gottheimer's continued work on this issue in Vernon, said Vernon Mayor Harry Shortway. We just want to get to the bottom of this so we can feel confident our air and water are clean for the families in our community. Gottheimer has written numerous letters to both the EPA and the DEP advocating for further testing of the waste mountain, including discrete core testing to ensure it is not a threat to the community. A private test done in September showed lead levels in water from the adjacent property with lead levels 1500% the permissible level according to DEP guidelines.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1984, "expanded_columns": [], "expandable_columns": [], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "units": {}, "query": {"sql": "select url, title, date, year, month, party, chamber, state, member_name, bioguide_id, domain, scraper, source, date_source, text, has_text, collected_at, updated_at from releases where \"party\" = :p0 and \"state\" = :p1 and \"year\" = :p2 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "Democrat", "p1": "NJ", "p2": "2018"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 1984, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2018", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 1984, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018&chamber=House", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "NJ", "label": "NJ", "count": 1984, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&year=2018", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018", "results": [{"value": "2018", "label": "2018", "count": 1984, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2018-12-05,https~3A~2F~2Fgottheimer~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D1133", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?party=Democrat&state=NJ&year=2018&_next=2018-12-05%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fgottheimer~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D1133&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 281.8320309743285, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}