{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where state = \"NJ\" and year = 2025 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-blasts-trump-administration-denial-8-million-passaic-county", "Congresswoman Pou Blasts Trump Administration Denial of $8 Million for Passaic County Schools", "2025-12-30", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Nellie Pou", "P000621", "pou.house.gov", "pou", "https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "PATERSON, NJ \u2014 Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today hammered the U.S. Department of Education\u2019s refusal to reverse its decision to strip $8 million in funding for Passaic County schools under the Full-Service Community Schools grant program.\n\n\u201cDespicable does not begin to describe this unjust and outrageous decision. With its denial today, the Trump Department of Education is ripping support right from the hands of our students in Paterson and Passaic,\u201d said Congresswoman Nellie Pou. \u201cWith zero warning, little explanation, no rational basis, and days before Christmas, Paterson schools were notified that $7.9 million in federal support they were counting on would be terminated. This critical aid funds a myriad of vital services including after-school programming, tutoring, counseling, food assistance, and health services \u2013 all of which will now cease to exist because of the Trump administration\u2019s callousness and cruelty.\n\n\u201cDespite the Paterson Public School District\u2019s willingness to remedy any concerns the Administration had with its programming under the grant, the Education Department refused to engage and has now hung these students and educators out to dry. At a time when the Department of Education has rolled back support to K-12 schools from coast to coast, New Jersey students will now be forced to return to their classrooms in the new year with fewer tools to help them succeed, incurring consequences that will be felt for years to come. The President promised to dismantle public education in America, and today he is doing exactly that. These cuts must be reversed and this funding must be restored.\u201d\n\nOn December 18, Congresswoman Pou sent an urgent letter to Education Secretary Linda McMahon highlighting the \u201ccatastrophic harm\u201d these cuts would cause and demanded the funding be restored \u201cbefore it is too late.\u201d During Christmas week, Pou\u2019s office had been in touch with administration officials to make clear the district\u2019s willingness to work with the Department to address their priorities.\n\nFull-Service Community School grants support a myriad of resources in New Jersey including social, health, nutrition, and mental health services, early childhood education programs, juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs, and educational programs to support the next generation of workers.\n\nThe cuts impact eight Passaic County schools in the Ninth District: Passaic MLK School No. 6, Passaic High School, Joseph A. Taub Middle School, Paterson International High School, Paterson Eastside High School, Paterson School No. 16, Paterson School No. 6, and Alonzo T. Moody Academy High School.\n\nIn total, $7.9 million in federal grants will be slashed from these schools ($2.8 million for 2026, $2.8 million for 2027, and $2.3 million for 2028). Nationwide, 18 Full-Service Community School grants were scheduled for elimination by the Trump administration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415233", "Rep. Smith condemns Communist China\u2019s provocations and acts of aggression against Taiwan", "2025-12-29", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement in response to China\u2019s deliberately provocative and antagonistic military exercises around Taiwan:\n\n\u201cCommunist China\u2019s egregious violations of Taiwan\u2019s air space, its ships\u2019 crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait, and live-fire drills, which commenced on December 29, are belligerent provocations, which constitute the crime of aggression under international law. Communist China\u2019s violations of the sovereignty of the democratic island nation\u2014coupled with recent transgressions against U.S. treaty allies Japan and the Philippines\u2014directly threaten peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.\n\n\u201cChina is a totalitarian tyrant, which abuses its own people at home and remains a predatory rogue state abroad. Congress stands with freedom-loving peoples in both nations\u2014those in China, working against the oppressive Communist Party ruling their country, and the people of Taiwan, standing firm against this outside aggressor. By its actions, Communist China has put itself outside the community of nations.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-files-appeal-notice-in-ice-oversight-case-says-shes-not-backing-down", "McIver Files Appeal Notice in ICE Oversight Case, Says She\u2019s Not Backing Down", "2025-12-29", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEWARK, NJ \u2013 Today, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) filed a notice of appeal after, in November, a federal judge ruled to deny pretrial motions to dismiss the case against her. The appeal will focus on legislative immunity. The charges against McIver, brought by the Trump administration, stem from a lawful oversight visit to an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention center in Newark, New Jersey, in May 2025. McIver faces up to 17 years in federal prison.\n\n\u201cFrom the beginning, I\u2019ve fought back against this administration\u2019s cruelty and attempts to silence dissent\u2014this appeal is the next step in the fight. The Trump administration\u2019s case is dangerous, baseless, and designed to stop me from doing my job. I won\u2019t,\u201d said McIver. \u201cThis appeal is for everyone who is standing up to this administration as they try to operate without oversight, silence the people who oppose them, and shut down those who protect the vulnerable. They want to make an example out of me, but I will not let them. I will not be bullied out of doing my job and protecting our communities. Not now, not ever.\u201d\n\nMcIver and counsel sought to have criminal charges brought against her by the Trump administration dismissed. A judge in Newark partially denied those motions, a decision on one count remains pending. The appeal noticed today will head to a Third Circuit panel.\n\nLast week, McIver returned to the Delaney Hall detention center for an oversight visit in the wake of the death of a detainee. This was her first time returning to Delaney Hall since charges were brought against her for her earlier oversight visit in May.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415219", "Chairman Smith on President Trump\u2019s decisive action to strike ISIS encampments in Nigeria", "2025-12-27", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee issued the following statement after the U.S. military\u2019s coordinated strikes on ISIS settlements in northwestern Nigeria:\n\n\u201cPresident Trump\u2019s decisive action reflects the United States\u2019 unyielding commitment to standing up to the Nigerian terrorists, who have been murdering, raping, torturing and violently harassing Christians and non-radical Muslims in the region for decades.\n\n\u201cCoordinated under Secretary Pete Hegseth, the limited precision airstrikes against Islamist terrorists in Nigeria clearly demonstrate that violent actions against Christians and other religious groups have profound consequences.\n\n\u201cThe strikes also put the radical Islamist terrorists in Nigeria on notice that the United States will never condone or turn a blind eye to religious persecution and violence.\n\n\u201cSignificantly, the U.S. Department of State and Nigeria on December 19 signed a five-year bilateral America First Global Health Strategy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to strengthen Nigeria\u2019s health system with a strong emphasis on promoting Christian faith-based healthcare providers. The U.S. intends to commit $2.1 billion in health assistance in the combined investment of nearly $5.1 billion over the life of the MOU.\n\n\u201cAccording to State, \u2018The MOU was negotiated in connection with reforms the Nigerian government has made to prioritize protecting Christian populations from violence\u2026.\u2019 Additionally, it was announced that the Trump Administration \u2018expects Nigeria to continue to make progress ensuring that it combats extremist religious violence against vulnerable Christian populations.\u2019\n\n\u201cIn October, I and many of my colleagues applauded President Trump and welcomed his declaration of Nigeria as a \u2018Country of Particular Concern\u2019 based on the religious persecution of Christians in that country.\n\n\u201cI then chaired a hearing entitled, \u2018President Trump\u2019s Redesignation of Nigeria as a \u201cCountry of Particular Concern\u201d: A Serious, Well-Founded Wake-Up Call,\u2019 at which key State Department officials made it clear that the Trump administration was working tirelessly to ensure that human rights and religious freedom remain central to our bilateral relationship with Nigeria.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415214", "TAPinto Gold Coast article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Federal Pause Hits Offshore Wind Projects Planned Off the Jersey Shore and Along the East Coast'", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Jim Lonergan\n\nPublished December 23, 2025 at 9:51 AM\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 The Trump administration has ordered a suspension of construction and lease activity for five major offshore wind projects along the East Coast, including Empire Wind, which is planned off the New Jersey and New York coasts. Federal officials cited national security concerns, specifically the potential for large offshore wind turbines to interfere with military and civilian radar systems used for aviation and maritime navigation.\n\nThe pause, announced by the U.S. Departments of the Interior and Defense, applies not only to future permitting but also to projects that were already approved, under construction, or still in the development phase. Administration officials said the action is intended to allow time for additional review and coordination between federal agencies, the military, and project developers.\n\nThe five offshore wind projects affected by the suspension are:\n\nEmpire Wind 1 (New York\u2013New Jersey coast), developed by Equinor\n\nVineyard Wind 1 (off Massachusetts), the nation\u2019s first large-scale offshore wind farm\n\nRevolution Wind (off Rhode Island and Connecticut), led by \u00d8rsted\n\nSunrise Wind (off New York), also developed by \u00d8rsted\n\nCoastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW), a Dominion Energy project off Virginia\n\nTogether, these projects represent several gigawatts of planned renewable energy capacity and had been central to state and federal clean energy goals along the Eastern Seaboard.\n\nPhoto Credit: shutterstock/ShutterDesigner\n\nRep. Chris Smith (R\u2013NJ), a long-time critic of offshore wind development, welcomed the administration\u2019s decision, saying it validates concerns he has raised for years regarding radar interference and national security risks. Smith has argued that offshore wind turbines can create radar \u201cclutter\u201d that may weaken or disrupt systems relied upon by the Federal Aviation Administration and the U.S. Armed Forces. Click HERE for Rep. Smith's deeper explanation of the risks posed.\n\nSmith pointed to an April 2025 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report examining offshore wind\u2019s impact on radar systems, a study he said he requested with other members of Congress. He also cited legislation he sponsored that passed the U.S. House in 2023 requiring certification that offshore wind projects would not interfere with military or aviation radar capabilities.\n\nEmpire Wind has drawn particular scrutiny because of its proximity to major transportation and defense infrastructure, including Newark Liberty International Airport, LaGuardia Airport, and JFK, as well as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Naval Weapons Station Earle in New Jersey.\n\nWe spoke with Rep. Smith about the offshore wind pause, and he said, \u201cThis has been one of my deepest concerns and an issue I have fought since day one. The fact that these risks were never fully tested, and that the previous administration would not certify the projects as safe, is alarming and, at best, negligent. You don\u2019t move forward with projects of this magnitude \u2014 especially in close proximity to critical military installations and major airports \u2014 without first proving they pose no risk to national security, aviation safety, or maritime operations.\u201d\n\nLocal Impact: Offshore Turbines and Transmission Lines: Beyond Empire Wind, the federal pause comes as offshore wind development tied to the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind South also fall under the Federal pause. The project, which we've written about at length, would place turbines roughly nine miles off Long Beach Island, while its onshore transmission lines would affect Sea Girt, Manasquan, Wall Township, and Howell. Plans call for subsea cables to make landfall near the Sea Girt National Guard Training Center before running underground through local corridors to grid connections in Howell. Officials and residents in those communities have raised concerns about construction disruption, long-term infrastructure impacts, environmental effects, and potential costs associated with hosting offshore wind transmission infrastructure.\n\nBeyond national security, critics have raised concerns about the potential impact of offshore wind projects on commercial and recreational fishing, marine ecosystems, and coastal tourism. Opponents have also questioned the cost of large-scale offshore wind development and the financial burden it could place on taxpayers and ratepayers.\n\nOffshore wind developers and clean energy industry groups told Reuters that several of the paused projects had already undergone years of federal environmental and security review. They cautioned that suspending construction could delay clean energy goals, disrupt supply chains, and impact jobs tied to offshore wind manufacturing, port infrastructure, and maritime construction across multiple states.\n\nThe administration has not released a timeline for completing its review or for determining whether the projects could resume under revised conditions or additional mitigation measures. For now, construction activity on all five projects remains paused.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415216", "Shorebeat article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Trump Halts Construction of Remaining Offshore Wind Project Off N.J.'", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Daniel Nee\n\nPublished December 23, 2025\n\nPresident Donald Trump halted numerous offshore wind projects on Monday, citing national security concerns, officials said. The decision led to cheers from U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, who has lobbied against the projects for years, and with consternation from some environmental groups that favored the projects.\n\nThe order from Trump\u2019s administration will stop five major offshore wind farms \u2014 including Empire Wind, located offshore in the New York bight, roughly between Monmouth County and portions of southern Long Island. Unlike some other wind projects, proposed and approved, Empire Wind would not likely have been visible from the New Jersey coast.\n\nOffshore wind development has been a persistent source of partisan wrangling, favored by New Jersey Democrats as well as officials in the former Biden administration. Trump, and GOP congressional leaders, pledged to eliminate the leases of offshore territory after concerns grew over potential negative effects on marine mammals, as well as subsidies for its foreign owner, the Norwegian firm Equinor. An executive order shutting down the projects has bounced between courtrooms since Trump took office in 2025, with the administration suffering a loss in court earlier this month when Massachusetts U.S. District Judge Patti Saris, appointed by President Bill Clinton, struck down the order. The decision is expected to be appealed, but Monday\u2019s order effectively accomplishes the abolition of the projects \u2013 at least in the immediate future \u2013 for reasons related to national security.\n\nOffshore wind turbine. (Photo: Harald Pettersen/Statoil)\n\nThe Department of the Interior halted the projects to allow for a \u201cpause\u201d so a review could be conducted in conjunction with the Department of Defense (War). Critics of the offshore development, most prominently Smith, have raised concerns that the massive turbines atop the structures could create radar clutter in busy airspace, most notably affecting Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, a major transit point for materiel between the U.S., Europe and the Middle East.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to President Donald Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum for their leadership in assessing ocean wind\u2019s threats to national security and radar interference,\u201d Smith said. \u201cAs I have argued from day one \u2014 ocean wind projects pose significant, catastrophic impacts to radar, putting military and civilian aircrafts and vessels at grave risk.\u201d\n\nA lawn sign opposing wind turbines off Long Beach Island, Sept. 2022. (Photo: Daniel Nee)\n\nA deceased humpback whale floats off Seaside Park, N.J., March 1, 2023. (Photo: Daniel Nee)\n\nA humpback whale is prepared to be buried at Funtown Beach, Seaside Park, N.J., March 3, 2023. (Photo: MMSC)\n\nThose in favor of the projects have said the matter had already been the subject of reviews by the U.S. Coast Guard under the previous administration, which did not identify any issues with radar clutter or interference.\n\n\u201cThe administration is again illegally blocking clean, affordable energy,\u201d said Ted Kelly of the Environmental Defense Council.\n\n\u201cPlacing largely foreign-owned wind turbines along our coastlines was never acceptable,\u201d countered Robin Shaffer, President of Protect Our Coast New Jersey, largely echoing the concerns raised by Smith.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415218", "Daily Caller article on Smith's Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act'\"Murder Masquerading As Medicine\": Senate Ignores Bill On CCP's Christian Organ Harvesting'", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Derek VanBuskirk\n\nPublished December 23, 2025 at 1:08 PM ET\n\nA bill aimed at curbing the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s (CCP) forced organ harvesting of cultural and religious minorities, including Christians, has \u201clanguished\u201d in committee for seven months as Senate leaders have failed to act.\n\nRepublican New Jersey Rep. Christopher Smith, sponsor of the legislation that passed the House with a nearly unanimous vote, told the Daily Caller about the growing threat to Christians in China and the real consequences of delaying Senate action.\n\nH.R. 1503, the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2025, is not Smith\u2019s first attempt to confront the practice. A 2023 version of the bill passed the House 413-2 before dying in the same place the current bill now sits: the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.\n\n(Photo by CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nSmith chaired his first hearing on forced organ harvesting in 1998, hearing testimony from Chinese security officials. While the practice was once limited in scope, it exploded into a billion-dollar state enterprise following the CCP\u2019s 1999 crackdown on Falun Gong.\n\nFalun Gong, a spiritual practice drawing on Buddhist and Taoist traditions and once widely embraced in China, was the primary early target.\n\nBecause practitioners abstain from tobacco and alcohol, they were considered ideal harvesting candidates, with the average age of those executed and immediately harvested being 28, Smith said.\n\nTaipei, TAIWAN: During a rally joined by thousands of Falun Gong practitioners at Taipei 23 April 2006, four demonstrators play in an action drama against what they said was the Chinese communists\u2019 killing of Falun Gong followers and harvesting of their organs in concentration camps. (Photo: PATRICK LIN/AFP via Getty Images)\n\n\u201cI want to know how long [the patients] have to wait [for a liver transplant].\u201d\n\nDavid Matas and David Kilgour recorded from an undercover conversation they had with a Chinese doctor, as recorded in \u201cBloody Harvest: The Killing of Falun Gong for Their Organs.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe supply of organs we have, we have every day. We do them every day,\u201d the doctor responded.\n\n\u201cWe want fresh, alive ones,\u201d Matas and Kilgour asked.\n\n\u201cThey are all alive, all alive,\u201d the doctor reassured.\n\n\u201cI heard some come from those who practise Falun Gong, those who are very healthy,\u201d Matas and Kilgour said.\n\n\u201cYes, we have. I can\u2019t talk clearly to you over the phone,\u201d the doctor said, before inviting whom he believed was a potential buyer to visit in person.\n\nThis photo taken on June 2, 2019 shows buildings at the Artux City Vocational Skills Education Training Service Center, believed to be a re-education camp where mostly Muslim ethnic minorities are detained, north of Kashgar in China\u2019s northwestern Xinjiang region. (Photo: GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nSmith, who has held nine hearings on the issue, said detainees\u2019 health was closely monitored to prepare them for execution and the harvesting of up to six vital organs.\n\nA 2024 report from Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) cited several independent sources verifying that Falun Gong often reported that prisoners of conscience were subject to unsolicited, coerced medical exams and blood testing, adding that guards would use organ transplantation to threaten prisoners who would not comply.\n\nAlthough reliable data is difficult to obtain, DAFOH also found that Chinese organ transplant numbers were reported irregularly, as sudden increases were followed by decade-long standstills, contrasting the steady increase of other countries.\n\nFor example, DAFOH found that Chinese annual transplant numbers increased by 250% between 2000 and 2004, which contrasts with the rates of other countries, ranging from 10-15% during the same time period.\n\n\u201cThey have perfected this art form of killing and stealing organs,\u201d Smith told the Caller.\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 NOVEMBER 19: U.S. House Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) (2nd L) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) (3rd L) join (L-R) Policy and Advocacy Coordinator of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong (CFHK) Foundation Frances Hui, Research and Policy Advisor of the Hong Kong Watch Anouk Wear, Executive Director of the Hong Kong Democracy Council Anna Kwok, Senior International Advocacy Associate of the Hong Kong Democracy Council Carmen Lau during a news conference in response of the sentencing ruling in the Hong Kong 47 case November 19, 2024 in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)\n\nIn a 2024 written testimony, researcher Ethan Gutmann estimated that annual victims may number between 25,000 and 50,000, suggesting as many as 175,000 victims even under lower estimates.\n\nOfficials-turned-witnesses testified in Smith\u2019s hearings that they personally harvested organs from living patients to maximize quality.\n\nSmith said the motive goes beyond profit, serving the party\u2019s pursuit of practical immortality.\n\nWhen a member of the CCP\u2019s totalitarian leadership needs an organ, prisoners\u2019 medical records are searched. If a match is found, the individual is killed for the benefit of the party \u2014 or, more accurately, the men running it, Smith said.\n\nSmith cited a September hot-mic exchange between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping discussing harvesting in this manner.\n\n\u201cEarlier, people rarely lived to 70, but these days at 70 you are still a child,\u201d Xi said through a translator, according to The Epoch Times.\n\n\u201cAs biotechnology advances, human organs can be continuously transplanted, allowing us to become younger and younger, perhaps even achieve immortality,\u201d Putin reportedly replied.\n\nIn this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, (L-R) Russia\u2019s President Vladimir Putin walks with China\u2019s President Xi Jinping and North Korea\u2019s leader Kim Jong Un before a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of victory over Japan and the end of World War II, in Beijing\u2019s Tiananmen Square on September 3, 2025. (Photo by ALEXANDER KAZAKOV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nSmith called the practice \u201cmurder masquerading as medicine.\u201d\n\nAfter decades of rapid harvesting, Smith said healthy Falun Gong candidates were depleted, forcing the party to expand into \u201calternative\u201d supply sources, including Uyghur Muslims, Kazakhs, other Central Asians and Christians.\n\nChristians\u2019 health and \u201cpure lives,\u201d Smith said, make them highly valuable \u201ccommodities.\u201d\n\nWhile Christians currently represent a \u201csmaller portion\u201d of victims, Smith warned they could become increasingly targeted as other populations are exhausted, serving as a fresh resource for an \u201cever-expanding\u201d enterprise.\n\nReligious persecution is routine in China. Smith told the Caller that Beijing licenses clergy, edits holy scriptures, censors online worship, bars minors from religious life and restricts contact with fellow believers abroad, adding that \u201cthe end goal is eradication.\u201d\n\nA Catholic worshipper prays during an Easter Sunday mass at a prayer house in a village near Beijing on April 4, 2021. (Photo by JADE GAO/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nThough most harvesting occurs in China, H.R. 1503 targets the global organ trade, including Western participants in \u201ctransplant tourism.\u201d\n\nThe U.S. is no exception. Wealthy American patients, Smith said, are willing to pay steep fees to bypass transplant waitlists, funding China\u2019s system in the process.\n\nSmith is not proposing a new approach but expanding a proven one. By attaching organ harvesting to the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, the same framework used against Ghislaine Maxwell, he aims to signal that the FBI will treat transplant tourists and brokers like sex traffickers.\n\nThe goal is to make the risk \u2014 up to 20 years in federal prison and a $1 million fine for those prosecuted in the U.S. \u2014 so high that U.S. demand collapses.\n\nThe bill would also impose asset freezes, sanctions, and travel bans on foreign participants of the underground market.\n\n\u201cMaybe it deters it, and after a few prosecutions, it begins to make a real serious impact,\u201d Smith said. \u201cYou start prosecuting people, and at least it will dry up people utilizing this tainted supply chain.\u201d\n\nH.R. 1503 passed the House 406-1 under suspension of the rules, a process reserved for broadly nonpartisan legislation.\n\nThe sole dissenting vote came from Republican Kentucky Rep. Thomas Massie, whom Smith said votes no on almost everything.\n\nAs 2025 draws to a close, the bill remains stalled in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Republican Idaho Sen. Jim Risch.\n\nWASHINGTON, DC \u2013 MARCH 25: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID) arrives for the confirmation hearing for former Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee, U.S. President Donald Trump\u2019s nominee to be ambassador to Israel, at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. Huckabee, the former governor and presidential candidate, answered questions on Israel and its campaign against Hamas. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)\n\n\u201cI appreciate Rep. Smith\u2019s attention to this horrific issue,\u201d a committee spokesperson told the Caller. \u201cSenator Risch remains committed to countering the dreadful practice of organ harvesting and is happy to work with anyone to counter it. However, this particular piece of legislation has not been raised with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.\u201d\n\nWhile any member may request consideration, only the chairman controls the agenda. That leaves the responsibility ultimately on Risch to get the bill out of what Smith called the legislative black hole of referred-but-ignored legislation \u2014 the same fate as his 2023 effort.\n\nIf Gutmann\u2019s estimates are accurate, between 68,000 and 136,000 people have been killed since the 2023 bill reached the committee, with 15,000 to 31,211 victims since the 2025 bill was referred in June.\n\nWithout action, the Chinese regime and its allies may seek to further expand the practice, and as reserves of Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghur Muslims are depleted, the CCP may turn to massacring even more Christians to maintain profits.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-menendez-clarke-conduct-oversight-visit-at-delaney-hall", "McIver, Menendez, Clarke Conduct Oversight Visit at Delaney Hall", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEWARK, N.J. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) conducted an oversight visit at Delaney Hall, an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention facility in Newark, New Jersey. She was joined by Reps. Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and Rob Menendez (NJ-08) for the visit.\n\nLast week, McIver learned of the death of a man who had been detained at Delaney Hall. In May, McIver, Menendez and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman conducted a legally protected inspection of Delaney Hall. The visit, which should have been a routine oversight visit, led to the Trump administration bringing charges against McIver. She now faces up to 17 years in prison for doing her oversight work.\n\nToday\u2019s visit was the first McIver has made to Delaney Hall since being indicted.\n\nThe members released the following statements after the visit:\n\n\u201cI have a responsibility to serve the people and protect the people of the 10th Congressional District, and that is why I had to put aside my experience here and come back to represent them\u2013to see what is happening inside of Delaney Hall. These are the things we\u2019re hearing: people who have not had a court date in months, people who are waiting on loved ones who cannot visit them, and people who are not getting proper medical care. It is awful, and this detention center needs to be shut down. That's why we're here. We're going to continue to show up, continue to have oversight, and continue to do our jobs,\u201d said Rep. McIver. \u201cWhen we left, a detainee told us this is not the America that we dreamed of. They thought they would be able to come here and have a better life.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhat we saw inside Delaney Hall is the betrayal of the American Dream,\u201d said Rep. Menendez. \u201cThese are people who believe in the promise of this country and are being ripped from our communities and held there on the American taxpayer\u2019s dime. All while the GEO Group is making an enormous profit and providing substandard care. We will not let this stand and we will continue to work to hold this Administration and those who benefit from tearing communities apart accountable.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo human being deserves to suffer the conditions we witnessed behind the walls of Delaney Hall, today. What our tour made overwhelmingly clear is that Jean Wilson Brutus\u2019 death is a symptom of a larger culture of inhumanity that is inherent to for-profit detention centers like Delaney Hall. Nearly a thousand of our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our loved ones are confined to this facility indefinitely, where they are treated every day as though they are less than human. Across the nation, many thousands more are facing the exact same circumstances,\u201d said Rep. Clarke. \u201cBeing undocumented should not be a life sentence, and under no circumstance should it be a death sentence. Tragically, every passing week under this administration\u2019s control creates more victims like Jean Wilson Brutus. That sin will stain America for all time, and all those who are responsible for it must and will be held accountable.\u201d\n\nThis year has already been the deadliest in decades for people in ICE custody. In September, McIver wrote DHS and GEO Group to specifically highlight the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall. She again reached out to DHS, demanding accountability after this most recent death.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-mciver-and-clarke-conduct-oversight-visit-at-delaney-hall", "Menendez, McIver, and Clarke Conduct Oversight Visit at Delaney Hall", "2025-12-23", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEWARK, NJ \u2013Today, Congressman Rob Menendez conducted an oversight visit at Delaney Hall, an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention facility in Newark operated by GEO Group. He was joined by Reps. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) and Congressional Black Caucus Chair Rep. Yvette Clarke (NY-09) for the visit.\n\n\u201cWhat we saw inside Delaney Hall is the betrayal of the American Dream,\u201d said Congressman Menendez. \u201cThese are people who believe in the promise of this country and are being ripped from our communities and held there on the American taxpayer\u2019s dime. All while the GEO Group is making an enormous profit and providing substandard care. We will not let this stand and we will continue to work to hold this Administration and those who benefit from tearing communities apart accountable.\"\n\n\u201cI have a responsibility to serve the people and protect the people of the 10th Congressional District, and that is why I had to put aside my experience here and come back to represent them\u2013to see what is happening inside of Delaney Hall. These are the things we\u2019re hearing: people who have not had a court date in months, people who are waiting on loved ones who cannot visit them, and people who are not getting proper medical care. It is awful, and this detention center needs to be shut down. That's why we're here. We're going to continue to show up, continue to have oversight, and continue to do our jobs,\u201d said Congresswoman McIver. \u201cWhen we left, a detainee told us this is not the America that we dreamed of. They thought they would be able to come here and have a better life.\u201d\n\n\u201cNo human being deserves to suffer the conditions we witnessed behind the walls of Delaney Hall, today. What our tour made overwhelmingly clear is that Jean Wilson Brutus\u2019 death is a symptom of a larger culture of inhumanity that is inherent to for-profit detention centers like Delaney Hall. Nearly a thousand of our neighbors, our coworkers, our friends, and our loved ones are confined to this facility indefinitely, where they are treated every day as though they are less than human. Across the nation, many thousands more are facing the exact same circumstances,\u201d said Congresswoman Clarke. \u201cBeing undocumented should not be a life sentence, and under no circumstance should it be a death sentence. Tragically, every passing week under this administration\u2019s control creates more victims like Jean Wilson Brutus. That sin will stain America for all time, and all those who are responsible for it must and will be held accountable.\u201d\n\nLast week, Congressman Menendez learned of the death of a man who had been detained at Delaney Hall. This followed numerous reports of substandard conditions at the facility and a tripling of Delaney Hall\u2019s population in less than a year of operation. In June, Congressman Menendez and Senator Andy Kim met with ICE officials at Delaney Hall after several detained individuals escaped amidst widespread complaints of overcrowding, poor quality food, and other issues that continue to be reported on a regular basis. In May, Menendez, McIver, and Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) conducted a legally protected inspection of Delaney Hall. The visit, which should have been a routine oversight visit, led to the Trump administration bringing charges against McIver. McIver now faces up to 17 years in prison for doing her oversight work.\n\nCongressman Rob Menendez has been a leader in the House of Representatives on oversight of immigrant detention centers. He has worked to ban private immigrant detention centers and led his colleagues in fighting the Trump Administration\u2019s illegal restrictions on oversight of these facilities. Earlier this year, in response to reports that the Trump Administration was planning to?expand immigration detention in New Jersey, Menendez led bicameral members of the New Jersey congressional delegation in opposing this expansion and demanding transparency. Since being sworn into to Congress in 2023, he has repeatedly called for the closure of all immigrant detention centers in New Jersey and has conducted several unannounced visits of Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center. He has long advocated for the humane and dignified treatment of individuals in detention.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415204", "Construction of Empire Wind suspendedCiting national security concerns\u2014the critical issue Chris Smith has raised for years\u2014the Trump administration halts construction of offshore wind projects", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), a longtime opponent of offshore wind industrialization, issued the attached statement following the Trump administration\u2019s announcement that the Depts. of the Interior and War have paused the leases for five major offshore wind farms\u2014including Empire Wind off the New Jersey and New York coasts\u2014due to national security concerns:\n\nRep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on May 7, 2025.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to President Donald Trump and Secretary Doug Burgum for their leadership in assessing ocean wind\u2019s threats to national security and radar interference. The safety and security of the American people should always be at the forefront of U.S. policy.\n\n\u201cAs I have argued from day one\u2014ocean wind projects pose significant, catastrophic impacts to radar, putting military and civilian aircrafts and vessels at grave risk.\n\n\u201cThis concern has been raised in a number of studies, including the April 2025 Offshore Wind Energy report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an analysis I requested, along with many of my colleagues, and was also called for in my legislation passed by the House\u2014by a margin of 244 to 189\u2014nearly three years ago.\n\n\u201cAs early as 2023, I joined Fox News\u2019 Madison Alworth in Middletown, NJ to highlight the numerous national security and navigational risks associated with offshore wind industrialization.\n\nRep. Smith debates in favor of his FAA amendment on July 20, 2023.\n\n\u201cThat same year, the House passed my amendment requiring the President or his designee to certify that offshore wind projects \u2018will not weaken, degrade, interfere with, or nullify the capability of radar relied upon the Federal Aviation Administration or the Armed Forces.\u2019\n\n\u201cIt is particularly important that among the five offshore wind projects suspended by the Trump administration, Empire Wind is one of them\u2014a project I have vehemently opposed for years.\n\n\u201cEmpire Wind\u2019s close proximity to major international airports, including Newark Liberty, LaGuardia, and JFK, and critical military installations, such as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Naval Weapons Station Earle, make the project especially dangerous. It must be halted.\n\n\u201cProjects like Empire Wind have already threatened New Jersey\u2019s commercial and recreational fishing industries, as well as our tourism industry and the ocean environment, which is now recovering after years of pollution. And, these projects are extremely expensive, creating undue burdens on taxpayers\u2014which I discussed with Martha MacCallum in July of 2023.\n\n\u201cI look forward to working alongside the Trump administration in ensuring that these dangerous offshore wind projects are stopped.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415206", "Asbury Park Press article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Is Lyme disease a military accident? New probe inspired by late Wall woman'", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Jerry Carino\n\nPublished December 22, 2025 at 5:05 AM\n\nAfter nearly a decade of trying, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., has gotten the green light for a federal investigation into whether the military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease as part of a Cold War experiment gone awry \u2014 furthering the spread and intensity of the illness, which has hit New Jerseyans particularly hard.\n\nSmith\u2019s Lyme disease amendment, attached to the $900 billion National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 that was signed into law by President Donald Trump Dec. 18, directs the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to produce a report on the matter.\n\nThe amendment flew under the media radar, but longtime Wall resident Rich Smith took notice. It\u2019s another chapter in the legacy of his late wife, Pat Smith, who was one of the nation\u2019s leading advocates for Lyme disease patients \u2014 in particular those who suffered from chronic or long-term Lyme. Pat Smith died in 2024 at age 78.\n\n\u201cI think she would think it\u2019s way past due and a very positive step in tracing the history of Lyme \u2014 one more step in the process of beating back this disease,\u201d Rich Smith told the Asbury Park Press.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s smiling from above,\u201d Chris Smith said. \u201cShe\u2019s the pioneer.\u201d\n\nU.S. Rep. Chris Smith R-N.J., is shown with Pat Smith, Lyme Disease Association President, before a panel discussion about Lyme disease held at the Wall Township Municipal building Wednesday, May 29, 2019. Thomas P. Costello/Asbury Park Press\n\nThe challenge for Lyme patients\n\nIn the 1980s, Lyme disease afflicted two of Pat and Rich Smith\u2019s daughters, one of whom missed four years of school. Pat founded the nonprofit Lyme Disease Association and traveled the country to raise awareness.\n\n\u201cShe\u2019s the one who got me into Lyme,\u201d Chris Smith said. \u201cShe came to a town meeting in Wall in 1992 and said, \u2018What are you doing about Lyme disease?\u2019 I said \u2018Nothing.\u2019 We had lunch, and I\u2019ve been working on it ever since.\u201d\n\nLyme disease affects nearly 500,000 people a year in the U.S., and New Jersey has the second-most diagnosed cases after Pennsylvania, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). For many who are diagnosed promptly, the standard month-long course of antibiotics mitigates the illness. But detection is difficult and, for thousands of folks, the symptoms can continue for months or years. For these long-term sufferers, there has been little in the way of established treatment.\n\nTicks, usually found in brush-filled, grassy areas, can be hosts to diseases such as Lyme disease and anaplasmosis to people. Not all ticks are easily seen. This one is just a little larger than the letters on a penny. Graham Hickling/University of Tennessee\n\nPat Smith\u2019s partnership with Chris Smith on the issue led to several laws funding Lyme research, and Pat Smith became part of a 14-person congressional working group on changes to federal Lyme disease policy.\n\nOne thing that eluded them was probing the belief that Lyme\u2019s explosion in the latter decades of the 20th century had military origins. Two prior amendments to that effect by Chris Smith passed the House of Representatives but failed in the Senate in 2017 and 2019. The theory gained steam in 2019 with the publishing of the book \u201cBitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons\u201d by Stanford University-based science writer and chronic Lyme sufferer Kris Newby.\n\n\u201cWith this new GAO report, we will have both a public report and where necessary, one that is confidential and that hopefully will allow unfettered access to the files about what we (the U.S. Department of Defense) were doing,\u201d Chris Smith said. \u201cIf it\u2019s not an issue, the investigation will prove that and we\u2019ll turn the page.\u201d\n\n'Quite a testament'\n\nSpecifically, Chris Smith\u2019s amendment compels the Comptroller General of the United States to review research conducted by the military, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies between the period of Jan. 1, 1945 and Dec. 31, 1972, regarding experiments involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales \u2014 two forms of tick-borne bacteria.\n\nThe idea behind the investigation, Chris Smith said, is that \u201can enhanced understanding of how Lyme came to be will only assist in finding a cure for this debilitating disease.\u201d\n\nRich Smith said the amendment\u2019s passage is \u201cquite a testament\u201d to his wife\u2019s legacy.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415211", "Patch article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'For The 2nd Time, Trump Pauses All Offshore Wind Farms, Including Empire Wind 19 Miles Off The Jersey Shore'", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Carly Baldwin\n\nPublished Monday, December 22, 2025 at 4:11 PM ET\n\nLONG BRANCH, NJ \u2014 For the second time this year, President Donald Trump's administration put a pause on all offshore wind farm development in the United States, and Empire Wind \u2014 currently being built 19 miles off Long Branch \u2014 is affected.\n\nOn Monday, U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced here he is pausing the leases for all large-scale offshore wind projects under construction in the U.S. His decision temporarily shuts down existing wind farms that have been in operation for years, including Vineyard Wind off Martha's Vineyard and Sunrise Wind off Rhode Island. It also stops all work on wind farms in development, including Empire Wind, which started installing monopiles into the Atlantic Ocean floor and was 40 percent complete as of August.\n\nEmpire Wind is owned by Norwegian renewable energy company Equinor, the majority shareholder of which is the Kingdom of Norway.\n\nClean Ocean Action took these photos July 30 of Empire Wind being built off Long Branch. That's a monopile, at right, being pushed into the sea floor. (Clean Ocean Action)\n\nBurgum said he made his decision due to national security risks identified by the Department of War. Burgum cited reports from the Dept. of War that said the movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers can create radar interference called \u201cclutter.\u201d That radar interference can obscure legitimate moving targets and generates false targets near wind farms.\n\n\"This pause will give the Department, along with the Department of War and other relevant government agencies, time to work with leaseholders and state partners to assess the possibility of mitigating the national security risks posed by these projects,\" the Department of the Interior said Monday.\n\nThese are the five existing or planned wind farms off the United States affected by the new order:\n\nVineyard Wind 1 (OCS-A 0501) - off Marth's Vineyard, Massachusetts\n\nRevolution Wind (OCS-A 0486) - off Rhode Island and Connecticut\n\nCVOW \u2013 Commercial (OCS-A 0483) - off Virginia\n\nSunrise Wind (OCS-A 0487) - off Block Island, Rhode Island\n\nEmpire Wind 1 (OCS-A 0512) - off New Jersey\n\n\u201cWe are aware of the stop-work order announced by the Department of Interior involving five wind projects under offshore construction in the U.S. We are evaluating the order and seeking further information from the federal government,\" an Equinor spokesman said Monday.\n\nJersey Shore Congressman Chris Smith, a Republican who\u2019s opposed wind farms for years, said Monday:\n\n\"They will sue (referring to the wind companies), but it's done. This is the nail in the coffin. This is more than a pause. It's stopped. When you get into issues of national security, the courts will err on the side of national defense and the Department of Defense, or Department of War rather, as it's now called ... Offshore wind farms disrupt radar; the military has been saying this for years. You really could have planes flying into planes.\"\n\nOn his first day back in office in January, President Trump issued an executive order that put a pause on all U.S. wind farm development. However, Trump's order could not legally apply to existing wind farm leases that received permits from the Biden administration. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul intervened (Empire Wind is meant to supply wind power only to New York state, not New Jersey), and in May, the federal government lifted its stop-work order. Empire Wind was allowed to resume building off Long Branch.\n\nEmpire Wind is the only wind farm off New Jersey to actually begin construction; by mid August they were in the process of installing 54 monopiles into the ocean floor. Here are photos of Empire Wind being built off Long Branch.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415213", "New York Post article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Trump admin scraps 5 offshore wind farms \u2014 including New York projects \u2014 citing \"national security risks\"'", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Josh Christenson\n\nPublished December 22, 2025\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 The US Interior Department announced Monday that it was immediately pausing leases for five offshore wind farms \u2014 including two in New York \u2014 \u201cdue to national security risks identified by the Department of War in recently completed classified reports.\u201d\n\nThe renewable energy projects included the Massachusetts and Rhode Island-headquartered Vineyard Wind 1 and Revolution Wind, a commercial wind farm in Virginia and New York\u2019s Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind \u2014 several of which had gotten either funding or regulatory boosts from the Biden administration.\n\nUnclassified reports have previously cited radar interference, also known as \u201cclutter,\u201d prompting false alarms due to \u201cthe movement of massive turbine blades and the highly reflective towers\u201d of the wind farms,\u201d the Interior Department noted in a press release.\n\nThe projects were scrapped due to unspecified national security risks. Empire Wind / Vestas Wind Systems A/S\n\nTrump speaks before delivering remarks at Mount Airy Casino Resort in Mount Pocono, Pennsylvania on Dec. 9, 2025.AFP via Getty Images\n\nIn some cases, radar would also \u201cmiss actual targets.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe prime duty of the United States government is to protect the American people,\u201d Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers,\u201d he added.\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.\u201d\n\nRep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), whose brothers are both pilots, told The Post Monday that has been advocating against the offshore wind farms for years based on their potential to disrupt both aircraft and ships\u2019 radar \u2014 for both civilians and military service members.\n\n\u201cCamp Evans is located in my district, and that\u2019s where the radars were created for World War II,\u201d he explained, \u201cand we knew before the [Mitsubishi A6M] Zeros hit Pearl Harbor about 40 plus minutes before, that they were coming because of the radars they deployed there, and they really made a difference.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis is something that Xi Jinping just loves. Iranians just love, and Putin just loves because we\u2019re blinding ourselves willfully \u2014 for what?\u201d\n\nTrump speaks at the White House on Dec. 17, 2025. AP\n\nThose concerns were confirmed in an April 2025 Government Accountability Office report that found the turbines \u2014 some as large as the Chrysler building \u2014 \u201ccan reduce the performance of radar systems used for defense and maritime navigation and safety in several ways.\u201d\n\n\u201cThese include reducing detection sensitivity, obscuring potential targets, and generating false targets, according to a DOE report,\u201d GAO stated. \u201cIn addition, offshore wind energy development may affect larger military exercises by obstructing flight and surface and subsurface vessel movement, according to DOD officials.\u201d\n\nSmith also noted potential hindrances to roughly 1,000 US Coast Guard rescues annually \u2014 or the ability to intercept foreign drones, some lawmakers and experts speculated, that vexed the Biden administration in December 2024.\n\nHuge disruptions could also result like what air passengers saw earlier this year when a frayed piece of copper wiring caused a radar outage at Newark airport, forcing delays and cancellations of flights, he added.\n\nThe Biden administration\u2019s response, Smith claimed, was instead: \u201cBuild it and who gives a damn about national security and, you know, security of the people when they\u2019re flying out of Newark or you name the place.\u201d\n\nRoughly a third of all construction costs for the wind farms has been borne by US taxpayers, according to Smith.\n\nBut that doesn\u2019t begin to include the costs of clean-up efforts when a powerful hurricane hits the wind farms.\n\nBurgum informed the congressman that there\u2019s concerns about the football field-size propellers being decommissioned for scrap metal within just 13 or 14 years \u2014 despite the wind projects touting environmental benefits, Smith noted.\n\nPresident Trump pledged to block all new wind and solar projects from receiving federal funding in August, calling the renewable energy sources the \u201cSCAM OF THE CENTURY!\u201c\n\nConstruction on Revolution Wind was halted the following month, only to be reinstated by a federal judge.\n\nBoth it and Empire Wind had been contracted for six-figure contracts by the Interior Department under former President Joe Biden, according to a review of federal spending records.\n\nSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to reporters on Dec. 16, 2025. AP\n\nMore than half-a-million dollars was also shoveled out the door by Biden\u2019s administration via a grant to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in December 2024, which in part funded \u201cemissions target setting, emissions strategy development and community stakeholder collaboration\u201d for Vineyard Wind.\n\nThat funding all stemmed from the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, Biden\u2019s marquee legislation focused on climate and renewable energy alternatives.\n\nThe so-called green subsidies could top $1 trillion over the next decade.\n\nRhode Island approved Sunrise Wind just weeks after the Biden administration gave final approval to the 65-turbine Revolution Wind project in August 2023.\n\nBoth were joint enterprises between the Danish wind gian Orsted and a New England utility firm.\n\nSenate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) fumed over the Trump administration\u2019s latest moves.\n\n\u201cTrump\u2019s obsession with killing offshore wind projects is unhinged, irrational, and unjustified,\u201d Schumer said in a statement. \u201cAt a time of soaring energy costs, this latest decision from DOI is a backwards step that will drive energy bills even higher.\n\n\u201cIt will kill good union jobs, spike energy costs, and put our grid at risk; and it makes absolutely no business sense. Many of us have been fighting Trump\u2019s war against offshore wind \u2014 a war on American jobs and American energy \u2014 and we will keep fighting to make sure these projects and the thousands of jobs they create and the energy they provide can continue.\u201d\n\nNew York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Big Apple lame-duck mayor Eric Adams also slammed the decision, touting how the projects could have helped power 1 million homes.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415215", "Save Jersey article on Trump administration's halting of offshore wind projects'Citing national security concerns, Trump pauses all U.S. offshore wind construction'", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Matt Rooney\n\nPublished December 22, 2025\n\nThis has been a long time in coming, Save Jerseyans.\n\nThe negative impact of offshore wind development on tourism and marine life is well established. Back in early 2023, I wrote about the building body of evidence suggesting that giant, radar-confusing turbines off of the East Coast also posed a threat to navigation and national security.\n\n\u201cAlthough the base of the tower is stationary, the nominal area of the turbine to the radar is dynamic since the machine is constantly tracking the wind,\u201d explained Wind Systems Magazine way back in 2010. \u201cWind turbines are made of highly reflective materials\u2014steel, fiberglass, and carbon fiber composite\u2014and can scatter and return a significant amount of the energy. The turbine tower is the most reflective component, but since it is constantly stationary the rotor is the largest problem to the radar. In most cases the signature can be quite large and can affect the radars/operator\u2019s ability to differentiate the wind farm from flying aircraft and weather storms. The Doppler effect is due to the moving rotor and can affect the moving target indicator of a radar.\u201d\n\n\u201cAnyone who has been paying close attention to the shoddy and reckless approval process for these offshore wind projects will not be fooled by this after-the-fact proposal\u2014which is far too little and far too late,\u201d added Congressman Chris Smith (R, NJ-04) in October 2024. \u201cFor years, we have been pointing out the lack of serious scrutiny and proper vetting for these projects\u2014especially and including the likely dire impacts on national security and military readiness\u2014but the Biden-Harris Administration has ignored our concerns,\u201d Smith added. \u201cIn fact, the implementation of this agreement so late in the process begs the question of what national security threats have been downplayed or neglected by BOEM over the past few years during its reckless, fast-track approval process.\u201d\n\nOn Monday, the Trump Administration relied upon the clear threat to our homeland to issue a general pause on all active offshore wind projects.\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s action addresses emerging national security risks, including the rapid evolution of the relevant adversary technologies, and the vulnerabilities created by large-scale offshore wind projects with proximity near our east coast population centers,\u201d said Doug Burgum, the Secretary of the Interior. \u201cThe Trump administration will always prioritize the security of the American people.\u201d\n\nThis new executive action impacts Empire Wind which would be visible from many of New Jersey\u2019s iconic beach communities. Two weeks ago, Judge Patti Saris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down the President\u2019s original January 20, 2025 order halting the issuance of new offshore wind leases.\n\nBurgum joined Fox News on Monday to explain the Administration\u2019s latest effort to protect the coastline.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-co-leads-127-members-of-congress-in-urging-dhs-to-withdraw-public-charge-proposal", "Menendez Co-Leads 127 Members of Congress in Urging DHS to Withdraw Public Charge Proposal", "2025-12-22", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Vice Chair of Policy for Congressional Hispanic Caucus Highlights Harms to Immigrant Communities and Citizens\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Congressional Hispanic Caucus Vice Chair of Policy Congressman Rob Menendez today co-led 127 Members of Congress, including 17 Senators and 110 Members of the House, in urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to withdraw its proposed public charge rule, warning it would harm U.S. citizen children, immigrant communities, and public health systems nationwide.\n\n\u201cThe Trump Administration\u2019s proposed public charge rule is a clear effort to harm immigrant communities and make families afraid to access the services they need,\u201d said Congressman Menendez. \u201cThis egregious proposed rule would not only hurt immigrants, but in many cases would restrict access to food, healthcare, childcare, education, and other essential resources for U.S. citizen children. My colleagues in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and House Democratic Caucus across the board will fight against this cruel and unwarranted effort to target families who have done nothing wrong.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe proposed public charge rule will lead to mass uncertainty, disparate and arbitrary outcomes for individuals applying for permanent status or admission into our country, and undue harm to U.S. citizens,\u201d wrote the members, led by Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat, CHC Vice Chair of Policy Menendez, CAPAC Chair Grace Meng, Democratic Women\u2019s Caucus Chair Teresa Leger Fern\u00e1ndez, Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke, in the House, and Sens. Cory Booker, Mazie Hirono, and Alex Padilla in the Senate.\n\nThe Trump administration's proposal would rescind the clear 2022 public charge regulations and replace them with vague, undefined standards, leading to arbitrary decision-making, fear, and widespread confusion. Past public charge expansions have driven families, including those with U.S. citizen children, away from lawful access to health care, nutrition, and early childhood programs.\n\n\u201cThe chilling effects triggered by expansions of public charge interpretation are well-documented and severe. Research following [past public charge restrictions] showed that confusion about eligibility led large numbers of eligible immigrant families \u2014 including U.S. citizen children \u2014 to forego health insurance, nutrition supports, and early childhood programs vital to healthy development,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe letter argues the proposal contradicts congressional intent, undermines the rule of law, and risks triggering a massive chilling effect that would worsen child health outcomes, increase food insecurity, and shift costs to states and local governments.\n\nMembers urge DHS to withdraw the proposal in full and maintain the 2022 regulations, which provide clarity, fairness, and consistency for families and adjudicators alike.\n\nCongressman Menendez currently serves as Vice Chair of Policy for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and has been an outspoken leader on pushing back against President Trump and his Administration\u2019s extreme immigration policies. He has led his Congressional colleagues in oversight efforts and advocated against policies that hurt immigrant communities.\n\nYou can read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-demands-accountability-following-death-at-delaney-hall", "Rep. Watson Coleman Demands Accountability Following Death at Delaney Hall", "2025-12-20", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released a statement following news that an ICE detainee died following a brief detention at Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ. In May, Rep. Watson Coleman, along with Reps. Rob Menendez, Jr. and LaMonica McIver reported on substandard conditions following a tour of the facility. In June, four detainees escaped Delaney Hall by breaking through an aluminum exterior wall.\n\n\u201cReports of negligence and abuse have emerged from ICE facilities around the country and are indicative of the Trump Administration\u2019s complete disregard for basic standards of health and safety of detainees. This has been on display at Delaney Hall since it opened this past Spring.\n\n\u201cThe warnings made by myself, my congressional colleagues, the Mayor, and others have been met by DHS with dismissal and frivolous legal action. Consequences of the administration\u2019s belligerent enforcement and utter disregard for the health or legal rights of detainees continue to mount.\n\n\u201cThis incident should be thoroughly investigated and Delaney Hall should immediately be closed. I encourage my Congressional colleagues from both parties to actively engage their Constitutional duty of oversight at facilities around the country.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415201", "Jimmy Lai\u2019s son, Sebastien, testified at CECC hearingRep. Smith on the shameful conviction of Hong Kong businessman and democracy/free speech champion, Jimmy Lai", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the below statement following a Hong Kong court\u2019s unjust conviction of Jimmy Lai\u2014the founder of newspaper Apple Daily and an outspoken advocate for democracy and free speech\u2014on fraudulent, politically motivated national security and sedition charges:\n\n\u201cJimmy Lai\u2019s \u2018guilty\u2019 verdict by a Hong Kong court\u2014clearly orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party\u2014is an affront to justice everywhere. Promoting democratic ideals and free speech is not, and should not be, a crime.\n\n\u201cIn addition to Jimmy\u2019s leadership as an advocate for democracy and free speech, he is a model of Christian conscience and a hero of the Catholic Faith. Though an evil regime seeks to crush him, his witness to Truth\u2014and to Jesus as the Truth\u2014will outlive and outshine his oppressors.\n\n\u201cRight now, Jimmy has been deprived of medical care, and his health is declining due to harsh prison conditions. We call upon Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy on simple humanitarian grounds, as a humane gesture to him and his family.\u201d\n\nAt a Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing chaired by Smith in 2023, entitled \u201cOne City, Two Legal Systems: Political Prisoners and the Erosion of the Rule of Law in Hong Kong,\u201d Jimmy\u2019s son, Sebastien, gave compelling testimony about how his father has been vilified and targeted by the CCP and Hong Kong authorities:\n\n\u201cMy father has never advocated for violence. He is a man of peace. His only so-called \u2018crime\u2019 is to disagree and condemn the actions of the CCP and the Hong Kong authorities that seek to silence critical voices. For that, he faces the rest of his life in prison.\n\n\u201cMy father is a victim of an autocratic State which will not tolerate dissent or criticism. It is clear that there is no longer \u2018One Country, Two Systems\u2019 but that Beijing is now controlling Hong Kong. The [National Security Law] spells that out. His treatment is grossly unfair.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415202", "Smith authored the laws that created the position and elevated it to AmbassadorSmith commends Senate confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism, today welcomed the U.S. Senate\u2019s confirmation of Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.\n\n\u201cI am glad to see that the U.S. Senate has finally confirmed Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, who I am confident will be an extraordinarily effective and formidable force in the global fight against antisemitism,\u201d said Smith, who, in 2004, wrote the amendment (PL 108-332) that created the State Department\u2019s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.\n\nIn 2020, Smith authored the law\u2014the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act\u2014to elevate the Office of the Special Envoy to the high-level position of ambassador (PL 116-326).\n\n\u201cWhen I first authored the legislative provisions to create the position back in 2004, Rabbi Kaploun was exactly the type of leader I had in mind: incredibly strong, remarkably productive, and wholly committed to countering the escalating threats and acts of violence against Jews,\u201d continued Smith.\n\n\u201cAs acts of antisemitic violence and hate continue to rise\u2014including the horrific December 14th terrorist attack on the Jewish community in Australia\u2014President Trump\u2019s nomination of Rabbi Kaploun sends a strong message to the international community: the United States will never tolerate, excuse, or accept antisemitism within its borders\u2014and anywhere else in the world,\u201d stated Smith, who has chaired 18 congressional hearings on global antisemitism.\n\n\u201cI am grateful to President Trump for nominating such an impressive and accomplished candidate to serve as the Special Envoy, and I wish Rabbi Kaploun every success in his new position.\n\n\u201cI look forward to working alongside Rabbi Kaploun and his Office of the Special Envoy to eradicate the spiritual cancer of antisemitism that metastasizes around the world,\u201d concluded Smith.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415208", "Utility Dive article on Harris-Smith-Van Drew SPEED Act amendment'House passes permitting reform bill with anti-offshore wind amendment'", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Diana DiGangi\n\nPublished December 19, 2025\n\nThe U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday passed permitting reform legislation, the SPEED Act, with an amendment that prevents the bill from applying to offshore wind projects.\n\nThe SPEED Act would amend the National Environmental Policy Act to ease and speed the permitting of energy projects. It introduces new deadlines for opposition to projects \u2013 opponents would have to make a claim against a project no later than 150 days after final agency action is made public, for instance.\n\nIt also mandates that \u201cnot later than 30 days after completing an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment for the proposed agency action, the lead agency, and any cooperating agency, shall issue a final agency action.\u201d\n\nGetty Images\n\nThe offshore wind carveout applies to \u201cthe issuance, modification, approval, or administration of any lease, easement, right-of-way, site assessment plan, construction and operations plan, or any other authorization for an offshore wind energy project,\u201d the amendment says.\n\nThe amendment was proposed by two New Jersey representatives, Reps. Chris Smith, R-N.J., and Jeff Van Drew, R-N.J., along with Maryland\u2019s lone Republican representative, Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md.\n\nSmith said in a Thursday release that the amendment was \u201cabsolutely critical for preserving the Trump administration\u2019s ability to continue its much-need reviews of ocean wind projects off of the Atlantic Coast due to overwhelming safety and national defense concerns.\u201d\n\nHe said that the amendment was designed to avoid nullifying the Trump administration\u2019s actions against offshore wind, including a halt on offshore wind permitting which a federal judge struck down as illegal in a Dec. 8 ruling.\n\nIn his own release, Harris said he \u201cwas engaged in deliberations with the House Natural Resources Committee for months to ensure the inclusion of this language, guided by a single principle: my constituents in Ocean City and communities across the Atlantic Coastline are not for sale.\u201d\n\nThe Oceantic Network said in a Thursday release that the group is \u201cdisappointed in the late inclusion of an amendment which is discriminatory toward renewable energy\u201d and urged the Senate to \u201crestore the heart of bipartisan permitting reform\u201d when it takes up the bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415209", "CatholicVote article on PLC statement on CMS Section 1303 guidance'Pro-life caucus praises CMS guidance barring states from redirecting unused abortion funds'", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Elise Winland\n\nPublished on December 19, 2025\n\nLawmakers in the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus welcomed new guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on Dec. 18 that clarifies that leftover abortion-related funds collected under Obamacare cannot be redirected to support state-level abortion programs.\n\nThe statement was released by the caucus\u2019 co-chairs: Republican Reps. Chris Smith of New Jersey, Andy Harris of Maryland, Bob Onder of Missouri, Michelle Fischbach of Minnesota, and Kat Cammack of Florida.\n\nThe CMS guidance, released Dec. 9, centers on Section 1303 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), also known as Obamacare, which requires qualified health plans that cover elective abortions to collect a separate payment from enrollees for abortion-related services. The law mandates that those funds be kept segregated from federal subsidies.\n\nAccording to the caucus\u2019 statement, the new CMS guidance clarifies that any unused money from the segregated account must be returned to the health plan issuers at year\u2019s end, rather than being reallocated by states for broader abortion programs.\n\n\u201cWe applaud CMS\u2019s clear guidance that leftover money collected by qualified health plans (QHPs) to fund on-demand abortions, in compliance with Section 1303 of the PPACA, are returned to the QHP issuers,\u201d the lawmakers said. \u201cLeftover funds do not become available to states seeking to bankroll extreme abortion agendas.\u201d\n\nThe guidance addresses previous concerns that some state legislatures could seize unspent funds for state-run grant programs, effectively \u201cblurring the line between federal taxpayer dollars and individual contributions,\u201d according to the statement.\n\nThe caucus also credited CMS leadership under Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz for \u201cpreventing violations of Section 1303\u201d and reiterated their commitment to upholding the Hyde Amendment\u2019s longstanding prohibition on using federal taxpayer dollars for elective abortions.\n\nIn the statement, lawmakers argued that the PPACA conflicted with the Hyde Amendment by allowing plans that cover elective abortions to receive federal subsidies. They noted that while former President Barack Obama issued an executive order stating the law would comply with Hyde, it instead required health plans covering elective abortions to keep those funds completely separate from federal dollars.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/delaney-hall-detainee-dies-in-ice-custody-mciver-demands-accountability", "Delaney Hall Detainee Dies in ICE Custody, McIver Demands Accountability", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "NEWARK, NJ \u2013 A man detained at Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, died last week in ICE custody, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) was informed this week. McIver and others have repeatedly called into question the conditions at Delaney Hall since its opening earlier this year. That legally protected oversight and scrutiny has caused the Trump administration to attempt to curtail oversight, going so far as to rewrite the guidelines to try to eliminate the ability of members of Congress to conduct unannounced inspections of ICE facilities. This year has already been the deadliest in decades for deaths in ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) custody.\n\nRep. McIver released the following statement:\n\n\u201cThe Trump administration has shown a complete disregard for human rights, human dignity, and human life. This tragedy is not an isolated incident, and we have seen neglect, abuse, and cruelty from this administration as they strip people of the rights this country affords everyone, including those in detention. This incident demands immediate answers,\u201dsaid Rep. McIver. \u201cWe\u2019ve heard about ICE detainees across the country being denied treatment and medication. I want to know exactly what happened, the circumstances of this individual\u2019s confinement and treatment, and what care he did or did not receive.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Constitution grants Congress oversight authority for a reason. Someone must be able to speak for the voiceless, go where others are not allowed, and uncover the abuses that we know take place in the dark. Delaney Hall must be closed immediately and a full, independent, investigation needs to take place. I will continue to demand accountability and closely monitor the situation as we learn more,\u201d Rep. McIver concluded.\n\nMcIver fought the opening of Delaney Hall and has repeatedly called for increased scrutiny, timely oversight, and an end to the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall and across the country. Private and government run ICE facilities subjecting detainees to dangerous conditions has become the norm.\n\nIn May, McIver and Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rob Menendez conducted a legally protected inspection of Delaney Hall. The visit, which should have been a routine oversight visit, led to the Trump administration bringing charges against McIver. She now faces up to 17 years in prison for doing her oversight work.\n\nMcIver, who sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security, has worked with colleagues to demand answers from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and held Noem accountable in a hearing this month for DHS\u2019s (Department of Homeland Security) efforts to block oversight. McIver has worked with other members of Congress to focus on detainees' lack of access to menstrual products, mistreatment of individuals with disabilities, and failure to allow visitation; and in September, McIver wrote DHS and GEO Group to specifically highlight the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall. They have failed to heed the Congresswoman's call for safety and security for detainees.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-condemns-conditions-at-delaney-hall-following-death-of-individual-in-ice-custody", "Menendez Condemns Conditions at Delaney Hall Following Death of Individual in ICE Custody", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congressman Rob Menendez released the following statement after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the death of an individual detained at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility operated by GEO Group:\n\n\u201cThe reported death of an individual who had been detained at Delaney Hall is deeply disturbing and follows months of serious concerns raised by myself, my fellow New Jersey delegation members, and many groups that have warned of the terrible conditions at this private immigration detention facility. The Trump Administration and ICE have completely disregarded safety, basic human rights, and common decency at detention centers across the country.\n\n\u201cThis Administration has attempted to impede the lawful oversight authority of myself and other Members of Congress in inspecting conditions at Delaney Hall and other detention centers, and incidents like this are exactly why. I am further disturbed by reports that there were delays in transporting this individual to University Hospital when minutes are able to make the difference between life and death in medical emergencies. While the Trump Administration will never hold itself accountable, my colleagues and I will continue to work to shut down Delaney Hall and private detention centers to prevent further avoidable tragedies.\u201d\n\nCongressman Rob Menendez has been a leader in the House of Representatives on oversight of immigrant detention centers, and earlier this year present at the Delaney Hall detention center in Newark with Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) in an incident that resulted in national attention to the issue. Congressman Menendez has worked to ban private immigrant detention centers and fought the Trump Administration\u2019s illegal restrictions on oversight of detention centers. He has also conducted several unannounced visits of detention centers including Delaney Hall and the Elizabeth Detention Center and has long advocated for the humane and dignified treatment of individuals in detention.\n\nCongressman Menendez has proudly represented New Jersey\u2019s Eighth Congressional District since 2023. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and is Vice Chair of Policy for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-bilirakis-min-schakowsky-sherman-amo-valadao-and-smith-introduce", "Pallone, Bilirakis, Min, Schakowsky, Sherman, Amo, Valadao and Smith Introduce Armenia Partnership Security Act", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Earlier today, Congressman Gus M. Bilirakis (FL-12) and Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), along with Representatives Dave Min (CA-47), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Gabe Amo (RI-01), David Valadao (CA-22), and Chris Smith (NJ-04) introduced the Armenia Security Partnership Act. This bipartisan legislation is designed to strengthen U.S. policy toward Armenia while holding the Government of Azerbaijan accountable for continued aggression and human rights abuses. It requires the President of the United States to certify to Congress that Azerbaijan has taken meaningful steps to:\n\nCompletely withdraw all military forces from the sovereign territory of Armenia;\n\nUnconditionally release all Armenian prisoners;\n\nCease engaging in hostilities toward Armenia; and\n\nRecognize the right of return for ethnic Armenians to their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh and commit to the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious sites in the region.\n\nIf the President is unable to make such a certification, the bill would:\n\nRequire a comprehensive review of U.S. security assistance to Armenia to identify gaps in Armenia\u2019s long-term defense needs and assess the threat posed by Azerbaijan; and\n\nProhibit the reauthorization of the waiver of Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, thereby enforcing existing statutory prohibitions on U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan.\n\n\u201cArmenia is a key partner in a volatile region and deserves meaningful support as it faces continued threats to its sovereignty and security,\u201d said Congressman Bilirakis. \u201cThis legislation sends a clear message that the United States will not turn a blind eye to aggression, human rights abuses, or the forced displacement of ethnic Armenians. Accountability must be at the center of our foreign policy.\u201d\n\nCongressman Pallone added, \u201cFor far too long, Azerbaijan has been allowed to act with impunity to destabilize the South Caucasus, commit horrific human rights abuses, and threaten the Armenian people. Our bill is a great step in the right direction to finally hold the Aliyev regime accountable for ongoing crimes against humanity and threats to lasting peace in the region. I look forward to working with Congressman Bilirakis and the rest of my colleagues to pass it into law.\u201d\n\n\u201cA durable peace in the South Caucasus must be built on respect for sovereignty, human rights, and international law, not force or coercion,\u201d said Congressman Brad Sherman, Democratic Vice Chair of the Congressional Armenia Caucus. \u201cAzerbaijan\u2019s continued aggression against Armenia, the detention of Armenian prisoners, and the destruction of Armenian cultural and religious sites demands a serious response. This bipartisan legislation makes clear that the United States will not reward violations of international law and that Armenia deserves a reliable partner as it works to secure its borders and pursue a just and lasting peace.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Armenia Security Partnership Act,\u201d said Congressman Valadao. \u201cAzerbaijan\u2019s aggression in the South Caucasus has gone on for far too long, and this bipartisan bill takes meaningful steps to hold them accountable for ongoing human rights abuses and hostilities against the sovereign territory of Armenia.\u201d\n\nThe Members of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, have long worked to promote policies that uphold international law, protect vulnerable populations, and support regional stability.\n\n\u201cWe thank Congressman Bilirakis for proactively introducing this important, bipartisan, legislation. Azerbaijan\u2019s continuing aggression toward Armenia and its reluctance to fully embrace the August 8 Joint Declaration must stop if a just and durable peace is to be achieved,\u201d said Timothy Jemal, President of Global ARM. \u201cWe are hopeful this bill will receive broad, bipartisan support, and that Congress will actively consider and pass this legislation to strategically bolster peace negotiations and support U.S. interests in the South Caucasus.\u201d\n\n\"The ARMENIA Security Partnership Act represents a common-sense approach to both checking Azerbaijani aggression and strengthening America's partnership with Armenia,\" said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. \"This bipartisan legislation grounds U.S. policy in concrete benchmarks for peace \u2013 the release of Armenian prisoners, the withdrawal of Azerbaijani forces from occupied Armenian land, and the protection of Armenian cultural heritage. We need to stop incentivizing continued Azerbaijani hostility, by normalizing its genocide of Artsakh and ongoing violations of international law, and start holding its Aliyev regime accountable for its crimes.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-calls-for-shutdown-of-delaney-hall-ice-facility-and-statement-on-death-of-detainee-at-delaney-hall", "Booker Calls for Shutdown of Delaney Hall ICE Facility and Statement on Death of Detainee at Delaney Hall", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "NEWARK, NJ \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m deeply concerned about the reported death of a 41-year-old man who was being detained at Delaney Hall yesterday.\n\n\u201cFor months, I have condemned the inhumane conditions at Delaney Hall and the mismanagement of this facility by its private operator, GEO Group - and now this tragic death has compounded the long and grotesque list of atrocities the GEO Group is committing. The Department of Homeland Security\u2019s continued refusal to comply with appropriate oversight of this facility and the GEO Group\u2019s abuses are totally unacceptable.\n\n\u201cBecause of the inhumane conditions for immigrants at facilities like Delaney Hall, I oppose private detention centers in any form, and have introduced legislation each Congress to end the use of these private prisons for the detention of immigrants and to ensure that our immigration system is aligned with our country\u2019s legal rights and American values. There must be a clear accounting of what happened in this tragedy, and Delaney Hall must be closed so that this stain can be removed from our community of Newark.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-trumps-cannabis-executive-order", "Booker Statement on Trump\u2019s Cannabis Executive Order", "2025-12-19", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, issued the following statement in response to Donald Trump\u2019s Executive Order on Cannabis rescheduling:\n\n\u201cAfter decades of ignoring the evidence, the federal government has finally come to terms with what a majority of states have long acknowledged cannabis has medical uses and a lower potential for abuse than drugs like methamphetamine and heroin. For too long, federal law has lagged behind medical and scientific research. Based on this research, the FDA recommended last year that cannabis be rescheduled as a Schedule III substance under the Controlled Substances Act. I am pleased that President Trump has directed the DOJ to complete the rulemaking process and implement this change.\n\n\u201cRescheduling will provide tax relief for businesses operating legally in New Jersey. The change also opens the door for expanded scientific research, allowing medical professionals and institutions to study its potential benefits and risks with far fewer regulatory hurdles.\n\n\u201cHowever, rescheduling cannabis alone will not eliminate the harms of federal prohibition. Millions of Americans, especially Black and Brown communities, will continue to face criminal penalties for recreational use or for using medical marijuana products that lack federal approval. Thousands will remain in prisons around the country for marijuana-related offenses. Nor will this change restore access to public housing or nutrition assistance for people who use marijuana recreationally.\n\n\u201cWhile President Trump has moved to reclassify cannabis in accordance with scientific and medical evidence, his administration\u2019s broader approach to marijuana stands in stark contrast. This administration continues to use marijuana offenses as pretext to detain and deport nonviolent immigrants. The Department of Justice rescinded enforcement guidance that had deprioritized charging low-level cannabis crimes, and President Trump just signed legislation that will recriminalize intoxicating hemp-derived substances. Meaningful cannabis reform must go beyond rescheduling to address systemic harms.\n\n\u201cWith this announcement, we are moving one step closer to a common-sense, evidence-based approach to federal cannabis policy. I urge my colleagues in Congress to support the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which I will be reintroducing in the coming months. This bill would deschedule cannabis, establish a comprehensive regulatory and taxation system, and provide much-needed resources to communities most harmed by failed federal policies that prioritized criminalization over science, public health, and fairness.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415198", "Congressional Pro-Life Caucus statement on CMS Section 1303 guidance", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Today, the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus\u2014Representatives Chris Smith (R-NJ), Andy Harris (R-MD), Bob Onder (R-MO), Michelle Fischbach (R-MN), and Kat Cammack (R-FL)\u2014issued the following statement after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) releasedguidance on the use of segregated funds, obtained in accordance with Section 1303 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA):\n\n\u201cWe applaud CMS\u2019s clear guidance that leftover money collected by qualified health plans (QHPs) to fund on-demand abortions, in compliance with Section 1303 of the PPACA, are returned to the QHP issuers. Leftover funds do not become available to states seeking to bankroll extreme abortion agendas.\n\n\u201cThe CMS guidance clarifies that no funds reallocated from Section 1303 separate accounts at the end of the year may be used to pay for elective abortion.\n\n\u201cPreviously, it was suggested that state legislatures could seize unspent Section 1303 funds and use the money for state-run grant programs, blurring the line between federal taxpayer dollars and individual contributions.\n\n\u201cWe are thankful for CMS\u2019s steadfast leadership, under Dr. Mehmet Oz, in preventing violations of Section 1303.\n\n\u201cThe Pro-Life Caucus remains committed to preventing taxpayer dollars from being used for elective abortions and protecting Hyde\u2019s longstanding, lifesaving legacy.\u201d\n\nThe Hyde Amendment, which has passed annually with bipartisan support for nearly 50 years, protects federal taxpayer dollars from paying for elective abortion or health plans that cover elective abortion.\n\nThe PPACA violated the Hyde Amendment by expressly allowing funding for plans that covered elective abortion.\n\nAlthough President Obama issued an executive order claiming that the PPACA would comply with the Hyde Amendment, it instead required health plans that chose to cover elective abortion to keep elective abortion funding completely separate from federal dollars. These plans must collect abortion-related funds in a separate account that is paid for only with non-federal funds. This requirement does not change the fact that federal taxpayer dollars are paying for ACA plans covering abortion in violation of the Hyde Amendment.\n\nFurthermore, in practice, even this small provision has been undermined. Instead of truly separating abortion funding from federal subsidies, plans do not issue a separate payment for the $1 abortion fee to be placed in a separate account.\n\nEven more concerning, some states are now attempting to repurpose these leftover funds to expand access to elective abortions, including paying for travel and other abortion-related assistance.\n\nRecent guidance from the Trump Administration reaffirmed the original intent of Section 1303. It makes clear that these separate accounts cannot be used as abortion-agenda slush funds, and that any leftover funds must be returned to the health plans at the end of the plan year, preventing states from stockpiling funds to advance an abortion agenda.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415200", "House adopts key amendment to preserve Trump administration review of offshore wind projects as part of SPEED Act", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "During debate on HR 4776, the SPEED Act, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted Amendment #4, offered by Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD) and cosponsored by Reps. Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Jeff Van Drew (R-NJ), which is absolutely critical for preserving the Trump administration\u2019s ability to continue its much-need reviews of ocean wind projects off of the Atlantic Coast due to overwhelming safety and national defense concerns.\n\nThe amendment was drafted following a December 5th letter to President Trump, led by Smith and cosigned by Harris and Van Drew, which raised concerns over the legislation\u2019s potential to undermine the Trump administration\u2019s ability to review offshore wind industrialization, should the bill be enacted.\n\nWith the adoption of the Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment, the provisions of the SPEED Act will no longer nullify the administrative actions undertaken by the Trump administration prior to the bill\u2019s enactment.\n\nThis amendment preserves vital tools for President Trump to deliver on his promise to end the ill-conceived ocean wind industrialization experiment off the New Jersey coast.\n\nThe SPEED Act and the critical Harris/Smith/Van Drew amendment passed the House on Thursday, December 18th and is now pending in the Senate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://conaway.house.gov/media/press-releases/conaway-durbin-tillis-maloy-introduce-legislation-strengthen-and-improve", "Conaway, Durbin, Tillis, Maloy Introduce Legislation to Strengthen and Improve Enforcement of Illegal Tobacco Products", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Herbert C. Conaway, Jr.", "C001136", "conaway.house.gov", "conaway", "https://conaway.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Herb Conaway Jr., MD (D-NJ), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (R-UT) introduced the bicameral and bipartisan Strengthening Task Force Operations to Prevent Illicit Vaping Act (S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act). This legislation would establish and strengthen a federal multi-agency task force to coordinate enforcement, information sharing, and strategy to combat the illegal importation, distribution, and sale of unauthorized e-cigarettes.\n\n\u201cThe rise of illegally imported and unregulated e-cigarettes is a growing threat to public health, legitimate businesses, and the integrity of our enforcement system,\u201d said Congressman Conaway. \u201cAs a physician, I understand the urgency of protecting Americans from illegal and dangerous tobacco products. The S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act strengthens federal task forces on the front lines, equipping them with the tools and coordination necessary to disrupt illegal vaping networks. This bill takes a responsible, enforcement-focused approach to safeguarding communities and ensuring a lawful, transparent marketplace.\u201d\n\n\u201cIf we hope to prevent the next generation of children from getting hooked on nicotine, we must enforce our existing laws and finally crack down on the illegal e-cigarette products that are flooding stores nationwide,\u201d said Senator Durbin. \u201cMy bipartisan legislation, the S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act, would cement DOJ and FDA\u2019s task force dedicated to preventing the unlawful sale of these unauthorized vape products.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe flood of illegal and unregulated e-cigarettes, particularly from China, undermines public health, skirts federal law, and disadvantages businesses that play by the rules,\u201d said Senator Tillis. \u201cThe S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act strengthens coordination among federal agencies to crack down on these illicit products, protect kids from unauthorized nicotine devices, and ensure our laws are enforced as Congress intended.\u201d\n\n\u201cThere are clear laws on the books governing tobacco and vaping products, but those laws only matter if they\u2019re enforced,\u201d said Congresswoman Celeste Maloy. \u201cThe S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act strengthens enforcement by improving coordination across agencies so illegal operators can\u2019t take advantage of gaps in the system.\u201d\n\nFor the S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act bill text click here.\n\nThe S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act is cosponsored by: Reps. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL).\n\nThe S.T.O.P. Illicit Vaping Act is endorsed by the following organizations: American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, American Cancer Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.\n\n\u201cThe Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids strongly supports the legislation introduced by Rep. Conaway and Rep. Maloy to help ensure the federal government is taking comprehensive enforcement action against the many illegal e-cigarette products that are currently on the market. We commend their efforts to prevent illegal e-cigarettes from being imported, distributed and sold in the United States and to hold bad actors accountable for endangering the health of our kids,\u201d said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.\n\n\u201cAcross the U.S., more than 1.6 million middle and high school students vape, and nearly 90% use e-cigarettes flavored like fruit, dessert or mint. Unfortunately, many of the e-cigarettes youth use are being illegally sold in the U.S. Keeping these illegal, addictive and harmful products out of the hands of children requires strong coordination across federal agencies. We commend Representative Conaway\u2019s leadership in introducing legislation to codify the multi-agency taskforce responsible for combatting illicit e-cigarettes,\u201d said Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association.\n\n\u201cPediatricians too often see the health impacts of e-cigarette use on our patients, and we know that many of the addictive nicotine devices that end up in the hands of young people are being sold unlawfully. The STOP Illicit Vaping Act would take important strides toward removing unauthorized e-cigarette products from the market and keeping them away from children and teens. We look forward to seeing Congress move this bill forward,\u201d said Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.", 1, "2026-06-04T06:38:12Z", "2026-06-04T06:39:44Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-introduces-bill-to-rename-newark-penn-station-in-honor-of-congressman-donald-payne-jr", "McIver Introduces Bill to Rename Newark Penn Station in Honor of Congressman Donald Payne, Jr.", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, on what would have been his 67th birthday, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) introduced a bill to rename Newark Penn Station for Donald M. Payne, Jr. Located at 1 Raymond Plaza West Newark, NJ, the station would be renamed the Donald M. Payne, Jr. Transit Center at Newark Penn Station to honor the late Donald Payne, Jr., a devoted public servant and transit champion, who dedicated 12 years to serving New Jersey\u2019s 10th Congressional District in the House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cI knew that I had a giant\u2019s shoes to fill when I was elected to serve New Jersey\u2019s 10th Congressional District, succeeding Congressman Payne. Donald Payne, Jr. was a towering leader in our community, championing New Jerseyans from all walks of life\u2014especially through his tireless advocacy for transportation infrastructure,\u201d said Rep. McIver. \u201cRenaming this beacon of transportation for our community is fitting. The Congressman was a trailblazer whose legacy has shaped my leadership and left an enduring imprint on the heart of the 10th District.\u201d\n\n\u201cDonald Payne, Jr. wasn't just a colleague, he was like family to me. I\u2019ll always cherish the 10 years I spent working with Don on issues important to us such as access to child care and fighting cancer. He was always fighting for Newark and the communities that needed him most. It's fitting that on his birthday we should remember him by introducing this bill to rename Newark Penn Station in his honor,\u201d said Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman.\n\n\u201cAs a Newark native, Congressman Don Payne understood how central Newark Penn Station is to daily life in the city. On his birthday, I\u2019m proud to support renaming the station in his honor, reflecting his years of service and his advocacy for transportation investments that helped connect Newark to the rest of the region and support the city\u2019s economy,\u201d said Rep. Frank Pallone.\n\nBorn on December 17th, 1958, Honorable Donald Milford Payne, Jr. graduated Hillside High School and attended college at Kean University in Union. After serving as Newark City Council President, he ran in the primary to succeed his father, and the first African American elected to New Jersey\u2019s Congressional delegation, Donald Milford Payne, Sr. Payne, Jr.\u2019s early career spent in transportation management proved invaluable when he was elected to Congress and appointed to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He is remembered by the 10th District community as an advocate for affordable healthcare, transportation, voting rights, criminal justice reform, and much more.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-demands-state-health-commissioner-deny-application-close-long-branch", "Pallone Demands State Health Commissioner Deny Application to Close Long Branch Hospital", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LONG BRANCH, N.J. \u2014 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement following the final New Jersey State Health Planning Board meeting on the future of Monmouth Medical Center:\n\n\u201cAt this point, Commissioner Brown has all the information he needs to do the right thing and keep Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch open. The State Health Planning Board has raised serious, unresolved concerns about access to care, transportation barriers, existing health disparities, and the strain this move would place on surrounding hospitals. If the Commissioner were to decide to close the Long Branch hospital after all of that has been put plainly on the record, it would be a conscious decision to ignore the facts, the data, and the voices of this community. Long Branch deserves real health care access, not more excuses.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have been crystal clear: the consequences of closing Monmouth Medical Center Hospital in Long Branch would be immediate and lasting. Patients would face longer travel times for emergency care, particularly seniors. The loss of a full-service hospital would push patients farther from trauma care, inpatient beds, and a comprehensive emergency department. This would delay treatment when minutes matter and increase the risk of worse health outcomes.\u201d\n\n\u201cOver time, the closure of the Long Branch Hospital would weaken the entire regional health care safety net. Nearby hospitals would be forced to absorb additional patients despite already operating near or at capacity, leading to longer wait times, fewer available beds, and increased pressure on emergency departments. Long Branch, a diverse, working-class community with well-documented health disparities, would bear the brunt of that strain, widening gaps in care and leaving residents with fewer options and less stability.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Commissioner should not let a low-income community become a hospital desert because RWJ Barnabas wants to capture a wealthier population in Tilton Falls.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-demands-restoration-79-million-new-jersey-schools", "Congresswoman Pou Demands Restoration of $7.9 Million to New Jersey Schools", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Nellie Pou", "P000621", "pou.house.gov", "pou", "https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ\u201309) is calling for the immediate restoration of nearly $8 million in New Jersey school funding abruptly cut by the Trump administration in an urgent new letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon.\n\n\u201cI write to express grave concerns over the Department of Education\u2019s recent decision to terminate Paterson, New Jersey School District\u2019s Full-Service Community School grants. This unfounded decision will cause catastrophic harm to students and impede their ability to succeed both in and out of the classroom. I am demanding that the Department of Education reconsider this decision and reverse course before it is too late,\u201d writes Congresswoman Pou to Secretary McMahon.\n\nFull-Service Community School grants support a myriad of resources in New Jersey including social, health, nutrition, and mental health services, early childhood education programs, juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs, and educational programs to support the next generation of workers.\n\nThe cuts impact eight Passaic County schools in the Ninth District: Passaic MLK School No. 6, Passaic High School, Joseph A. Taub Middle School, Paterson International High School, Paterson Eastside High School, Paterson School No. 16, Paterson School No. 6, and Alonzo T. Moody Academy High School.\n\nIn total, $7.9 million in federal grants will be slashed from these schools ($2.8 million for 2026, $2.8 million for 2027, and $2.3 million for 2028). Nationwide, 18 Full-Service Community School grants are being eliminated by the Trump administration.\n\nThe text of Congresswoman Pou\u2019s letter to Secretary McMahon is below.\n\nDear Secretary McMahon:\n\nI write to express grave concerns over the Department of Education\u2019s recent decision to terminate Paterson, New Jersey School District\u2019s Full-Service Community School (\u201cFSCS\u201d) FY 2022 and FY 2023 grants. This unfounded decision will cause catastrophic harm to students and impede their ability to succeed in and out of the classroom. I am demanding that the Department of Education reconsider this decision and reverse course before it is too late.\n\nAs you know, the FSCS program was initially created in 2008 as a way to support and improve academic and wrap-around services for children and their families, particularly those living in high-poverty school districts and communities. These grants have helped provide vital programs and assistance that students would not otherwise receive, including social, health, nutrition, and mental health services, early childhood education programs, juvenile crime prevention and rehabilitation programs, as well as educational school-to-career pipeline programs ensuring our country has a strong next generation of workers.\n\nDespite the profound impact FSCS grants have had on students and their families, on December 15, the Education Department \u201cabruptly canceled tens of millions of dollars in grants just two weeks before their next round of funding was set to arrive.\u201d One of those recipients is located within my district: Paterson School District. The city of Paterson is one of the poorest in our entire state, with roughly 29% of its residents living below the poverty level\u2014nearly 16% higher than the national average. Moreover, roughly 41% of Paterson\u2019s children are impoverished and do not receive sufficient food on a regular basis. Historic underinvestment has resulted in roughly one-quarter of residents over age 25 never completing high school, while only one-eighth hold a bachelor\u2019s degree or higher. These statistics emphasize the need for resources and programs to change course and help students and their families have a chance to succeed.\n\nUnder its FSCS program, Paterson has taken an all-hands approach to change this situation for students and families. Through the FY 2022 and FY 2023 FSCS grants, Paterson has created and expanded programs across eight different schools to support the whole development and care of students: Passaic MLK School No. 6; Passaic High School; Joseph A. Taub Middle School; Paterson International High School; Paterson Eastside High School; Paterson School No. 16; Paterson School 6; and Alonzo T. Moody Academy High School. For example, Paterson established (1) a school-based health center that provides medical, mental, and behavioral health services and (2) a food distribution program at each school to provide consistent and nutritious food to supplement children in need. FSCS funds have also provided (1) resources for teen parents to prevent chronic absenteeism and possible drop-out of high school, (2) afterschool tutoring programs, (3) summer bridge programs for kindergarten and sixth and ninth grades to prepare incoming students for the new school experience, (4) programs for crime prevention and anti-bullying, (5) adult and basic skills and technology education and parenting workshops, (6) expanded Mindful Schools Professional Development programming and advanced course options for teachers. These programs are made available to individuals based on need. The consideration of any other factors would not only take away resources from those who are unable to access these services on their own, but minimize the entire intent of Congress in creating the FSCS program in the first place.\n\nThe Education Department\u2019s decision to strip nearly $8 million in FSCS funding from these schools not only endangers the academic success of our future generation but also poses enormous health and wellness risks given the range of services currently being offered to students in one of the poorest cities in our state.\n\nAs the representative serving New Jersey\u2019s Ninth Congressional District, I cannot and will not stand idly while my constituents\u2014and specifically, children\u2014risk losing access to food, health care, and vital academic programming that charts them on a course for a better future. Therefore, I demand that the Education Department immediately review and reverse this decision. In addition, I am making myself available to you, Secretary McMahon, to meet and discuss this issue.\n\nSincerely,\n\nNellie Pou\n\nMember of Congress\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-railway-safety-bill-cleared-house-panel", "Congresswoman Pou Railway Safety Bill Cleared by House Panel", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Nellie Pou", "P000621", "pou.house.gov", "pou", "https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today advanced her railway safety legislation through a key panel. A member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Pou authored the SAFE TRACKS Act (State Actions for Employing Transportation Risk Assessments and Crossing Knowledge Strategies), which aims to improve safety at rail crossings nationwide and help prevent suicides. After being approved unanimously by the full committee today, the bill now heads to the full House.\n\nThe bipartisan legislation is co-led by Congressman Mike Bost (R-IL-12).\n\n\u201cHigh risk railroad crossings remain a serious threat in communities in northern New Jersey and across our country,\u201d said Congresswoman Pou. \u201cWhile we have made progress, particularly through the landmark 2021 roads and bridges law, we must continue to pursue railway improvements. My SAFE TRACKS bill will require states, railroads and other stakeholders to work more closely together to reduce pedestrian deaths. These changes will save lives and I will work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this measure enacted into law.\u201d\n\nFRA tracks safety data at the nation\u2019s more than 200,000 railroad crossings. 2016 FRA data shows that Midland Avenue\u2019s railroad crossing in Elmwood Park, New Jersey ranked the sixth most dangerous crossing in the United States, and the most dangerous on the East Coast.\n\nBetween 2021 and the present, two of New Jersey\u2019s ten deadliest rail crossings were in the Ninth District \u2013 located in the cities of Garfield and Paterson \u2013 where four incidents led to two deaths. During this period, FRA also reported that Bergen, Hudson, and Passaic Counties had 57 pedestrian or suicide incidents along rail lines \u2013 resulting in over 40 deaths and over 20 injuries.\n\nThe SAFE TRACKS Act would strengthen federal oversight of highway-rail grade crossing safety by building on existing federal regulations which require the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to review and approve State Action Plans that identify high-risk highway-rail grade crossings and deploy targeted safety fixes.\n\nThe SAFE TRACKS Act would reaffirm those requirements while compelling states to outline how they will work with railroads and other stakeholders to reduce pedestrian deaths and suicides along railroad tracks, in consultation with mental health and law enforcement agencies.\n\nThe bill would also direct the FRA to continue issuing updated reports on state progress every five years, ensuring that grade crossing safety initiatives and pedestrian risk reduction efforts remain ongoing, data-driven, and responsive to emerging safety challenges.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/-booker-gallego-whitehouse-push-administration-to-ensure-tariff-exemptions-actually-result-in-lowering-grocery-costs", "Booker, Gallego, Whitehouse Push Administration to Ensure Tariff Exemptions Actually Result in Lowering Grocery Costs", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to Chair of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Andrew Ferguson questioning how the Commission is working to ensure grocery companies do not use this Administration\u2019s reckless tariff policies as cover for price gouging and that the recently announced tariff exemptions on coffee, bananas, cocoa, and other tropical products actually result in lower grocery prices.\n\n\u201cIt was a necessary but late step to remove these tariffs. However, while eliminating these tariffs reduces costs for grocery importers, we are concerned that consumers may not see the full corresponding price decreases,\u201d the Senators wrote. \u201cWe are concerned that the highly concentrated grocery industry \u2013 combined with the Trump Administration\u2019s insufficient antitrust and consumer protection enforcement \u2013 creates a perfect storm that could enable giant grocery chains to engage in price gouging or other anti-competitive behavior.\u201d\n\nTo ensure President Trump\u2019s reckless trade policies are not a \u201cgreen light\u201d for price gouging, the Senators push the FTC to:\n\nRequire large grocery stores and food importers to report their costs and retail, and wholesale prices and the extent to which tariff reductions have decreased their costs.\n\nInvestigate and prosecute companies engaging in \u201cunfair or deceptive acts or practices in or affecting commerce.\u201d\n\nAdditionally, the Senators requested answers to the following questions:\n\nHow will you ensure President Trump\u2019s recent tariff removals do not result in sustained elevated prices?\n\nWhat steps will the FTC take to enforce competition and consumer protection laws against individuals and corporations in the grocery and food industry that attempt to price gouge consumers?\n\nIf consumers have paid excessive prices for these goods since the tariff removals due to price gouging, what steps will the FTC take to ensure that consumers are made whole?", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-waters-introduce-fair-competition-act-to-safeguard-small-businesses-and-strengthen-antitrust-laws", "Booker, Waters Introduce Fair Competition Act to Safeguard Small Businesses and Strengthen Antitrust Laws", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights Subcommittee and a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced the Fair Competition for Small Business Act of 2025, legislation to protect small businesses from anti-competitive pricing practices that favor large retailers. U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\nIndependent grocers are the backbone of communities across the country, providing jobs, access to food, and stability in both rural and urban neighborhoods. According to the National Grocers Association, independent grocers support over 1.1 million jobs and generate over $41 billion in wages annually. Yet large retail chains use their market power to secure discounts and favorable payment terms from suppliers that smaller grocers lack the leverage to negotiate. As a result, independent grocers are often charged higher prices for the same products\u2014costs that are passed on to consumers\u2014making it nearly impossible for them to compete with large retailers and jeopardizing their ability to remain in business.\n\nAlthough the Robinson-Patman Act prohibits suppliers from charging competing buyers different prices, federal regulators have historically failed to enforce the law, leaving small businesses to fend for themselves against large retailers. The law currently allows state attorneys general to enforce it, but their authority is limited to seeking injunctive relief; they cannot obtain monetary damages on behalf of affected businesses. This flaw limits states\u2019 ability to fully protect small businesses when the federal government fails to enforce the law and limits small businesses\u2019 ability to recover losses from discriminatory pricing.\n\nThe Fair Competition for Small Business Act protects small businesses and addresses this legal gap by explicitly authorizing state attorney generals to bring civil actions for damages when violating the Robinson-Patman Act, strengthening accountability and deterring anti-competitive practices. This will allow state attorneys general to pursue monetary damages against distributors and retailers that engage in unlawful price discrimination, giving states the same enforcement authority they already have under other federal antitrust laws.\n\nBy enabling state attorneys general to seek monetary damages for violations of the Robinson-Patman Act, the legislation gives small businesses a clear legal path to recover past losses and prevent future harms, ensuring fairer competition in the marketplace.\n\n\u201cSmall businesses drive our economy, and it is essential that they are not forced to close their doors due to illegal pricing practices that larger retailers continue to exploit,\u201dsaid Senator Booker. \u201cBy strengthening the Robinson-Patman Act, state attorneys general would be able to hold these retailers accountable, ensuring that small businesses can compete, and succeed, on a level playing field.\u201d\n\n\u201cFor far too long, large retailers have been able to use their market power to demand price concessions from suppliers that smaller retailers are unable to secure, thereby threatening the ability of smaller retailers to remain viable, reducing competition, and increasing prices for consumers,\u201d said Congresswoman Waters. \u201cThe Fair Competition for Small Business Act would permit state attorneys general to seek monetary damages on behalf of their constituents for these discriminatory practices and give them a vital tool to promote marketplace competition, fairness, and affordability.\u201d\n\n\u201cIncreasing enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act is an essential part of reviving Main Streets across the nation,\u201d said Morgan Harper, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the American Economic Liberties Project. \u201cFor too long, dominant power buyers have used their size and scale to secure unfair prices and terms that shut out smaller businesses and distort market competition in their own favor. The Fair Competition for Small Businesses Act will restore a vital pathway for enforcement by allowing state attorneys general to pursue Robinson-Patman Act damages cases on behalf of their communities. Congress should move quickly to pass it.\u201d\n\n\u201cState Attorneys General are essential partners in enforcing federal and state antitrust laws, but it's equally essential they have the tools necessary to address anti-competitive behavior. NGA supports this common-sense measure to strengthen AG enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act,\u201d said Chris Jones from National Grocers Association.\n\n\u201cSenator Booker's Fair Competition for Small Business Act increases the power of the State Attorney Generals in the fight to hold powerful suppliers and retailers accountable for discriminatory pricing practices that have squeezed farmers and small businesses out of the marketplace. Revitalizing Robinson-Patman enforcement will help level the playing field, ensuring farmers a fair marketplace to sell into,\u201dsaid Joe Maxwell, Farm Action Fund\u2019s President.\n\n\u201cLeveling the playing field through enforcement of the Robinson-Patman Act should be a top priority for all policymakers concerned with the survival of Main Street small businesses,\u201d said Ron Knox, Senior Researcher & Policy Advocate at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. The newly unsealed FTC complaint against PepsiCo shows how mega corporations drive up costs across the economy at the expense of smaller competitors and American consumers. \u201cWe applaud Ranking Member Booker and Representative Waters\u2019 leadership on the Fair Competition for Small Business Act.\u201d\n\n\u201cOur small business coalition has long advocated for federal policymakers to take on the rampant price discrimination in our economy,\u201d said Small Business Rising coalition spokesperson Lauren Gellatly. \u201cBy providing state-level antitrust enforcers greater tools to address price discrimination, the Fair Competition for Small Business Act is a simple and effective remedy to foster fair competition and enforce existing antitrust law.\u201d\n\n\u201c55% of our Lowcountry small business member survey respondents reported in June of 2025 that they are somewhat or significantly impacted by their corporate competitors' access to superior pricing and terms for products and services,\u201d said Jordan Amaker, Director of Advocacy, Lowcountry Local First. \u201cThe under-enforcement of existing antitrust laws, specifically the Robinson-Patman Act (RPA), is just one more tilt of the playing field in favor of big business and billionaires. These tilts too often become the final nail in the coffin for so many neighborhood-serving, community-rooted businesses. Between the uncertainty and skyrocketing costs of the tariff and trade policies and the unchecked monopolistic power of mega-corporations, our local grocers and retailers are being crushed at every turn. Our small businesses don't have time to stand up for themselves on these issues, so we rely on the dedication of leaders like Sen. Booker and Rep. Waters to fight for fair practices and keep our small businesses in place.\u201d\n\nThe Fair Competition for Small Business Act of 2025 is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).\n\nTo read letters from endorsing organizations, click here.\n\nTo read a one-pager on the bill, click here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://conaway.house.gov/media/press-releases/conaway-wasserman-schultz-introduce-legislation-track-tobacco-products", "Conaway, Wasserman Schultz Introduce Legislation to Track Tobacco Products", "2025-12-18", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Herbert C. Conaway, Jr.", "C001136", "conaway.house.gov", "conaway", "https://conaway.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressman Herb Conaway Jr., MD (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) introduced the tobacco Tracking, Reporting, and Accountability for Compliance in Enforcement Act (The Tobacco TRACE Act). This legislation would establish a national track-and-trace system requiring all tobacco products to carry unique, secure tracking codes by June of next year, improving accountability and enforcement across the supply chain.\n\n\u201cFor too long, gaps in our tobacco oversight system have allowed illicit products to slip through the cracks, undermining public health and law enforcement alike,\u201d said Congressman Conaway. \u201cThe Tobacco TRACE Act brings accountability into the 21st century by establishing a secure, national track-and-trace system for tobacco products. By requiring unique, tamper-resistant tracking codes by June 1, 2026, this legislation will strengthen enforcement across the entire supply chain, crack down on illegal tobacco trafficking, and ensure manufacturers and distributors are playing by the rules. This is a commonsense step to protect consumers, support compliance, and give regulators the tools they need to do their jobs effectively.\u201d\n\n\u201cOverly lax oversight of tobacco means illegal and harmful versions of this already-deadly product are more likely to end up on shelves, erode public health and needlessly increase medical system costs,\" said Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. \"By swiftly establishing a strong track-and-trace system, we will help get these bad-actor products off the market, ensure everyone plays by the rules, and ultimately, reduce tobacco use. Consumers need regulators to have all the tools they need to do this work. This bill does that.\u201d\n\nFor the Tobacco TRACE Act bill text click here.\n\nThe Tobacco TRACE Act is cosponsored by: Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC)\n\nThe Tobacco TRACE Act by the following organizations: American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Campaign forTobacco Free Kids, American Cancer Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.\n\n\u201cWith over 1.6 million middle and high schoolers in the U.S. reporting use of e-cigarettes \u2013 many of which are being sold unlawfully \u2013 it is critical that we have the tools necessary to protect young people from these harmful products. The Tobacco TRACE Act is one important way we can address the availability of these unauthorized products, helping prevent young people from obtaining them in the first place. Pediatricians call on Congress to support this vital measure,\u201d said Susan J. Kressly, MD, FAAP, President of the American Academy of Pediatrics.\n\n\u201cThe Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids strongly supports the legislation introduced by Rep. Conaway and Rep. Wasserman Schultz to require codes on the labels of tobacco products to help track the products throughout the supply chain. We commend their efforts to prevent illegal e-cigarettes and other tobacco products from being imported, distributed and sold in the United States and to hold bad actors accountable forendangering the health of our kids,\u201d said Yolonda C. Richardson, President and CEO of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.", 1, "2026-06-27T21:44:12Z", "2026-06-27T22:31:39Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415195", "Lakewood Alerts article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Congressman Smith Joins RFK Jr. for Lyme Disease Roundtable'", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Lakewood Alerts\n\nPublished December 17, 2025\n\nRep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday for a roundtable discussion focused on advancing diagnostics, treatment options, and long-term care for Lyme disease patients.\n\nThe discussion, convened by Kennedy at HHS, brought together senior federal officials, lawmakers, medical experts, and patients. Participants included Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), and specialists in Lyme and tick-borne diseases.\n\nSmith, who has authored multiple laws aimed at increasing federal investment in Lyme disease research, said the meeting addressed both current gaps and future opportunities in diagnosing and treating the illness.\n\n\u201cThis chronic, life-altering disease\u2014which continues to rise throughout the United States, including and especially in my home state of New Jersey\u2014deserves the federal government\u2019s undivided attention and assistance,\u201d Smith said.\n\nDuring the roundtable, Kennedy announced several initiatives intended to strengthen federal efforts on Lyme disease. Among them was the renewal of the $10 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator, a public-private partnership supported by the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation that focuses on developing improved diagnostic tools. Smith has previously advocated for federal funding to sustain the program.\n\nKennedy also said CMS will expand its Chronic Care Management program to include individuals with Lyme disease and related conditions. The move is intended to increase access to coordinated medical care and reduce financial barriers for patients with long-term or persistent symptoms.\n\n\u201cOne of the reasons we wanted to host this meeting is to announce to the world that the gaslighting of Lyme patients is over,\u201d Kennedy said. He added that HHS aims to ensure physicians nationwide are better equipped to recognize Lyme disease, test for it, and guide patients toward appropriate treatment.\n\nKennedy also referenced the personal impact Lyme disease has had on members of his family, underscoring the need for improved awareness and research.\n\nSmith said the discussion marked a turning point for patients who have long argued that Lyme disease has been underdiagnosed and undertreated.\n\n\u201cLyme patients have suffered in silence for far too long,\u201d Smith said. \u201cWith stronger diagnostic criteria and improved treatment options, we can work toward finally finding a cure for this invisible yet debilitating illness.\u201d\n\nThe roundtable follows recent congressional action related to Lyme disease research. Last week, the U.S. House passed an amendment authored by Smith as part of the fiscal year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The amendment directs the Comptroller General to review whether U.S. government agencies conducted research between 1945 and 1972 involving the use of ticks as potential vectors for biological warfare agents.\n\nThe review would examine experiments involving two types of tick-borne bacteria, Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales. The amendment is expected to be considered by the Senate later this week.\n\nSmith said the legislation was prompted in part by the high prevalence of Lyme disease in New Jersey and by research discussed in Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons by Kris Newby. The book includes accounts from the late Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist credited with identifying Lyme disease, who later described work involving ticks and pathogens during his time as a federal researcher.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-announces-2025-congressional-app-challenge-winners", "Kean Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winners", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "K000398", "kean.house.gov", "kean", "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(December 17, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, NJ \u2014 Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for New Jersey\u2019s Seventh Congressional District. The winning team, Maxwell Brohm of Califon and Zander Leon of Kinnelon, are students at the Morris County School of Technology. Their winning app, ChronoIQ, is designed to enhance students\u2019 time management skills, promoting greater efficiency while minimizing stress and academic pressure.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge (CAC) is a district-wide competition for middle and high school students that encourages coding and inspires student interest in computer science and other STEM fields. This year, the CAC received more than 4,600 applications nationwide and it has become the most prestigious competition in computer science for students, as well as the largest competition of its kind in the country.\n\n\u201cI am excited to announce Maxwell Brohm and Zander Leon as the winners of this year\u2019s Congressional App Challenge for New Jersey\u2019s 7th Congressional District,\u201d said Congressman Kean. \u201cToday\u2019s students are balancing demanding academic schedules alongside extracurricular activities and personal commitments, and ChronoIQ offers a smart, practical solution to help them manage their time more effectively. Maxwell and Zander's app reflects the remarkable talent, creativity, and problem-solving skills we have in NJ-07. I would also like to commend every student who participated in this year's competition and thank the judges for their time and dedication.\u201d\n\nReflecting on what inspired their app, Brohm and Leon said, \u201cOur inspiration for ChronoIQ came from our own struggles with time management. We both have struggled with procrastination, which causes a lot of stress during school and at home. Staying up late to finish assignments has even affected our health. That\u2019s why we created ChronoIQ, to help students stay organized, lower stress, and live healthier lives.\u201d\n\nAs winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge, the students are eligible for the following recognitions:\n\nTheir winning app featured in the U.S. Capitol Building\n\nDisplay of their app on House.gov, which receives more than 10 million visitors annually\n\nInvitation to attend the #HouseOfCode celebration in Spring 2026\n\nWaived copyright registration application fees through the ARTS Act\n\nAll submissions for this year\u2019s Congressional App Challenge were judged by Mr. Vincent Panico, Mrs. Samantha Billig, and Mr. David Angradi. A former computer science professor at Raritan Valley Community College, Mr. Panico uses his tech background as a sales leader in the enterprise technology world and as Deputy Mayor of his hometown of Readington. Mrs. Billig, named in 2016 as the Hunterdon County Teacher of the Year, has been a Business Education Teacher at Hunterdon Central in Flemington for 18 years, where she teaches Entrepreneurship 1 and 2, as well as Digital Multimedia Design. A graduate of Rutgers University, Mr. Angradi leverages his more than 20 years of experience helping customers with their Digital Transformation initiatives as Field CTO with Presidio.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/icymi-pallone-and-menendez-say-kean-and-van-drew-betrayed-nj-by-not-signing-discharge-petition-to-protect-aca-premium-tax-credits", "ICYMI: Pallone & Menendez Say Kean and Van Drew Betrayed NJ by Not Signing Discharge Petition to Protect ACA Premium Tax Credits", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rob Menendez called out New Jersey Congressmen Tom Kean Jr. and Jeff Van Drew for not being among the four Republicans who signed the discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.\n\n\u201cEvery House Democrat and four House Republicans signed this discharge petition because we know exactly what happens if these tax credits expire: premiums spike and millions of households get priced out of coverage,\u201d Pallone said. \u201cAnd even though Congressmen Kean and Van Drew both said they support extending ACA premium tax credits they did nothing to back it up. These credits expire at the end of the year and signing the discharge petition forces Speaker Johnson to schedule a vote. Unfortunately, Kean and Van Drew broke their promise to lower the cost of health care for New Jersey families.\u201d\n\nIn October, Kean and Van Drew wrote a letter expressing support for extending the enhanced ACA subsidies, a position that directly aligns with the three-year extension included in the discharge petition.\n\nCongressman Rob Menendez, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees health policy, said, \u201cToday, several House Republicans joined Democrats in forcing a vote to extend the ACA premium tax credits, which will save Americans and New Jerseyans from skyrocketing healthcare premiums. This petition was an opportunity to show support for New Jerseyans and prevent them from losing their coverage or dealing with the possibility of not being able to afford health insurance at all. That is why I am surprised and disappointed that Reps. Van Drew and Kean \u2013 who made public pledges of support for extending ACA tax credits \u2013 refused to sign it.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-menendez-say-kean-and-van-drew-betrayed-nj-not-signing-discharge", "Pallone & Menendez Say Kean and Van Drew Betrayed NJ by Not Signing Discharge Petition to Protect ACA Premium Tax Credits", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Rob Menendez called out New Jersey Congressmen Tom Kean Jr. and Jeff Van Drew for not being among the four Republicans who signed the discharge petition to force a House vote on extending Affordable Care Act premium tax credits set to expire at the end of the year.\n\n\u201cEvery House Democrat and four House Republicans signed this discharge petition because we know exactly what happens if these tax credits expire: premiums spike and millions of households get priced out of coverage,\u201d Pallone said. \u201cAnd even though Congressmen Kean and Van Drew both said they support extending ACA premium tax credits they did nothing to back it up. These credits expire at the end of the year and signing the discharge petition forces Speaker Johnson to schedule a vote. Unfortunately, Kean and Van Drew broke their promise to lower the cost of health care for New Jersey families.\u201d\n\nIn October, Kean and Van Drew wrote a letter expressing support for extending the enhanced ACA subsidies, a position that directly aligns with the three-year extension included in the discharge petition.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-introduces-legislation-to-curb-profiteering-by-president", "Rep. Watson Coleman Introduces Legislation to Curb Profiteering by President", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) introduced comprehensive legislation to curb profiteering by the President and his family, the Stop Padding Presidential Pockets Act.\n\nSince the start of his second term, President Trump has engaged in a number of schemes that used his position as President to increase his personal wealth. Multiple reports confirm that the President\u2019s net worth has increased by $3 billion from 2024 to 2025. The President has amassed a vast fortune while cutting services to millions of everyday Americans who are living paycheck-to-paycheck.\n\nThe Stop Padding Presidential Pockets Act will\n\nRequire anyone who receives Secret Service protection and travels in furtherance of the business interests and financial benefits of the President to reimburse the treasury for costs incurred by the Government pertaining to that travel, including for the provision of Secret Service protection;\n\nAmend the Federal Tort Claims Act so that no sitting president or their immediate family members can file or benefit from a claim while the president is in office;\n\nAmend the Presidential Libraries Act so that the president and their immediate family cannot solicit gifts or donations for their future Presidential library and museum;\n\nRequire the President and Vice President to remove themselves from any of their personal business activity and put all their financial holdings into a blind trust; and\n\nRequire the immediate family of the President and Vice President to provide quarterly reports of their financial holdings and refrain from joining boards of for-profit organizations.\n\n\u201cThe President has made a killing for himself and his family by wielding the power of the Office while everyday Americans are struggling,\u201d said Watson Coleman. \u201cWhen the people elect a President, they are putting their trust in him or her to execute the responsibilities of that office with the public good in mind. The President has violated that trust and so measures must be taken to ensure this or any future President puts the needs of the people first.\u201d\n\nThis year, Congresswoman Watson Coleman has documented many of the President's and his family's corrupt actions in a series of videos.\n\nThe Padding Presidential Pockets Act is cosponsored by Rep. LaMonica McIver (NJ-10).\n\nText of the act can be read here.\n\nRelated Files", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/-booker-kim-reintroduce-the-federal-firearm-licensing-act", "Booker, Kim Reintroduce the Federal Firearm Licensing Act", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Federal Firearm Licensing Act, legislation that would require individuals to obtain a federal firearm license before purchasing or receiving a firearm.\n\nStudies show that states that have enacted firearm licensing laws significantly reduced gun violence. The Giffords Law Center reported that Connecticut\u2019s gun homicide and gun suicide rates decreased by 28 and 33 percent, respectively, after passing its firearm licensing law. In contrast, after repealing its firearm licensing law, Missouri experienced a 47 percent increase in gun homicides and a 24 percent increase in suicides. Licensing laws are a common-sense approach to public safety supported by 77 percent of Americans, according to a 2019 Quinnipiac University poll.\n\n\u201cEvery day, Americans face the relentless scourge of gun violence, most recently the shooting at Brown University, which claimed the lives of two students and left nine others critically wounded. With each new tragedy, we are painfully reminded of Congress\u2019s continued failure to pass commonsense legislation that could end this nightmare and finally make our communities safe. The data is clear: firearm licensing laws drastically reduce gun-related deaths,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cIf a license is required to drive a car, it should be required to own a gun. TheFederal Firearm Licensing Act brings this common-sense idea to every community in the nation, mandating background checks and proper training before a license is issued. With this legislation, we could save lives, prevent gun violence, and finally make our communities safer.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamilies are demanding Congress step up and deliver commonsense steps that prevent guns from getting into the wrong hands and protect innocent lives from the scourge of gun violence in our country. Too many families are heartbroken, and too many communities have been torn apart by senseless gun violence. Let\u2019s step up with this legislation, implement basic guardrails for gun ownership, and help save lives,\u201d said Senator Kim.\n\n\u201cAs our nation continues to grapple with unacceptably high levels of gun violence, it is clear that we must do more to ensure that guns do not end up in the hands of people intent on doing harm. We thank Senator Booker and Senator Kim for introducing the Federal Firearm Licensing Act to ensure that individuals seeking to purchase firearms pass a background check and receive adequate safety training before getting a license to buy and own a gun,\u201d said Adzi Vokhiwa, Vice President of Policy, Community Justice.\n\n\"A license is required before someone can get behind the wheel of a car, to show that they are trained and authorized to handle something with lethal potential. And yet, in America, where gun violence is the leading cause of death for children, outpacing car crashes, no such national requirement exists. Licensing laws are an effective way to make sure guns are only purchased and used by responsible Americans, and yet just a handful of states have these laws in place. GIFFORDS applauds Senators Booker and Kim's bill to create a nationwide firearm licensing requirement, and in turn save countless lives. We urge Congress to take up the bill and pass it,\" said Vanessa Gonzalez, Vice President of Government and Political Affairs, GIFFORDS.\n\nSpecifically, the Federal Firearm Licensing Act would require:\n\nAn individual to complete a firearm safety training before purchasing a firearm, which must include a written test and hands-on training to ensure safe use and accuracy.\n\nRenewal of the license every five years.\n\nThe Attorney General to conduct a history background check of any individual purchasing a firearm.\n\nRevocation of the license if the individual poses a danger to themselves or others.\n\nRegular checks by the FBI to ensure that individuals are in compliance with federal license requirements.\n\nThe Federal Firearm Licensing Act is endorsed by: Giffords and Community Justice Action Fund.\n\nThe Federal Firearm Licensing Act is cosponsored by: U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/12/18/2025/booker-norton-reintroduce-legislation-to-safeguard-marijuana-rights-in-federally-assisted-housing", "Booker, Norton Reintroduce Legislation to Safeguard Marijuana Rights in Federally Assisted Housing", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) reintroduced the Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act to permit the use of marijuana in federally assisted housing, including public housing and Section 8 housing, in compliance with the marijuana laws of the state where the property is located. Under current federal law, users of illegal substances, including marijuana, are prohibited from being admitted into federally assisted housing. Federal law also allows landlords to evict residents of federally assisted housing for illegal drug use. Adult-use marijuana, medical marijuana, or both are currently legal in New Jersey, D.C., and 39 other states, and over 90 percent of Americans support legalized medical marijuana.\n\n\u201cTenants should not be discriminated against, evicted, or denied federally assisted housing for legally using marijuana or treating a medical condition in states where it is permitted,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThe Marijuana in Federally Assisted Housing Parity Act would end these discriminatory practices and ensure tenants are not punished for personal choices made in accordance with state law.\u201d\n\n\u201cIndividuals living in federally funded housing should not fear eviction simply for treating their medical conditions or for seeking a substance legal in their state,\u201d Congresswoman Norton said. \u201cIncreasingly, Americans are changing their views on marijuana, and it is time that Congress caught up with its own constituents. With so many states improving their laws, this issue should have broad bipartisan appeal because it protects states\u2019 rights.\u201d\n\nFor the last several years, Congress has prohibited the Department of Justice from using federal funds to prevent jurisdictions from implementing their medical marijuana laws. This bill would similarly allow individuals to use marijuana in federally assisted housing in compliance with the state\u2019s marijuana laws and would require the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to develop regulations that restrict smoking marijuana in federally assisted housing in the same manner and to the same locations as HUD restricts smoking tobacco in federally assisted housing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-kim-introduce-bill-advancing-conservation-for-upper-raritan-river", "Booker, Kim Introduce Bill Advancing Conservation for Upper Raritan River", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Andy Kim (D-NJ) introduced the Upper Raritan River Watershed Wild and Scenic River Study Act. This legislation would direct the National Park Service to conduct a feasibility study evaluating the Upper Raritan River and its key tributaries for potential inclusion in the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. U.S. Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (R-NJ-07) and Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ-12) introduced companion legislation in the House in October of this year.\n\nThe study would examine the eligibility and suitability of the Upper Raritan River\u2014including the North Branch, South Branch, and Lamington/Black River tributaries\u2014for designation under the Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers Program, which safeguards free-flowing rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values. Designation under this program would be a critical step toward empowering local communities to shape a long-term, cooperative plan for the Upper Raritan\u2019s protection and sustainable use.\n\n\u201cThe Upper Raritan River is a vital resource for New Jersey that sustains our ecosystems and economy, supplies our communities with clean drinking water, supports local farms, and provides recreation for families,\u201dsaid Senator Booker. \u201cThis critical step reflects our common commitment to collaborative, community-led stewardship that will preserve critical river systems for the long-term benefit of New Jerseyans now and in the future.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhen we look after a local natural resource like the Upper Raritan River, we are looking after the health and success of generations of New Jerseyans to come. From clean drinking water to a favorite place for families to visit, the impact of this watershed ripples across ecosystems and communities and I\u2019m proud to be a part of this bipartisan effort to protect it and all it has to offer our state for years to come,\u201d said Senator Kim.\n\n\u201cThe Upper Raritan River is part of the lifeblood of New Jersey, helping sustain our communities, ecosystems, and local economy,\u201d said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. \u201cToday\u2019s bipartisan effort reflects our commitment to responsible conservation, local collaboration, and long-term stewardship. By advancing the Wild and Scenic River study, we can ensure the Upper Raritan and its critical tributaries remain protected and vibrant for generations to come.\u201d\n\n\"The Upper Raritan River is a local treasure,\u201d said Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. \u201cThe ongoing restoration has been a success story and the river must be protected. It not only provides clean drinking water and irrigation for local farms, its waters have been a source of recreation for Central and North Jersey families. I'm grateful to Rep. Kean for his advocacy on this issue and happy to team up with him to protect this vital resource.\"\n\nBackground:\n\nThe Upper Raritan River system supports diverse ecosystems, provides clean drinking water, sustains farmland and forestland, and enhances recreational and cultural opportunities throughout the region. The North Branch, South Branch, and Lamington/Black River tributaries span 38 municipalities across Hunterdon, Somerset, and Morris counties of New Jersey.\n\nAn initial reconnaissance survey of the Upper Raritan River to assess its eligibility for Wild and Scenic River designation emphasized the river\u2019s ecological and communal importance, leading to this legislation to advance a full feasibility study.\n\nIf approved, the Upper Raritan would join the Musconetcong River, Great Egg Harbor River, Maurice River, and parts of the Delaware River as Partnership Wild and Scenic Rivers in New Jersey.\n\nThe Upper Raritan River Watershed Wild and Scenic River Study Act is endorsed by: Raritan Headwaters, The Nature Conservancy, NY/NJ Baykeeper, the Watershed Institute, Sourland Conservancy, the New Jersey Conservation Foundation, and Trout Unlimited (New Jersey Chapters: Ridge and Valley, Hacklebarney, Ernest Schwiebert, Jersey Shore, Fred S. Burroughs).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-passage-of-fy-2026-national-defense-authorization-act", "Booker Statement on Passage of FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act", "2025-12-17", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cI\u2019m pleased that the final version of this year\u2019s National Defense Authorization Act includes some improvements I\u2019ve been fighting for, such as an amendment I filed to protect the integrity of Picatinny Arsenal, funding for critical military construction projects in New Jersey, a pay increase for service members, and additional funds for educational resources for children with disabilities in military communities through Impact Aid, as well as my amendment to require the State Department to offer both men and women\u2019s sizing options when issuing life-saving tactical gear to federal law enforcement officers and Diplomatic Security agents.\n\n\u201cThat said, authorizing funding increases without safeguards to hold Donald Trump and his administration accountable would amount to Congress surrendering its constitutional duty to provide a check on this rogue administration and the damage it is doing to our national security departments and agencies.\n\n\u201cI will always stand up for New Jerseyans and to protect our national security, but I cannot give the Trump administration a blank check to continue terrorizing our communities and cutting essential funding for our state.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415190", "New diagnostics, effective treatmentsRFK Jr., Smith push solutions to tick-borne disease pandemic", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith and Sec. Kennedy at the HHS' Lyme Disease Roundtable on December 15, 2025.\n\nYesterday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for a \u201cgame changing\u201d discussion about new and improved diagnostics, therapeutics, and prognoses for Lyme disease patients.\n\nThe HHS\u2019 Lyme Disease Roundtable discussion, convened by Sec. Kennedy, was also attended by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Lyme disease experts, and patients.\n\n\u201cAs Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, I was honored to join Secretary Kennedy and other distinguished stakeholders, such as my fellow members of Congress, experts, and patients, in discussing the present state and future possibilities of Lyme disease diagnostics, treatments, and therapies,\u201d said Smith, the author of numerous laws to enhance federal funding for Lyme disease research.\n\n\u201cThis chronic, life-altering disease\u2014which continues to rise throughout the United States, including and especially in my home state of New Jersey\u2014deserves the federal government\u2019s undivided attention and assistance,\u201d stated the longtime advocate for Lyme patients.\n\n\u201cI want to thank, first of all, Congressman Chris Smith, who is the Chair of the Lyme Caucus and who has been responsible for getting some of the funding that we need to make sure that this works,\u201d said Sec. Kennedy. \u201cOne of the reasons we wanted to host this meeting is to announce to the world that the gaslighting of Lyme patients is over.\n\n\u201cWe want to make sure that every physician in the country can recognize the symptoms of Lyme disease and test for it and then direct patients to the best possible treatments,\u201d continued Sec. Kennedy.\n\nThroughout the roundtable discussion, Sec. Kennedy\u2014who described the personal impact of Lyme disease on his family\u2014announced numerous, significant HHS initiatives to better research and treat Lyme disease, including:\n\nThe renewal of the $10 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator initiative, made possible through the partnership of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, which will advance new and improved diagnostic tools and resources. Smith has successfully advocated for and secured millions of dollars in federal funds for the continuation of the program; and\n\nThe expansion of CMS\u2019 Chronic Care Management program to include and support beneficiaries with Lyme disease and related conditions, increasing access to coordinated care and reducing financial barriers for patients with chronic Lyme.\n\nRep. Chris Smith speaks at the HHS' Lyme Disease Roundtable.\n\n\u201cThe highly productive and enlightening conversations between government officials, lawmakers, and experts at yesterday\u2019s roundtable should serve as beacons of hope for all Lyme patients and advocates throughout the country,\u201d stated Smith. \u201cLyme patients have suffered in silence for far too long. With stronger diagnostic criteria and improved treatment options, we can work towards finally finding a cure for this invisible yet debilitating illness.\n\n\u201cI am very grateful for Secretary Kennedy\u2019s unwavering commitment to uncovering the origins, investigating the comorbidities, and developing new diagnostics and treatments for Lyme disease\u2014significantly improving the qualities of life and care for patients. Lyme patients deserve answers, and under Secretary Kennedy\u2019s phenomenal leadership, the HHS is steadfastly working towards procuring them,\u201d concluded Smith.\n\nThe Lyme Disease Roundtable comes on the heels of another breakthrough for federal Lyme disease research\u2014the House passage of Smith\u2019s FY 26 NDAA amendment to probe whether the Cold War-era U.S. government weaponized ticks with Lyme disease to serve as hosts or delivery mechanisms for biological warfare agents.\n\nSmith\u2019s amendment\u2014which compels the Comptroller General of the United States to perform an exhaustive review of research conducted by the military and other federal agencies between 1945 and 1972 regarding experiments involving two forms of tick-borne bacteria, Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales\u2014was included in the major 2026 defense bill passed by the House last week and is expected to be voted on by the full Senate later this week.\n\nThe legislation was inspired in-part by the explosion of Lyme disease in New Jersey and Kris Newby\u2019s book, Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons.\n\nBitten features in-depth interviews with and the personal files of Dr. Willy Burgdorfer\u2014the federal researcher and U.S. bioweapons specialist credited with discovering Lyme disease\u2014who later revealed that he and other bioweapons specialists injected ticks with pathogens in a quest to cause severe disability, disease, and even death to potential enemies in unsuspecting ways.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415193", "Thanks to President Trump for direct engagementChris Smith on the release of Belarusian political prisoners, including Nobel laureate Ales Bialiatski; announces January hearing on remaining prisoners", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-04), a longtime champion of human rights and democracy in Belarus and author of landmark U.S. legislation\u2014the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004\u2014welcomed the December 13th release of 123 political prisoners by the government of Belarus\u2014a release made possible through the energetic efforts of President Trump.\n\n\u201cI rejoice with everyone released and their families\u2014today, they are free, and God willing, the remaining prisoners in Belarus will be free one day as well,\u201d said Smith.\n\nAmong those freed were Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski, prominent opposition figures Maria Kolesnikova and Viktar Babaryka, and one American citizen. Thanks to President Trump\u2019s direct engagement, more than 200 political prisoners have now been released, including several U.S. citizens.\n\n\u201cAs the prime author of the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004 and multiple reauthorizations, as well as the current Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2025 (HR 3225), I have worked for decades to hold the Lukashenko regime accountable and secure freedom for Belarus\u2019s political prisoners,\u201d stated Smith, who co-chairs the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.\n\n\u201cFull credit should be given to President Trump for this remarkable achievement\u2014his bold diplomacy and personal engagement have delivered life-saving results for 123 innocent people, who were languishing in brutal detention. Now, they are with their families. I have had the privilege of meeting some of the released prisoners, and their stories of courage amid unimaginable hardship are deeply inspiring,\u201d continued Smith.\n\n\u201cWe must not forget the more than 1,000 political prisoners who remain behind bars in harsh and often life-threatening conditions. Their immediate and unconditional release is clearly a top priority for President Trump. In order to build on the President\u2019s momentum, I plan to hold a congressional hearing in January focused on the remaining prisoners.\u201d\n\nSmith has led U.S. legislative efforts on Belarus for over two decades, authoring the original Belarus Democracy Act (P.L. 108-347) and subsequent laws\u2014including the Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (HR 5948) and the Belarus Democracy Reauthorization Act of 2011 (HR 515)\u2014which impose sanctions on the regime until it releases political prisoners, respects human rights, and moves toward free and fair elections. His current bill, HR 3225, the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights, and Sovereignty Act of 2025, updates and strengthens these measures.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415194", "The Lakewood Scoop article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'RFK Jr., Smith Push Solutions to Tick-borne Disease Pandemic'", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By The Lakewood Scoop\n\nPublished December 16, 2025 at 7:45 PM\n\nCongressman Chris Smith, the longtime Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, joined Kennedy this week at a high-level Lyme Disease Roundtable convened by HHS to address what both leaders described as a growing public health crisis. The discussion brought together federal health officials, members of Congress, medical experts, and Lyme disease patients to explore new diagnostics, therapies, and long-term care options.\n\nLyme disease cases continue to rise throughout the country, with New Jersey among the hardest-hit states. Smith, who has authored and championed numerous laws to increase federal funding for Lyme research, said the disease has been ignored for far too long.\n\nKennedy credited Smith with securing critical funding and helping elevate the issue nationally, stating that federal agencies are now committed to ending what he described as the \u201cgaslighting\u201d of Lyme disease patients. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that physicians nationwide can recognize symptoms, properly test for Lyme, and guide patients to effective treatment.\n\nDuring the roundtable, Kennedy announced several significant initiatives, including the renewal of the $10 million LymeX Innovation Accelerator, which will support the development of improved diagnostic tools through a public-private partnership, and the expansion of Medicare\u2019s Chronic Care Management program to include Lyme disease patients, reducing financial barriers and improving coordinated care for those suffering from chronic symptoms.\n\nSmith praised the announcements as a turning point, calling the discussions \u201cbeacons of hope\u201d for patients who have long struggled to obtain answers and proper treatment. He said stronger diagnostic standards and improved therapies are critical steps toward finally addressing what many patients describe as an invisible yet debilitating illness.\n\nThe meeting follows another major development in federal Lyme research efforts: the recent House passage of Smith\u2019s amendment to the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. The measure calls for a comprehensive investigation into whether the U.S. government experimented with ticks as potential biological warfare delivery mechanisms during the Cold War era.\n\nThe amendment requires an exhaustive review of military and federal research conducted between 1945 and 1972 involving tick-borne bacteria. The legislation, inspired in part by the sharp rise of Lyme disease cases in New Jersey and the book Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons, is expected to be taken up by the Senate in the coming days.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415197", "Jewish Insider article on letter from co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism'After Sydney Hanukkah massacre, House lawmakers urge Australia to act to protect Jewish community'", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Marc Rod\n\nPublished December 16, 2025\n\nThe co-chairs of the House Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Antisemitism are urging Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to act more forcefully to protect Australia\u2019s Jewish community and implement months-old recommendations from the country\u2019s antisemitism envoy.\n\nIn a letter to Albanese sent Monday, the ten lawmakers said that the attack, which killed at least 15 people at a Hanukkah celebration, \u201ccomes in the wake of the Australian Jewish community repeatedly raising the alarm and urging swift action to counter the spread of unchecked antisemitic rhetoric and demonstrations occurring in Australia for far too long.\u201d\n\nThe lawmakers said that there have been repeated \u201cwarning signs,\u201d including firebombings of synagogues, graffiti, assaults and threats of violence, which \u201chave now led to a tragic reality.\u201d\n\nAustralian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese speaks during a press conference in Canberra on August 11, 2025.\n\nThey noted that Jillian Segal, the Australian special envoy to combat antisemitism, released 49 recommendations to be implemented across a range of institutions in July, and questioned what the Australian government has done to enact that plan and how it will protect the Jewish community going forward.\n\nThe lawmakers called on Albanese to \u201cmove swiftly and decisively\u201d to implement those recommendations.\n\n\u201cWhile we appreciate Australia joining the Global Guidelines for Countering Antisemitism led by the United States, we urge your government to implement and actively utilize this document and its recommendations within,\u201d the letter continues. \u201cWe also encourage you to further insulate Australia from malign foreign influence, like that of Iran and possibly others, which has been found to be supporting antisemitic attacks in Australia.\u201d\n\nThe letter states that Australia\u2019s designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp as a terrorist organization \u201cis an important first step, but it cannot be the last step if Australia is to address the antisemitism brewing at home while also thwarting collusion from abroad.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-delivers-500000-federal-grants-support-local-fire-departments", "Kean Delivers $500,000 in Federal Grants to Support Local Fire Departments", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "K000398", "kean.house.gov", "kean", "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(December 16, 2025) LEBANON BOROUGH, NJ \u2013 Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) announced that $510,531 in federal grant funding will be delivered to six fire departments in New Jersey\u2019s 7th Congressional District to support their public safety missions. The funding was provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Fiscal Year 2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program.\n\nCongressman Kean played a key role in securing these funds for local fire departments. In February 2024, he hosted a webinar to explain the Assistance to Firefighters Grants Program and assist departments in navigating the application process. Congressman Kean also submitted letters of support for fire departments that requested assistance.\n\nThe funding was made possible through Congressman Kean\u2019s legislation, the Fire Grants and Safety Act, which provided critical federal resources to support many fire departments across New Jersey and over 1,000 other departments nationwide. His bill, which was signed into law in July 2024, reauthorized for five years the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), the Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) Program, the Fire Prevention and Safety (FP&S) Grant Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program.\n\n\u201cI am thrilled to announce that we brought home over $500,000 in federal dollars to support six fire departments in New Jersey\u2019s Seventh Congressional District,\u201d said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. \u201cEvery day, our firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our families and neighbors, and these grants will help departments purchase essential equipment, enhance training, and strengthen readiness to keep communities safe. I remain committed to supporting our first responders and I encourage other departments in the district to apply for these grants. My office stands ready to assist throughout the process.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are grateful for this $75,000 AFG grant and for Congressman Kean\u2019s support in securing these funds for Summit,\u201d said Summit Mayor Elizabeth Fagan, M.D. \u201cThis grant directly benefits our residents by giving our firefighters the tools and training they need to respond quickly and safely in any emergency. Investing in our fire department is investing in the safety and well-being of the entire Summit community.\u201d\n\n\u201cWith this AFG grant, we are looking to purchase between 15-18 sets of turnout gear, boots, helmets, gloves, and cancer reducing hoods. We thank the Congressman for advocating for us and the district,\u201d said Clinton Fire Department Chief Jeff Hedden.\n\n\u201cThis grant is a game-changer for our department,\u201d said Greg Bunting, Chief of the Delaware Township Fire Company. \u201cOur firefighters rely on dependable communications when responding to emergencies. These new radios will not only improve our operational efficiency but will also help keep our members and residents safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am honored to announce that the Westfield Fire Department has been awarded $45,818 from the FY2024 Assistance to Firefighters Grant program,\u201d said Westfield Fire Chief Michael Duelks. \u201cThe funding will be utilized to assist the department in purchasing additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our personnel.\u201d\n\n\"These federal grants are very important to small towns like Pohatcong. Our budgets are extremely tight as it is and these federal grants provide the funding needed to our first responders to things possibly outside our current budgets,\u201d said Pohatcong Mayor David Slack.\n\nThe full list of AFG grant awardees is as follows:\n\nTownship of Pohatcong Fire Department - $68,571\n\nTown of Westfield Town Hall - $45,818\n\nDelaware Township Fire Company (f.k.a Sergeantsville Volunteer Fire Co) - $242,857\n\nKingwood Township Volunteer Fire Co No 1 - $4,000\n\nTown of Clinton Fire Department - $74,285\n\nCity of Summit - $75,000\n\nThe AFG program helps firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training, and other resources necessary to protect the public and emergency personnel from fire and related hazards.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-introduces-bill-aimed-at-lowering-household-energy-costs-during-inflation", "McIver Introduces Bill Aimed at Lowering Household Energy Costs During Inflation", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) introduced the Utility Price Lift In Flux & Transition (UPLIFT) Act, a bill aimed at easing the burden of household energy costs during inflation spikes through the creation of a new federal tax credit. The tax credit would offer relief and stability to Americans by addressing the rising, unpredictable costs of their utilities.\n\n\u201cMaking paying the bills a little easier is exactly why I am introducing the UPLIFT Act. Every month, millions of American families face the burden of rising energy bills. Under this administration, that burden is growing. In the face of inflation and spikes in utility costs, Americans are struggling to keep the lights on and their homes livable,\u201d said Rep. McIver. \u201cHeat and cool air are necessities, not luxuries, and too many households\u2014especially working-class and elderly Americans\u2014are being forced to make painful decisions because those bills are just too high. I am proud that this bill takes responsive steps to give our communities breathing room when inflation hits hardest. Lowering costs is exactly the kind of work I came to Washington to do.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the Trump administration\u2019s policies send heating and electricity prices soaring twice as fast as inflation for millions of households across the country, Congress needs to ensure those spending more of their income on their energy bill get needed financial relief,\u201d said Meghan Pazik, senior policy advocate with Public Citizen\u2019s Climate Program. \u201cPolicymakers need to provide economic solutions for low-income and vulnerable communities from these electricity price surges. Congresswoman McIver\u2019s UPLIFT Act is a step in the right direction to address the growing affordability crisis and give those hit hardest a chance with targeted, timely, and direct support.\u201d\n\n\u201cUnited for a Fair Economy supports the UPLIFT Act. At a time like this, when the very wealthy are controlling more wealth and power while others struggle, the UPLIFT Act is a common-sense solution to help families in need make ends meet,\u201d said Mike Lapham, Deputy Director of United for a Fair Economy. \u201cCongress should pass this legislation as soon as possible.\u201d\n\n\u201cNCRC is proud to endorse the UPLIFT Act because too many low- and moderate-income families are one energy-cost spike away from crisis, and this bill provides timely support that protects economic mobility when it\u2019s most at risk,\u201d said Doug Mollett, Economic Mobility Manager at National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC). \u201cBy linking relief to real economic conditions and safeguarding safety-net benefits, it strengthens household stability and ensures rising utility bills don\u2019t push vulnerable Americans further from opportunity.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe UPLIFT Act offers practical help for Americans coping with unaffordable energy costs,\u201d said Consumer Action\u2019s Director of Consumer Protection Ruth Susswein. \u201cIt puts cash back in consumers' hands, with a tax credit designed to help alleviate rapidly rising gas and electric bills.\u201d\n\n\u201cAt a time when more Americans than ever struggle to afford their monthly electric bill, the UPLIFT Act is an example of the sort of creative policy thinking we need to help people afford their needs,\u201d says Logan Atkinson Burke, Executive Director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy. \u201cWe applaud Congresswoman McIver in taking action on this critical issue and introducing legislation that lessens energy burdens by providing direct financial support to working-class families. We need Congress to follow her lead.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe UPLIFT Act of 2025 would put money back in the pockets of working families coping with the rising costs of energy, food, medicine and housing,\u201d said Olivia Wein, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. \u201cThe Act provides an income-limited, refundable tax credit that helps low- and moderate-income families with stretched monthly budgets cope with unaffordable energy bills during periods of high inflation.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe escalating cost of utilities has taken a significant toll on poor and working-class families of color, including families that rent their homes with Housing Choice Vouchers,\u201d said Thomas Silverstein, Executive Director of the Poverty & Race Research Action Council. \u201cThe UPLIFT Act of 2025 is a common sense measure that would advance racial and economic justice by reducing the impact of utility costs on people who are struggling right now.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the Utility Price Lift In Flux & Transition (UPLIFT) Act would:\n\nCreate a refundable income tax credit worth up to $1,200 per year (or $2,400 for married couples filing jointly or heads of household) to cover residential energy costs, including electricity, natural gas, and propane.\n\nAutomatically activate during high-inflation years, ensuring relief is triggered when the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) index rises more than 2%.\n\nDirect relief to families\u2019 primary residences, ensuring benefits cannot be claimed for second homes or investment properties.\n\nSafeguard access to existing energy assistance programs by guaranteeing that households receiving federal, state, local, or Tribal energy aid remain fully eligible for this credit.\n\nProtect low-income families on means-tested programs by ensuring refunds from this credit are never counted as income or resources that could reduce other benefits.\n\nThe bill is endorsed by: United for a Fair Economy (UFE), Responsible Wealth, the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Consumer Action, Alliance for Affordable Energy (AAE), Public Citizen, the Poverty & Race Research Action Council, the National Low Income Housing Coalition, and the National Consumer Law Center.\n\n###", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-announces-125-million-grant-for-jersey-city-public-schools", "Menendez Announces $1.25 Million Grant for Jersey City Public Schools", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) today announced a $1,249,501 federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education (DoED) for Jersey City Public Schools (JCPS). The grant, part of DoED\u2019s Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration program, will fund JCPS\u2019s Project STARR, which will implement dual-focused school psychology practical training and internships to prepare school psychology graduate trainees to deliver early and intensive mental health services in addition to school psychology competencies.\n\n\u201cI am proud to announce this funding which advances a critical priority \u2013 the mental health of our children,\u201d said Congressman Menendez. \u201cIn working with Jersey City Public Schools, we have now delivered federal funding which will put more mental health professionals into Jersey City schools and provide children with mental-health services at a time when many children need all of the support that can be given to them. I have and always will fight for every single resource that we can secure to support our children and our public schools.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are absolutely thrilled and deeply grateful to receive the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program Grant,\u201d said Jersey City Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez. \u201cThe grant represents a critical investment in our students\u2019 well-being. This funding is essential for the Jersey City Public Schools District to continue and expand our dedicated school-based mental health services, ensuring our students have the consistent support they need to thrive academically and personally.\u201d\n\n\"Thank you Congressman Rob Menendez for securing this generous grant, and for your continued support of the Jersey City School District,\" said Jersey City Board of Education President Noemi Velazquez. \"At a time when Washington is cutting funding for the much needed educational programs, it is heartwarming to know that we can depend on a friend and champion like you in Congress, advocating for our children. Your tireless efforts and sound commitment to your community never goes unnoticed and is always appreciated.\"\n\nThe Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Program provides competitive grants to test and evaluate innovative partnerships between institutions of higher education (IHE) and States or high-need local education agencies (LEA) to train school counselors, social workers, psychologists, or other mental health professionals qualified to provide school-based mental health services, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these workers into low-income public elementary schools and secondary schools in order to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in such schools.\n\nProject STARR has three goals: (1) Increase the capacity of available JCPS school psychologists delivering mental health services by implementing a dual-focus school psychology training program; (2) Increase the number of newly hired credentialed school psychologists available to deliver early intervention mental health services and intensive mental health services in JCPS; and (3) Trainees will provide evidence-based early intervention and intensive mental health services to students through their practicums.\n\nA strong advocate for public schools, Congressman Menendez worked with the New Jersey Democratic delegation earlier this year to release $162 million in K-12 and adult education funding frozen by the Trump Administration. This year, Congressman Menendez also brought back over $15 million for Head Start and early childhood education programs in our communities.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-lee-reintroduce-bipartisan-bill-to-improve-the-eqip-conservation-program", "Booker, Lee Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve the EQIP Conservation Program", "2025-12-16", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and Mike Lee (R-UT) reintroduced the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) Improvement Act, a bipartisan bill that would reshape EQIP to be more equitable and effective.\n\nEstablished in 1998, EQIP is a voluntary conservation initiative that offers farmers and ranchers federal cost-share grants to adopt environmentally beneficial practices on their land. Unfortunately, the USDA currently turns away over half of the farmers seeking conservation assistance due to high demand; in 2023, over 75,000 farmers were turned away from EQIP.\n\nThis legislation would strengthen EQIP by ensuring more farmers and ranchers can participate in the program, particularly small farmers; funding the most effective conservation practices; and giving states greater flexibility in implementing the program.\n\n\u201cTo make the EQIP Program more effective, this bill would re-focus support towards farmers that need it most by targeting funding to more producers and prioritizing conservation practices with significantly greater environmental benefits,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cWith this bill, we will see more federal funding go toward providing vital financial support to our small family farmers and ranchers.\u201d\n\n\u201cBig Ag is hogging taxpayer dollars for their bloated, ineffective projects,\u201d said Senator Mike Lee. \u201cThe EQIP program is meant to benefit small farmers too, but when bigger players monopolize grant pools, fewer farms get their fair share and taxpayers end up funding pointless projects. The EQIP Improvement Act will lower the payment cap for single projects to reduce runaway spending on money pits, give states flexibility to prioritize their critical farming initiatives, and slash spending on ineffective waste. Both farmers and taxpayers will be better off with these changes in place.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am hopeful that the EQIP Improvement Act of 2025 will level the playing field, allowing more smaller farms to access much-needed financial and technical support for conservation and natural resource practices and protection,\u201d said Devin Cornia, Executive Director, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Jersey NOFA NJ. \u201cIn New Jersey, many small farmers who are currently employing conservation practices struggle to participate in federal programs while large-scale industrial agriculture operations receive a large portion of the funding pool. This legislation will direct support to more local community-minded, small and medium sized regenerative family farms versus large-scale operations that routinely pose a threat to natural resources and fragile ecosystems\".\n\n\u201cThis bill is a long-overdue course correction that would stop the funneling of scarce conservation dollars into wasteful infrastructure for the biggest operations and instead prioritize smaller farmers who actually deliver real benefits,\u201d said Kelly Ryerson, Co-Executive Director and Co-Founder, American Regeneration.\n\n\u201cThe EQIP Improvement Act is a long-overdue course correction,\u201d said Joe Maxwell, President of Farm Action Fund. \u201cFor years, EQIP dollars have been concentrated in a small number of large structural projects that deliver limited environmental benefit and contribute to further consolidation, while more than half of farmers seeking conservation help are turned away. Senators Booker and Lee and Representative Hayes deserve credit for refocusing EQIP on what works\u2014supporting more farmers, prioritizing proven conservation practices that protect soil and water, and giving states greater flexibility. This bill reduces waste, expands access, and ensures public dollars deliver real environmental returns.\u201d\n\n\"The factory farm model in Iowa is heavily subsidized by taxpayer dollars,\u201d said Ava Auen-Ryan, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. \u201cThis model of agriculture also generates millions of gallons of toxic liquid manure that is dumped on farm fields across the state and eventually runs off into our over 700 impaired waterways. The EQIP improvement act is a good first step towards supporting small to mid size producers whose conservations practices help clean up and protect water quality in Iowa for ourselves and for future generations.\"\n\n\u201cWashington can no longer justify subsidizing factory farms that pollute our nation\u2019s waterways and have driven hundreds of thousands of independent family farmers out of business across rural America in the past twenty years,\u201d said David Murphy, Founder of United We Eat. \u201cThis bill delivers urgent resources that America\u2019s farmers need to transition to better regenerative soil-health practices and can help restore millions of acres of degraded land, while also boosting farm profitability and revitalizing rural economies during a growing farm crisis.\u201d\n\n\u201cNational Taxpayers Union endorses the EQIP Improvement Act of 2025,\u201d said Bryan Riley, Director of National Taxpayers Union Free Trade Initiative. \u201cThis bill from Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) would promote a more efficient and targeted use of taxpayer dollars.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe EQIP Improvement Act will put federal conservation funds back where they belong \u2014 in farmers\u2019 pockets. For too long, money intended to support projects for sustainable farmers has lined the pockets of the biggest corporations,\u201d said Rebecca Wolf, Senior Food Policy Analyst, Food & Water Watch. \u201cThis bill would right the ship.\u201d\n\n\u201cBy directing federal conservation funding toward farmers committed to environmentally responsible practices, this legislation takes an important step in protecting vulnerable communities across the nation from the harms of industrial animal operations,\u201d said Blakely Hildebrand, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center. \u201cPublic dollars should never underwrite pollution that worsens our water and air quality. We applaud Senators Booker and Lee for this effort to enhance fair access to funding, support genuine conservation, and prioritize the health of communities.\n\n\u201cThousands of farmers are being turned away by USDA when they offer to share the cost of cleaner air and water,\u201d said Geoff Horsfield, Legislative Director, Environmental Working Group. \u201cAt a time when we need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, we should be reforming conservation programs to help more farmers participate in programs like EQIP.\u201d\n\nA list of endorsing organizations can be found here.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415188", "Daily Mail article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'US military under investigation over claims it weaponized ticks to spread insidious disease'", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Stacy Liberatore, US Science & Technology Editor\n\nPublished 11:01 EST, 15 December 2025\n\nScientists have long debated a chilling question: Did the US military weaponize ticks during the Cold War?\n\nNow, Congress is demanding answers with a newly filed amendment that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether federal agencies experimented with pathogen-laden ticks as tools of war.\n\nThe provision, authored by New Jersey Representative Chris Smith and filed on Friday, calls for a review of military, National Institutes of Health and US Department of Agriculture projects conducted between 1945 and 1972 involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales, two families of bacteria linked to tick-borne illnesses.\n\nSmith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, said the effort is driven by New Jersey's unusually high infection rates and concerns for civilians and military personnel stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.\n\n'The hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness,' Smith said.\n\nSmith is not the first public official to raise such questions, as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has previously suggested that Lyme disease may have emerged from a failed US bioweapons program in the 1970s, allegedly involving research at Plum Island, New York.\n\nScientists, however, have repeatedly rejected those claims, calling them a debunked conspiracy and pointing to evidence that Lyme-causing bacteria existed in North America long before the 20th century.\n\nLyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is reported in 30,000 to 40,000 cases annually to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though the agency estimates that as many as 476,000 infections may occur each year and go undiagnosed.\n\nCongress is demanding answers with a newly filed amendment that directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate whether federal agencies experimented with pathogen-laden ticks as tools of war\n\nMuch of the theory traces back to the 2019 book 'Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons' and related interviews with the late Swiss-born scientist Willy Burgdorfer, who identified the Lyme disease pathogen in 1981 and previously worked as a US military bioweapons specialist during the Cold War.\n\nAccording to the book and related sources, Burgdorfer and other researchers allegedly injected ticks and other insects, including fleas and mosquitoes, with pathogens such as those causing Q fever, tularemia and relapsing fever to study their potential use as biological weapons.\n\nThe accounts also describe experiments in which ticks were force-fed infectious agents through glass capillary tubes and discussions about dispersing 'weaponized' ticks from aircraft to incapacitate enemy populations.\n\nThe book further alleges that hundreds of thousands of radioactive ticks were released in Montana and along the Atlantic Flyway to track how far they could spread.\n\nThe new amendment revives two similar efforts Smith introduced in 2019 and 2021 that passed the House but stalled in the Senate.\n\nSmith said the latest GAO probe could either substantiate or finally put to rest theories about government involvement in the spread of Lyme disease.\n\n'If the investigation finds that our bioweapons program had nothing to do with it, we turn the page,' Smith said. 'But the American people deserve answers.'\n\nWithin 3 days to a month, a red, bull's-eye rash will appear in 70 to 80 percent of cases involving a tick bite\n\nLyme disease is a bloodborne bacterial infection. The bacteria enters the skin from a tick bite, then travels through the bloodstream to spread to other parts of the body (STOCK)\n\nSmith called for an investigation in 2020 into claims that secret research was conducted on Plum Island and at Fort Detrick in Maryland on weaponizing ticks.\n\nPlum Island is an 840-acre island off the northeastern coast of Long Island, New York.\n\nIt's home to the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) and has been used by the US government for research on infectious animal diseases since the 1950s.\n\nThe US Department of Homeland Security has previously stated that the government facility at Plum Island 'does not and has not performed research on Lyme disease.'\n\nIn 2024, RFK Jr made the same claims about the disease, alleging on his own podcast that government scientists were experimenting with ticks on this island in the Northeast.\n\n'The ticks are an epidemic because of what happened at Plum Island and the other labs,' the health secretary said in the January 2024 episode of the RFK Jr Podcast.\n\n'We also know that they were experimenting with diseases of the kind, like Lyme disease, at that lab, and they were putting them in ticks and then infecting people,' RFK Jr added.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415189", "TAPinto Gold Coast article on Smith's statement condemning antisemitic violence'Congressman Smith Condemns Deadly Antisemitic Attack at Hanukkah Event in Australia'", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Jim Lonergan\n\nPublished December 15, 2025 at 9:10 AM\n\nWASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., condemned a deadly antisemitic terrorist attack this weekend at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, where gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration, killing at least 15 people and injuring dozens more, including children and elderly attendees.\n\nThe attack occurred during a public Hanukkah gathering near the beach, where families and community members had assembled to celebrate the holiday. Authorities have described the shooting as a targeted act of antisemitic terrorism. Multiple attackers were involved, and police said the rapid intervention of bystanders and first responders prevented an even higher death toll. The incident has sent shockwaves through Australia and prompted heightened security around Jewish institutions nationwide.\n\nIn a statement, Smith expressed condolences to the victims and the Australian Jewish community, calling the attack a stark example of the global rise in antisemitic violence.\n\n\u201cMy heart breaks for the victims, their families, and the entire Australian Jewish community enduring this unimaginable tragedy,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThe savagery and cruelty of this attack on Jewish families echoes the worst antisemitic violence we have seen since the October 7 Hamas atrocity.\u201d\n\nSmith also praised the actions of a bystander who intervened during the attack, tackling and disarming one of the gunmen. He said the individual\u2019s actions likely saved many lives.\n\nA longtime advocate for combating antisemitism, Smith is the author of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2021. He used the moment to renew calls for stronger international efforts to confront antisemitism and hold perpetrators accountable.\n\nUnder the law, President Trump nominated Yehuda Kaploun in April to serve as the U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, with the rank of ambassador. Smith noted that nearly nine months later, the nomination is still awaiting final Senate confirmation.\n\nThe delay reflects the modern Senate confirmation process, which has grown increasingly slow and politicized, particularly for ambassador-level appointments. While the position requires Senate approval, extended confirmation timelines have become common due to partisan divisions, limited floor time, and competing legislative priorities.\n\nIn announcing the nomination earlier this year, Trump described Kaploun as a successful businessman and a strong advocate for the Jewish faith, citing the need for decisive leadership as antisemitism continues to rise worldwide.\n\nSmith emphasized that antisemitism must be confronted across all fronts, including extremist violence, institutional bias, and inflammatory rhetoric.\n\n\u201cThe United States must stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies to ensure Jewish communities can practice their faith openly and without fear,\u201d Smith said. \u201cLeaders worldwide must redouble their efforts to counter this rising tide of hate, including through enhanced security measures and accountability for those who incite or commit these crimes.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-co-leads-legislation-to-safeguard-emergency-alerts-funding-protect-public-safety-communications", "Menendez Co-Leads Legislation to Safeguard Emergency Alerts Funding, Protect Public Safety Communications", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08), along with Representatives Tim Kennedy (NY-26), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), and Nanette Barragan (CA-44), introduced the Supporting and Advancing Federal Emergency Communications through Infrastructure (SAFE Comms) Act, legislation to ensure that local broadcasters can continue to deliver lifesaving emergency alerts despite disruptions to the federal grant program that supports them. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to administer and disburse funds through the Next Generation Warning System (NGWS) grant program, guaranteeing that already-approved funds to improve emergency alerting reach communities across New Jersey and the nation.\n\n\u201cFEMA programs like the Next Generation Warning System are crucial to ensuring that our communities stay up-to-date with life-saving emergency information,\u201d said Congressman Menendez. \u201cWith Republican cuts to public broadcasting, we must continue to fund and protect this program so local public media stations can provide timely alerts to New Jerseyans in the most critical moments.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs Ranking Member of the Emergency Management and Technology Subcommittee, it is my priority to ensure that the bedrock of our emergency alerting system - local stations - receive promised support from Congress,\u201d said Congressman Tim Kennedy. \u201cIn the face of this President\u2019s assault on FEMA and its lifesaving programs, we must guarantee the continuity of the Next Generation Warning System. I\u2019m proud to introduce this legislation to ensure that local communities in Western New York and across the U.S. continue to benefit from critical federal investments in emergency alerting infrastructure.\u201d\n\n\u201cLocal public TV and radio stations are a lifeline during emergencies, especially in rural and underserved communities,\u201d said Congresswoman Nanette Barrag\u00e1n.\u201cThe Next Generation Warning System Grant Program helps these stations get the resources they need to send timely alerts when people need them most. I\u2019m proud to join Reps. Kennedy, Menendez, and McClain Delaney in co-leading this effort to safeguard the future of the program and make sure every community has the information it needs during disasters.\u201d\n\n\"Every second counts when protecting the public from natural disasters and other emergencies, and next-generation warning systems are essential to safeguarding lives and property,\u201d said Congresswoman April McClain Delaney. \u201cWith the Corporation for Public Broadcasting now closed, FEMA must deliver Congressionally appropriated funds directly \u2013 and without delay \u2013 to local broadcasters. I\u2019m proud to support legislation that provides this critical fix as we continue modernizing and strengthening our nation\u2019s warning capabilities, building more prepared and resilient communities.\"\n\n\u201cAmerica\u2019s Public Television Stations, on behalf of the 158 locally operated, locally controlled public television stations, commend Representative Kennedy and the other co-sponsors for the introduction of the SAFE Comms Act,\u201d said Kate Riley, CEO & President of America\u2019s Public Television Stations. \u201cThis bill recognizes the lifesaving work of local public broadcasting stations and requires that FEMA follow Congressional intent in spending funds that Congress has already appropriated to support local stations\u2019 public safety services. We greatly appreciate the long-standing bipartisan support for the Next Generation Warning System at FEMA and are grateful that this legislation would ensure that this critical program continues to support the lifesaving emergency alert, warning and public safety services provided to local communities by their public broadcasting stations.\u201d\n\nEstablished by Congress in 2022, the NGWS grant program allows public media stations to upgrade technology and infrastructure used to broadcast emergency alerts. The program, implemented by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), strengthens reliability and resilience for emergency communications including upgrading transmitters, expanding coverage, and improving the ability to reach vulnerable and rural populations. Every day, local public radio and television stations serve as lifelines for communities across the United States, delivering critical, real-time information to families when disaster strikes. From snowstorms to flash floods, New Jerseyans rely on these trusted resources to provide the timely alerts that save lives. Alarmingly, a breakdown in federal funding and grant administration, spurred by the Trump administration, has put this funding at risk.\n\nIn July, congressional Republicans passed the Rescissions Act of 2025 which defunded CPB, the lone administrator of the NGWS grant program. Without CPB to manage the NGWS grant program, millions of dollars in previously approved funding were left in limbo at FEMA, jeopardizing upgrades for critical technology that ensure emergency alerts reach people when they\u2019re needed most.\n\nThe SAFE Comms Act safeguards continuity and accountability by directing FEMA to assume full responsibility for the NGWS program, disburse already obligated Fiscal Year 2022 funds within 180 days of bill enactment, and begin the process of awarding grants for Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024. Through Congressman Menendez\u2019s bill, local stations will be able to continue improving their emergency communications systems without further delay.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-congressional-progressive-caucus-announce-taskforce-on-rebuilding-and-reimagining-the-government", "Rep. Watson Coleman, Congressional Progressive Caucus Announce Taskforce on Rebuilding and Reimagining the Government", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) announced the creation of the Congressional Progressive Caucus\u2019s Taskforce on Rebuilding and Reimagining the Government.\n\nThe taskforce, created in response to the harm the Trump Administration has done to the functioning and responsiveness of the federal government, will examine the recent erosion to in the effectiveness of federal agencies within the Executive Branch and make legislative proposals to address the shortcomings of the federal government, restore and improve agencies\u2019 critical roles and functioning, and protect them from destructive actions by their executive leadership, and develop bold new ideas to reorient these agencies wherever appropriate to deliver more immediate, visible, and direct benefits for the American people.\n\nThe taskforce will culminate in a report published by the end of 2026, as well as legislative proposals.\n\nCongresswoman Watson Coleman is an Executive Board Member of the CPC who led its Policing, Constitution, and Equality Task Force. She also chairs the Democratic Caucus\u2019s Taskforce on Poverty and founded and chaired the Congressional Black Caucus Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health in 2019.\n\n\u201cWe\u2019ve seen the damage one administration can do to the working of the federal government when our institutions are weak. However, a people\u2019s lack of trust in the ability of the Federal Government to deliver for them far preceded the Trump Presidencies,\u201d said Watson Coleman. \u201cWe have a responsibility to both strengthen our democratic institutions as well as ensure they are oriented toward serving everyday people. This is no small task, but the Progressive Caucus has some of the most brilliant, forward-thinking, and creative minds in Congress who I know are up to the task of rebuilding and reimagining a government that works for everyone.\u201d\n\n\u201cA functioning democracy requires a government that people can trust to improve their lives,\u201d said Rep. Omar. \u201cI am proud to join this taskforce to rebuild and reimagine a federal government centered on improving people\u2019s daily lives. Our work must go beyond undoing damage; it must fundamentally transform how agencies operate so they serve the people instead of powerful special interests.\u201d\n\nThe Taskforce will convene its first official meeting in early 2026.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-slams-republicans-for-refusing-to-extend-aca-tax-credits-doubling-premiums-for-over-20-million-americans_im-going-to-tell-you-right-now-we-are-going-to-fight-for-you", "Booker Slams Republicans for Refusing to Extend ACA Tax Credits, Doubling Premiums for Over 20 Million Americans:  \u201cI\u2019m going to tell you right now, we are going to fight for you\u201d", "2025-12-15", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "In case you missed it, after Senate Republicans failed to extend the ACA tax credits and voted to increase premiums for over 20 million Americans, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) is continuing to stand up to President Trump and fight for an affordable health care system for American families. In national, local, and radio interviews, digital videos, and conversations with his constituents, Booker is making it clear that the fight for affordable health care is not over. Booker promised he would continue to work to lower costs and find solutions after Trump and Republicans gutted the country\u2019s health care system, \u201cHealth care in America is already broken. We should be working to fix it, to expand coverage, to lower costs. But instead of doing something more to help, they\u2019re about to pull the rug out for millions of Americans, kneecapping hospitals and clinics, making it harder for the average American to access the care that they need.\u201d\n\nMS NOW: Ana Cabrera Reports\n\nDecember 11, 2025\n\nSen. Booker: \u201cI\u2019m really stunned that the Republican party has decided to declare war on Americans' health security and health care. Remember they are doing two things that will take effect next year. They are not renewing these subsidies which will cause tens of millions of people to see either their health care lost completely or massive premium increases. That\u2019s at the beginning of the year. And remember, they took a trillion dollars out of Medicaid which will mean again, millions and millions of Americans losing health care.\u201d\n\nFox5 New York\n\nDecember 12, 2025\n\nSen. Booker: \u201cIt is going to cause mayhem in our hospital emergency rooms as people turn to them for their primary care. I've had hospital systems tell me, point blank, we are going to have to cut many of the services we provide to the community, so it has a cascading effect in our state. But a number of congressional republicans, House republicans, are openly breaking with the president and saying, we want to extend these cuts.\u201d\n\n@SenBooker\n\nDecember 11, 2025\n\nSen Booker: \u201cLiterally, lives are at stake. On the Senate floor, Republicans will hold the destiny of tens of millions of Americans in their hands. And what are they going to do? They\u2019re going to drive their health care costs up by refusing to pass a simple extension of the Affordable Care Act subsidy. And as a result of that, millions will lose health care and millions more will see their health care costs go up.\u201d\n\n@SenBooker\n\nDecember 10, 2025\n\nSen. Booker: \u201cWhat\u2019s frustrating to me is we see this White House in the last ten months find a lot of money to give tax cuts to the wealthiest of the wealthy, but suddenly say that they can\u2019t afford keeping working people and entrepreneurs like yourself with health care that\u2019s affordable.\u201d\n\nWeekdays Live with Al Sharpton\n\nDecember 13, 2025\n\nSen. Booker: \u201cThe biggest thing I\u2019m focused on right now is fighting the Trump Administration from continuing to do things that are raising costs on people in my state and across the nation. For a man that said he was going to drive costs down, he has literally done just the opposite. If you live in New Jersey, our energy costs under his leadership have gone up 20 percent, grocery costs, everything from coffee to beef, have skyrocketed. And then of course what we\u2019re about to see in our country, unless we can stop congressional republicans and the president, is the biggest kneecapping of health care in my lifetime.\u201d\n\nSee also:\n\n12/11: Booker Statement on Congressional Republicans Refusal to Extend ACA Subsidies\n\n11/12: Booker Statement on Passage of Government Funding Bill & Health Care Fight Ahead: \u201cThe Democratic Party Needs Change\u201d\n\n10/24: Booker Continues Fight to Lower Health Care Costs for New Jerseyans During Trump Shutdown: \u201cThis is not about politics. This is about people\u201d\n\n10/23: Booker Hosts Virtual Town Hall with NJ Food Banks Amid Trump\u2019s Withholding of SNAP Funding\n\n10/15: Booker\u2019s Shutdown Conversation with Influencer Kate Barr\n\n10/15: Senator Booker breaks down the facts about the government shutdown and debunks common myths in a game of true or false.\n\n10/11: My office is taking calls every day about the effects of Trump\u2019s shutdown\n\n10/10: As Trump Shutdown Drags On, Booker Demands Action to Stop Looming Health Care Crisis: \u201cWe have to come together to lower health care costs for the American people\u201d\n\n10/8: Booker, Van Hollen, Colleagues Urge Major Utility Companies Against Imposing Penalties, Service Shutoffs on Federal Workers Amid Shutdown\n\n10/7: Booker, Whitehouse, Colleagues File Amicus Brief Urging Supreme Court to Reject Yet Another GOP Effort to Flood Politics with Corporate and Mega-Donor Cash", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415185", "Calls on U.S. Senate to confirm Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat AntisemitismSmith condemns antisemitic terror attack targeting Jewish community during Hanukkah in Australia", "2025-12-14", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "The author of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism Act of 2021\u2014 Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)\u2014condemned the horrific, antisemitic terrorist attack at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. The attackers opened fire on a peaceful Hanukkah celebration, killing at least 15 innocent people\u2014including children and the elderly\u2014and injuring dozens more.\n\n\u201cMy heart breaks for the victims, their families, and the entire Australian Jewish community enduring this unimaginable tragedy, and my wife, Marie, and I pray for the swift recovery of the wounded. The savagery and cruelty of this attack on Jewish families echoes the worst antisemitic violence we\u2019ve seen since the October 7th Hamas atrocity. It is a stark reminder of the truly dark nature of the spiritual cancer of antisemitism that metastasizes around the world,\u201d said Smith, who, in 2004, wrote the amendment that created the State Department Office to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, now known as the Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism.\n\n\u201cI commend the extraordinary courage of the bystander who tackled and disarmed one of the gunmen\u2014he saved many lives.\u201d\n\nSmith, a longtime advocate for combating antisemitism through legislation and congressional hearings, called for immediate international action to root out this hatred.\n\nPursuant to Smith\u2019s law, last April, President Trump nominated Yehuda Kaploun to serve as the Special Envoy with the rank of Ambassador to \u201cserve as the primary advisor to, and coordinate efforts across, the United States Government relating to monitoring and combating anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic incitement that occur in foreign countries\u2026\u201d\n\nSmith said, \u201cNearly nine months later, the U.S. Senate may finally confirm Yehuda Kaploun.\u201d\n\nIn April, President Trump wrote on Truth Social: \u201cI am proud to nominate Yehuda Kaploun as the United States Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism, Ambassador-at-Large.\n\n\u201cYehuda is a successful businessman, and staunch advocate for the Jewish Faith and the Rights of his people to live and worship free from persecution. With Anti-Semitism dangerously on the rise, Yehuda will be the strongest Representative for Americans and Jews across the Globe, and promote PEACE\u2026\u201d\n\nSmith stated: \u201cAntisemitism in all its forms\u2014whether fueled by extremist ideologies, biased institutions, like the United Nations, or unchecked rhetoric\u2014must be confronted and defeated wherever it rears its ugly head. The United States must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies, including and especially Israel, to ensure Jewish communities can practice their faith openly and without fear. I urge leaders worldwide to redouble efforts to counter this rising tide of hate, including through enhanced security measures and accountability for those who incite or perpetrate such crimes.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/watson-coleman-statement-on-bondi-beach-shooting", "Watson Coleman Statement on Bondi Beach Shooting", "2025-12-14", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Bonnie Watson Coleman", "W000822", "watsoncoleman.house.gov", "watsoncoleman", "https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Today, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) released a statement following a mass shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach, Australia which killed 11 people.\n\n\u201cThe horrific murders at Bondi Beach displayed for all to see the hate that still exists in this world. I am praying for the victims, their families, and all people impacted, including the Jewish community around the world as they begin Hanukkah this evening.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m grateful to the authorities who took action and the bystander, Ahmed al Ahmed, whose courageous act, tackling and disarming one of the shooters, saved countless lives.\n\n\u201cWe are all children of God. We must learn to see in each other the humanity God granted us. May He comfort those impacted and may he grant us all the ability to extinguish hate and create a more peaceful world.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415180", "Export Compliance Daily article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'House Lawmaker Seeks Terror Label for Sudan's RSF'", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Marc Selinger\n\nPublished December 12, 2025\n\nRep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, said Dec. 11 the U.S. should designate Sudan\u2019s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia a Foreign Terrorist Organization.\n\nAt a hearing on Sudan\u2019s civil war, which pits the militia against the Sudanese Armed Forces, Smith accused the RSF of a host of crimes, including a recent deadly attack on a kindergarten. His comments came about six weeks after a bipartisan group of six senators said the U.S. should consider designating the RSF an FTO or a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (see 2511040018).\n\nAlso at the subcommittee hearing, Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., the panel's ranking member, urged the Trump administration to sanction entities in the United Arab Emirates that back the RSF. She also called for blocking weapons sales to the UAE until it stops providing material support to the RSF. Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., tried unsuccessfully last month to force a Senate vote on a bill to suspend arms sales to the UAE (see 2511210036).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415184", "Fox News article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'As world fixates on other wars, Sudan sees 12 million forcibly displaced in devastating conflict'", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Chris Massaro\n\nPublished December 12, 2025 at 10:18 AM EST\n\nWhile the world\u2019s attention has focused on Russia\u2019s war in Ukraine and Israel\u2019s war with Hamas in Gaza, Sudan remains the world\u2019s largest displacement crisis, with some 12 million people driven out of their homes.\n\n\"Sudan is under the darkest of clouds, a catastrophe that has, for far too long, been met with paralysis by the international community,\" Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chair of the House Foreign Affairs Africa subcommittee, said during his opening statements during a December 11 hearing on crimes against humanity in Sudan.\n\nSmith said the hearing was a global call to action and that there must be an immediate cessation of hostilities between the warring factions.\n\nSmoke rises as clashes continue in the Sudanese capital on April 16, 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The death toll in ongoing clashes between Sudan's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has reached 56, while the injured is 595. (Photo by Mahmoud Hjaj/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)\n\n\"Crimes against humanity \u2014 particularly by the Rapid Support Forces \u2014 including mass rape, ethnic targeting and systematic looting, must be investigated, and perpetrators held accountable,\" Smith added.\n\nThe conflict in Sudan has received renewed attention after President Donald Trump vowed to secure a peace deal in the African nation following his meeting with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in November.\n\nTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, recently said repeated drone strikes on Dec. 4 in Sudan\u2019s South Kordofan region struck a kindergarten and nearby hospital, killing 114 people, including 63 children.\n\nRep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa subcommittee, held a hearing on Sudan\u2019s devastating civil war on Thursday. (Rep. Chris Smith's Office)\n\n\"Disturbingly, paramedics and responders came under attack as they tried to move the injured from the kindergarten to the hospital,\" Tedros said in a statement.\n\nSudan Doctors Network, a medical organization, said the attacks were perpetrated by the Rapid Support Forces.\n\nThe conflict in Sudan has been raging since April 2023, when an uneasy alliance between Sudan\u2019s two warring factions, the government-led Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) collapsed following a tenuous power-sharing agreement struck in 2021.\n\nSudan\u2019s army and the RSF had collaborated for years under the previous regime of ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir.\n\nMembers of the Sudanese army's Special Mission Forces battalion in the Northern State hold a parade in Karima city on May 19, 2024. Sudan has been in the throes of conflict for over a year between the regular army led by de facto ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)\n\nThe situation has only escalated since fighting first broke out in 2023 and has not garnered the same level of international effort or outrage that the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have generated.\n\n\"The war in Sudan has been one of the most gruesome humanitarian catastrophes in world history. However, there has been frequent paralysis by world leaders and international institutions to solve it, in addition to reduced, fluctuating media attention on the conflict,\" Caroline Rose, director of Military and National Security Priorities at New Lines Institute, told Fox News Digital.\n\n\"This could be attributed to the fact that, unlike wars in Ukraine and Gaza, there is not a component of great-power competition or regional contestation,\" she added.\n\nRose and other observers of the conflict note that there is inhibited ground access, creating challenges not only for journalistic reporting, but also the documentation of war crimes and testimonies.\n\nThe Sudanese armed forces have prevented access to aid workers in territories they control on the basis of sovereignty and have expelled humanitarian workers that had been in the country.\n\nThe RSF has also been accused of committing grave human rights violations and reportedly killed over 400 aid workers and patients in October at the Saudi Maternity Hospital in the North Darfur city of El Fasher. The RSF siege of El Fasher caused at least 28,000 people to flee to neighboring towns, and the U.N. Human Rights Office accused the RSF of \"summary executions, mass killings, rapes, attacks against humanitarian workers, looting, abductions and forced displacement.\"\n\nA man walks by a house hit in recent fighting in Khartoum, Sudan, Tuesday, April 25, 2023. Sudan has been torn by war for a year now, torn by fighting between the military and the notorious paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. (AP Photo/Marwan Ali, File)\n\nEven as the Trump administration works for a ceasefire between the warring factions, the killings continue.\n\nTom Perriello, the former U.S. special envoy for Sudan, said in a September New York Times interview that he believed up to 400,000 have been killed since the outbreak of violence in 2023. A recent article in Foreign Policy put the figure at 100,000 in what it called the \"forgotten war.\"", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-amo-introduce-bill-promote-drone-and-aviation-safety-advance-research", "Kean, Amo Introduce Bill to Promote Drone and Aviation Safety, Advance Research & Development", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "K000398", "kean.house.gov", "kean", "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "(December 12, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Representatives Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) and Gabe Amo (RI-01) announced the introduction of the Drone Safety Enhancement Act, bipartisan legislation designed to advance research on drones and support the future of advanced air mobility.\n\nThe bill strengthens federal research and development (R&D) efforts focused on drone safety and autonomous aviation within the national airspace system. It also directly supports ongoing work at federal aviation laboratories\u2014including the FAA's William J. Hughes Technical Center for Advanced Aerospace located in New Jersey\u2014to ensure safe, efficient, and modern evolution of aviation technology.\n\n\u201cAs technology rapidly advances and drones become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, it is critical that air traffic for these systems is managed safely and transparently,\u201d said Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. \u201cI introduced the Drone Safety Enhancement Act with Representative Amo to direct the research needed to modernize our national airspace and support responsible integration of emerging technologies. Continued R&D in autonomous aviation is vital to America\u2019s competitiveness and to guaranteeing our airspace remains safe, efficient, and prepared for the future.\u201d\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to help introduce the bipartisan Drone Safety Enhancement Act with Congressman Tom Kean to ensure the federal government is collaborating across agencies and with leaders in academia and industry to enhance our understanding of drones and advanced air mobility,\u201d said Congressman Gabe Amo. \u201cWe must harness emerging technologies for good.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the bill would:\n\nRequire the NASA Administrator, the FAA Administrator, and leaders of other relevant federal agencies to collaborate on research related to unmanned aircraft systems and advanced air mobility. This includes research on unmanned aircraft system traffic management (UTM) and autonomous aviation capabilities.\n\nRequire congressional briefings on the progress of this research 18 months after the bill\u2019s enactment.\n\nThe full text of the bill is available HERE.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-applauds-court-ruling-forcing-trump-administration-restore-disaster", "Pallone Applauds Court Ruling Forcing Trump Administration to Restore Disaster Preparedness Funding for Highlands, Communities Across Country", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, today issued a statement following the successful lawsuit against the Trump Administration\u2019s illegal attempt to unilaterally shut down the Federal Emergency Management Agency\u2019s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC program):\n\n\u201cDisaster preparedness shouldn\u2019t be a partisan issue, and this court order means the Trump Administration can\u2019t shut down a program designed to keep New Jersey communities safe. This is great news for Highlands, which had a $12 million award taken away by President Trump. I\u2019m going to keep pushing to make sure this Administration follows the law and delivers every dime. Our state is on the front line every hurricane season, and we know that every dollar invested in disaster preparedness saves property and lives. Trump is hellbent on abolishing FEMA and illegally gutting vital disaster assistance programs, and this lawsuit confirms that the power to legislate lies with Congress\u2014and not a power-hungry president.\"\n\nThe BRIC program is the core of FEMA\u2019s disaster mitigation efforts and has invested approximately $4.5 billion in funding nationwide and $180 million in New Jersey for projects such as evacuation shelters, grid strengthening, wastewater management infrastructure, road fortification, and flood walls.\n\nAfter the Trump Administration moved to unilaterally cancel funding for the program, attorneys general from the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the governors of Kentucky and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, filed a lawsuit to block the Administration\u2019s actions, arguing they were in direct violation of the Appropriations and Spending Clauses, the Administrative Procedure Act, and the Separation of Powers outlined in the U.S. Constitution. The judge\u2019s decision prevents FEMA from unilaterally terminating the BRIC program and mandates the immediate restoration of these funds.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-wants-answers-concerns-raised-state-health-planning-board-meeting-next", "Pallone Wants Answers To Concerns Raised by State Health Planning Board at Meeting Next Week on the Future of Monmouth Medical Center", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LONG BRANCH, N.J. \u2013 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today released the following statement in response to the State Health Planning Board\u2019s decision to hold a special public meeting, Thursday December 16th, to consider RWJ Barnabas Health\u2019s proposal to move Monmouth Medical Center hospital from Long Branch to Tinton Falls:\n\n\u201cAt their last meeting on December 4th, the state health planning board echoed the concerns of community members who spoke out against the proposed removal of Monmouth Medical Center hospital from Long Branch. The Board had several questions about health disparities in the Long Branch area, transportation, and the impact on nearby hospitals and whether RWJ Barnabas Health would keep medical services in Long Branch long-term.\n\nThe Board asked serious questions that deserve answers with full analysis so we can better understand the impact of RWJ Barnabas\u2019 proposal. Instead of moving the hospital away from families who need it most, the State should invest in a solution that works for everyone.\n\nAs I have said from the beginning of this process, I continue to try and find a path forward in Long Branch to keep critical inpatient and outpatient acute care services with a full-service emergency department. We had a compromise that achieved that objective and if there\u2019s enough political will, we can make it a reality.\u201d\n\nPallone has led opposition to RWJ Barnabas Health\u2019s plan to close Monmouth Medical Center hospital in Long Branch from day one, arguing that the plan would worsen health care outcomes for area residents and deepen the national health care crisis for the region.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-statement-impeachment-resolution", "Congresswoman Pou Statement on Impeachment Resolution", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Nellie Pou", "P000621", "pou.house.gov", "pou", "https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ\u201309) issued the following statement after voting present to table H. Res.939.\n\n\u201cThe American people are counting on us to address the challenges created by this Administration. This President and this Republican Congress promised to make life in America more affordable \u2014 yet they have failed miserably.\n\n\u201cIt is clear that President Trump\u2019s disregard for the Constitution and the rule of law requires that Congress reclaim its oversight duties over his administration and exercise its authority in the way our founders intended.\n\n\u201cImpeachment calls for transparency, and a presentation of facts and evidence to the public, in order to hold any President to account for high crimes and misdemeanors. Under the current House MAGA leadership, those conditions are simply not available.\n\n\u201cIn order to hold any President to account for high crimes and misdemeanors, impeachment requires a transparent process with hearings, testimonies and investigations with the support of the majorities in the House and Senate \u2014 all conditions that are simply not available under the current Republican leadership.\n\n\u201cBecause there is no viable process for impeachment at this time, I voted present on today\u2019s motion to table the resolution. I want to be clear: this vote does not excuse the illegal actions of this president and his administration, Congress has other avenues for accountability that we can and should be utilizing.\n\n\u201cI am committed to upholding the rule of law, defending our Constitution and protecting democracy.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-votes-pay-raise-troops", "Congresswoman Pou Votes for a Pay Raise for Troops", "2025-12-12", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Nellie Pou", "P000621", "pou.house.gov", "pou", "https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2014 Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ\u201309) issued the following statement after voting in favor of the bipartisan FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act.\n\n\u201cThis week, I voted in favor of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act. Though far from perfect \u2014 this funding gives a well-deserved pay increase to military personnel, provides support to our allies and friends like Ukraine and Taiwan, repeals outdated sanctions to Syria, and strengthens our national security,\u201d said Congresswoman Pou. \u201cI am proud of our Democratic caucus which stood firm and defeated the inclusion of harmful amendments that attempted to please the president at the expense of the American people. I hope this bill is a testament to the bipartisan work that is possible, even in this Congress and I urge my colleagues on both sides to continue working together for the security, safety, and well-being of the American people.\u201d\n\nThe funding authorizes a 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers, expands bonuses and special pays, extends childcare services for military families, boosts the family separation allowance, and orders a review to ensure housing allowances keep pace with rising rents. This bill repeals outdated Caesar Act sanctions on Syria, originally imposed during the rule of former dictator Bashar al-Assad. It provides $400 million in security assistance for Ukraine and extends the Pacific Deterrence Initiative to strengthen U.S. posture in the Indo-Pacific.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415165", "Lakewood Alerts article on Smith Lyme disease amendment'Is Lyme Disease a U.S.-Made Biological Weapon? Rep. Chris Smith Triggers Federal Probe'", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Lakewood Alerts\n\nPublished December 11, 2025\n\nA long-debated question about the origins of Lyme disease is poised for federal scrutiny after Congress approved an amendment requiring an investigation into whether the U.S. military once weaponized ticks. The provision, authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), was included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 and now awaits the President\u2019s signature.\n\nSmith\u2019s amendment, now Sec. 1068 of the defense bill, directs the Government Accountability Office to examine Cold War-era biological weapons research and determine whether federal agencies used ticks as delivery mechanisms for pathogens. The review will encompass military, NIH, and USDA projects from 1945 to 1972 involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales, two families of bacteria linked to tick-borne illnesses.\n\nSmith, who co-chairs the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, said the push is rooted in New Jersey\u2019s unusually high infection rates and concerns for both civilians and military personnel stationed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. \u201cThe hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness,\u201d he said.\n\nThe amendment follows two similar efforts Smith advanced in 2019 and 2021, which cleared the House but were blocked in the Senate. His renewed push has drawn attention in part because of claims featured in Kris Newby\u2019s book Bitten, which cites interviews and files from Dr. Willy Burgdorfer, the scientist credited with discovering Lyme disease. Burgdorfer, according to the book, said he and other researchers experimented with pathogen-loaded ticks for potential battlefield use.\n\nSmith said the GAO probe could either confirm or definitively dispel theories about government involvement in the spread of Lyme disease. \u201cIf the investigation concludes that our bioweapons program was not involved, we turn the page,\u201d he said. \u201cBut we need answers.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415166", "Opening statement of Chairman Smith at hearing on SudanStopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "The following are excerpts of Chairman Chris Smith\u2019s (R-NJ) opening statement at the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee\u2019s December 11th hearing\u2014his seventeenth hearing chaired exclusively on Sudan\u2014entitled \u201cStopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan\u201d:\n\nLast week, I had the honor of attending President Trump\u2019s convening of two African leaders to bring an end to decades of bloodshed and war in eastern Congo. It is through the President\u2019s leadership, and the tireless efforts of his staff, that the leaders were able to sign an historic accord\u2014the Washington Accords for Peace and Prosperity\u2014the gravity of which, we hope, will result in a lasting peace between Rwanda and the DRC.\n\nThe President is a man of peace\u2014peace through strength\u2014and I am encouraged by his focus and engagement on Sudan.\n\nSudan is under the darkest of clouds, a catastrophe that has, for far too long, been met with paralysis by the international community.\n\nThe people of Sudan have been subjected to unbearable pain, suffering, and loss of life\u2014even slavery\u2014for decades. Three decades ago, I chaired a hearing in 1996 on the scourge of slavery in Sudan and Mauritania, where we heard testimony that chilled the soul.\n\nI went to Khartoum in August of 2005 and met with President Omar al Bashir and other government officials to press for an end to the genocide in Darfur. The meeting was necessarily contentious. Bashir denied any wrongdoing or complicity in the Darfur genocide. In 2009, however, Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court (ICC) with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, and in 2010, he was the first person ever charged for the crime of genocide.\n\nAfter meetings with Bashir and other government officials, my staff director, Greg Simkins, and I visited two refugee camps in Darfur\u2014Kalma camp and stayed overnight at another, Mukjar\u2014an experience that profoundly motivated me to do more to end the mass violence. When our helicopter landed at the remote Mukjar camp, thousands of women and children danced, clapped, and sang beautiful traditional African songs. The people of Darfur have a remarkable generosity and spirit\u2014and it was awe-inspiring.\n\nJust about everyone we spoke with, however, especially the women, told us personal stories of rape, senseless beatings, and massacres by the Janjaweed and Sudanese militias.\n\nFormer Trump Administration Africa Director in the National Security Council, Nicole Widdersheim of Human Rights Watch\u2014one of our witnesses today\u2014lived and worked in Sudan for seven years and was on that trip to Mukjar.\n\nAmbassador\u2014then-U.S. Senator\u2014Sam Brownback, along with Congressman Frank Wolf, were the first members of Congress to visit Darfur in June of 2004. Their historic trip\u2014followed by aggressive advocacy for the vulnerable and the victims\u2014helped galvanize efforts to end the violence.\n\nFormer Chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Tony Perkins has also led a delegation to Sudan in 2020, and today will testify that \u201cboth the RSF and the SAF have a common enemy in Christians\u2026 Christians have been denied food aid and told, unless you leave your Christianity, no food for you.\u201d\n\nKen Isaacs of Samaritan\u2019s Purse, who testified at our subcommittee hearing this past May 22nd, will testify that \u201cToday, the humanitarian situation in Sudan has deteriorated further,\u201d that \u201cwhat\u2019s happening in Sudan is a manmade famine\u201d with \u201ctwenty-one million people facing acute food insecurity, and 6.5 million in or near famine\u2026\u201d\n\nHistory is not just repeating itself in Sudan\u2014it is compounding. President Trump called Sudan \"the most violent place on Earth\" and \"the single biggest Humanitarian Crisis,\" and said \"tremendous atrocities are taking place.\"\n\nToday, Sudan is in a state of collapse. We are witnessing a genocide that echoes the horrors of the early 2000s, perpetrated by the very same actors who soaked the soil of Darfur in blood two decades ago.\n\nThe Catholic Bishops of Sudan and South Sudan said: \u201cWe find ourselves deeply disturbed by the ongoing devastating conflicts and the dishonoured peace agreements in both nations, especially with the worsening situation in 2025. It is alarming that dialogue is no longer seen as a vehicle for harmony, healing, reconciliation, and unity,\u201d the prelates write.\n\nThe Bishops call out politicians in Sudan and South Sudan for their astonishing lack of respect for human dignity.\n\nThere will never be peace in Sudan until there is accountability for the atrocities committed by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known to the world as \"Hemedti,\" of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).\n\nThese two warlords have ravaged Sudan with utter impunity. Their bloody records are littered with war, arbitrary killings, detentions, abductions, and the mass rape of women and children. We have received credible reports of child soldier recruitment and the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure, including just last week, a bombing of a World Food Program convoy, which is not an isolated incident. This is the sixth bombing of a World Food Program convoy in Sudan.\n\nJust last week, over 100 civilians \u2013 including at least 63 children \u2013 were killed in South Kordofan state when the RSF attacked a kindergarten. To compound the horror, the RSF then reportedly attacked the first responders and ambulances as they rushed wounded children to local hospitals. Since this conflict erupted in April 2023, estimates suggest as many as 150,000 people have been slaughtered, and more than 10 million have been displaced.\n\nThese are not just numbers. Each murdered civilian, each child starved to death in the Zamzam camp, each woman violated in El Geneina, is a person whose life has been taken or irrevocably shattered.\n\nI was deeply disappointed by the previous administration's delays in imposing robust sanctions and allowing the fight to spin out of control from the beginning. For too long, we dithered while Burhan and Hemedti cemented their power. It was unconscionable that Burhan was allowed to travel to New York and be received by the UN Secretary-General, granting legitimacy to a man with massive amounts of blood on his hands.\n\nWe must also be clear-eyed about the external actors fueling this fire. On Tuesday, the Department of the Treasury announced sanctions on a Colombian-led transnational network of hundreds of former Colombian military personnel, who have traveled to Sudan to fight alongside the RSF since 2024.\n\nIt is the illicit flow of Sudanese gold, smuggled by the RSF through the United Arab Emirates, that is directly funding Hemedti\u2019s war machine. We cannot turn a blind eye to the UAE\u2019s role in supplying weapons that kill innocent Sudanese civilians. Simultaneously, we see the malign influence of Russia seeking naval access to Port Sudan, and reports of Iranian drones bolstering the SAF. Sudan has become a playground for foreign powers, while its people serve as the collateral damage.\n\nToday\u2019s hearing is a global call to action. We must demand an immediate cessation of hostilities.\n\nExternal financing and arms flow must stop. The UAE must cease all support for the RSF, and Turkey and Iran must halt military assistance to the SAF.\n\nCrimes against humanity\u2014particularly by the RSF\u2014including mass rape, ethnic targeting, and systematic looting, must be investigated, and perpetrators held accountable. RSF should be designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO).\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415176", "WATCH: Rep. Chris Smith highlights House hearing on Sudanese Civil War and religious liberty concerns there", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, sat down with Tony Perkins on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins to discuss religious persecution throughout the globe, the violence perpetrated by Hamas and other radical Islamist groups, and his recent House hearing on the humanitarian crisis in Sudan.\n\nThe full interview can be viewed by clicking here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415178", "The National article on Smith's House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'US politicians condemn RSF and SAF over human rights abuses in Sudan'", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By The National\n\nPublished December 11, 2025\n\nMembers of the US Congress on Thursday called for accountability in the civil war in Sudan, urging both sides to declare a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed tens of thousands.\n\nThe Africa Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee met to discuss the US response to the humanitarian crisis.\n\n\"There will never be peace in Sudan unless there's accountability for the atrocities committed by Gen [Abdel Fatah] Al Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and [Gen] Mohamed Dagalo \u2026 of the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF,\" Representative Chris Smith said. \"These two have savaged Sudan with impunity.\"\n\nThe war between the armed forces and the RSF erupted in April 2023, when simmering tension between the military and the paramilitary group broke into open conflict. The war has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced almost 13 million and pushed some regions into famine.\n\n\"From our perspective, there are no good actors in this conflict,\" Vincent Spera, deputy assistant secretary at the State Department's Bureau of African Affairs.\n\nThe armed forces and RSF have been accused of war crimes and human rights abuses. The US has imposed sanctions on Gen Al Burhan and Gen Dagalo, as well as people and entities involved in human rights violations. Mr. Spera pointed to the army being placed under sanctions in May for its use of chemical weapons in 2024.\n\nThe UAE embassy in Washington issued a statement on Sudan, condemning attacks on civilians and lamenting the humanitarian crisis in the East African nation.\n\nThe embassy said the UAE has consistently called for an arms embargo across Sudan and said there is no substantiated evidence that it has provided any support to the RSF or any warring parties.\n\n\"Claims suggesting otherwise are an attempt to misrepresent the facts and distract from the urgent need for a ceasefire and for accountability among those perpetrating violence on the ground,\" the statement said.\n\nCongressman Gregory Meeks condemned the RSF and the Sudanese military for destroying \"a nation's hopes for the future in the pursuit of corrupt wealth and power.\"\n\n\"I think it's past time for Congress and for the administration to take action collectively,\" Mr. Meeks said. \"This means not only pressing the RSF and SAF to agree to cease fire in negotiations, but also enforcing real consequences for external actors.\"\n\nUS President Donald Trump declared last month that he would focus on ending the conflict, after a conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the US form the Quad group that is working to bring about peace in the region.\n\n\"We're focused on a road map to peace, starting with the humanitarian truce, to allow for the delivery of more humanitarian assistance, which would create the conditions for political dialogue and ultimately, a civilian-led process,\" Mr. Spera said.\n\nMr. Smith said that Sudan \"has become a playground for foreign powers.\" He and congresswoman Sara Jacobs accused the UAE of arming the RSF.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mciver-cleaver-reintroduce-bill-to-protect-and-prepare-workers-for-economic-impact-of-ai", "Reps. McIver, Cleaver Reintroduce Bill to Protect and Prepare Workers for Economic Impact of AI", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "LaMonica McIver", "M001229", "mciver.house.gov", "mciver", "https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-5), and Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) reintroduced the Workforce of the Future Act, legislation that would require a detailed study to grow our understanding of artificial intelligence (AI), its impact on the economy and workforce, and determine the skills necessary for workers to succeed. Additionally, the bill would provide workers, teachers, and students with the resources to develop integral skills required to participate in the workforce of the future. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Lisa Blunt Rochester (DE), Mazie Hirono (HI), and Adam Schiff (CA).\n\n\u201cWorking people deserve innovation that expands opportunity\u2014not eliminates it. Strengthening our understanding of how AI is impacting jobs in real time and investing directly in education makes sure Americans are not caught flat-footed as AI accelerates,\u201d said Congresswoman McIver. \u201cBy prioritizing training that delivers economic gains to young people and underrepresented communities, the Workforce of the Future Act puts power back where it belongs: with the people who keep our economy running.\u201d\n\n\u201cWhile there is much excitement about the potential of AI and the benefits it can bring to our communities, there is also much concern about the impacts it will have on American workers, their jobs, and their wages. It is critically important that we take steps today to prepare our nation and our workforce for the economic consequences that are rapidly approaching with thegrowing adoption of AI,\u201d said Congressman Cleaver. \u201cThe Workforce ofthe Future Act will provide the investments necessary to ensure American workers are ready and able to capitalize on those opportunities and that nobody is left behind.\u201d\n\n\"Artificial intelligence is increasingly disrupting our economy, contributing to layoffs and occupational changes,\u201d said Senator Blunt Rochester. \u201cBuilding off the work done by Senator Laphonza Butler in the last Congress, I\u2019m proud to introduce the Workforce of the Future Act alongside Senators Hirono and Schiff and Representatives Cleaver and McIver. This bill allows us to remain proactive, protect workers who are most impacted by the technology, and supercharge the future of work by ensuring our future workforce has the skills they need to succeed. As Delaware\u2019s former Secretary of Labor, I have spent my career ensuring people can access and maintain stable, good-paying jobs. I will maintain this commitment in theSenate as we race to confront the challenges of tomorrow.\u201d\n\n\u201cAI is already transforming every corner of our economy in California and across the country. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical the federal government do more to evaluate how AI will impact workers, while also investing in job training programs to prevent AI-related job displacement,\u201d said Senator Schiff. \u201cI\u2019m pleased to join Senators Blunt Rochester and Hirono as well as Representatives Cleaver and McIver on the Workforce of the Future Act. We must act now to gain a full understanding of the impact of AI on theworkplace, so we can ensure access to good paying jobs for the American people even as technology changes how we work.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs advanced and emerging technologies\u2014including AI\u2014become rapidly integrated within society, it is imperative that we prepare our workforce for these changes,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cSpecifically, we must ensure advances enabled by AI are used to strengthen, not weaken, the workforce. I am proud to introduce the Workforce of the Future Act to better prepare and equip workers with the skills necessary to adapt to AI and a rapidly-changing work environment.\u201d\n\nWithout proper guardrails, the impact AI could have on our economy is wide-ranging. According to studies from the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT), AI could replace nearly 12 percent of the workforce. Currently, many recent college grads report being unable to find work. This legislation addresses the most pressing concerns behind AI\u2019s rapid advancement in our workforce while also providing resources to prepare individuals to succeed in advanced technology sectors.\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act will:\n\nRequire the Secretaries of Labor, Commerce, and Education to jointly and efficiently prepare a report analyzing AI\u2019s impact on theeconomy and workforce that must identify critical information, including what industries and jobs will be most impacted, how job quality will be impacted, necessary skills for workers, and recommendations for preparing the 21st century workforce.\n\nAuthorize the Department of Education to award $160 million in grants to support expanding access to emerging and advanced technology education. Grants will help support foundational and innovative STEAM learning for students who need this knowledge to participate in the 21st century workforce.\n\nGrants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and may be used for teacher training and recruiting, high-quality learning materials, reducing gaps in access for underrepresented groups, engaging industry, and providing necessary support for student success.\n\nAuthorize the Department of Labor to award $90 million in grantsto support workforce training for workers most impacted by AI.\n\nGrants must leverage information and recommendations from the report and support the training of workers to prevent AI-related displacement and provide immediate support and training to workers who experience job loss in AI-impacted industries.\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act is co-sponsored by Representatives Dan Goldman (D-NY), John Larson (D-CT), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC).\n\nThe Workforce of the Future Act is endorsed by the American Federation ofTeachers (AFT), Anthropic, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), Microsoft, the National Association of Voice Actors (NAVA), OpenAI, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation ofTelevision and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-04T05:30:10Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-announces-sea-bright-edison-will-receive-50000-funds-firefighter", "Pallone Announces Sea Bright, Edison Will Receive $50,000 in Funds For Firefighter Equipment and Training", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "EDISON, N.J. \u2013 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today announced that the towns of Edison and Sea Bright will receive over $50,000 in federal funding to upgrade and modernize their firefighting equipment. The funding comes from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)\u2019s Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) funding grant, which is a program Pallone has fought to support and protect in the face of President Trump\u2019s efforts to abolish FEMA.\n\nThe funding will help Sea Bright obtain funds to purchase new Automated External Defibrillators, a LUCAS Automated Chest Compression System, a new Rapid Intervention Air Bag system for firefighters in distress, and training for the new equipment. The funding will also help Edison obtain funding for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Emergency Medical Response certifications for firefighters.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m glad that Edison and Sea Bright were able to secure these grants to provide local firefighters with new and updated equipment, and ensure they have the training they need to use it,\u201d Pallone said. \u201cIt\u2019s essential that our first responders have the resources they need to respond to emergencies. I\u2019ll continue to work to make sure that New Jersey\u2019s towns continue to receive federal funding to keep their residents and first responders safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cSea Bright is grateful to receive this Assistance to Firefighters Grant from FEMA, which will directly support our ongoing efforts to enhance public safety for residents and visitors,\u201d said Mayor Brian Kelly. \u201cThis funding will allow Sea Bright Fire Rescue to upgrade critical equipment and continue delivering the highest level of service to our community.\u201d\n\n\u201cThank you, Congressman Frank Pallone, for helping Edison secure funds for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program,\u201d said Mayor Sam Joshi. \u201cThis will significantly enhance our firefighting capabilities, ensuring that our brave first responders have improved safety and resources they need to protect our community. We are grateful for this investment in our public safety and committed to using these funds to further safeguard our first responders and residents.\u201d\n\nPallone is one of the champions in Congress who fights to secure adequate funding for the Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) grant program. AFG grants are awarded directly to fire departments and Emergency Medical Services organizations (EMS) to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public, as well as that of first responder personnel. Since its implementation in 2001, the AFG program has provided more than $8 billion to fire departments and EMS organizations across the country.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/12/11/2025/booker-paul-reintroduce-justice-for-breonna-taylor-act", "Booker, Paul Reintroduce Justice for Breonna Taylor Act", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Rand Paul (R-KY) reintroduced the Justice for Breonna Taylor Act. The legislation would prohibit no-knock warrants, which allow law enforcement officials to forcibly enter a home without announcing their authority or purpose. Congressman Morgan McGarvey (D-KY-03) introduced companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives.\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s been more than five years since Breonna Taylor\u2019s horrific death, and Congress has still failed to pass a public safety bill prohibiting no-knock entries at the federal level,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThe Justice for Breonna Taylor Act is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that would ensure no one has to experience the terror of police barging into their home unannounced. Many cities and states, including Louisville, Kentucky, where Breonna was fatally shot, have already banned no-knock warrants. It\u2019s past time we take federal action to ensure a tragedy like Breonna\u2019s death never happens again.\u201d\n\n\u201cKentucky recognized that no-knock warrants pose serious and unnecessary risks to both the public and law enforcement, and wisely restricted their use. The federal government should follow Kentucky\u2019s lead and ensure this high-risk tactic is constrained,\u201d said Senator Paul.\n\nThe bill is named in memory and honor of Breonna Taylor, a Louisville resident and EMT who was killed during a police raid on her home in March 2020, which was conducted under the authority of a no-knock warrant.\n\nThe Justice for Breonna Taylor Act would require federal law enforcement officers to provide notice of their authority and purpose before they could execute a warrant, and it would require the same of any state or local law enforcement agency that receives funds from the Department of Justice.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-brownley-pingree-reintroduce-legislation-to-tackle-food-waste-in-america", "Booker, Brownley, Pingree Reintroduce Legislation to Tackle Food Waste in America", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, reintroduced the Zero Food Waste Act, legislation that would reduce the amount of food wasted in the United States. U.S. Representatives Julia Brownley (D-CA-26) and Chellie Pingree (D-ME-01) reintroduced companion legislation in the House.\n\nIn the United States, up to 40 percent of all food is wasted. Billions of dollars are spent growing, processing, transporting, storing, and disposing of food that is never consumed. Landfills are now the third-largest source of methane in the U.S., and food is the single largest input by weight in our landfills and incinerators.\n\nThe Zero Food Waste Act would create a new Environmental Protection Agency-administered grant program for food waste reduction projects, including measuring food waste, identifying the most effective strategies to mitigate it, and implementing interventions that would prevent food from being wasted, such as repurposing inedible food into non-food products, or finding consumers for foods that would otherwise not be eaten.\n\n\u201cOn top of already strained grocery budgets, food waste costs each American consumer around $700 per year. Nearly 40 million tons of food go to waste each year, which is a costly misuse of the significant resources that go into growing, transporting, buying, and preparing food, said Senator Booker. \u201cThe Zero Food Waste Act will create grants to make sure foods that otherwise would\u2019ve needlessly gone to the landfill get eaten, upcycled into other products, or composted instead. We can keep more money in Americans\u2019 pockets, simply by making sure the food we grow gets eaten or put to good use.\u201d\n\n\u201cFamilies are stretching every dollar right now, yet enormous amounts of perfectly good food are still being thrown away instead of reaching people who need it. The Zero Food Waste Act aims to fix that disconnect. Our bill tackles hunger and rising food costs head-on by helping communities recover surplus food, expand local nutrition programs, and build systems that make better use of the resources we already have,\u201d said Congresswoman Pingree, co-founder of the Bipartisan Food Recovery Caucus. \u201cReducing waste also means cutting methane emissions from landfills and easing the environmental burden of producing food that never gets eaten. Our bill will strengthen local economies by creating jobs in food recovery, composting, and waste-reduction infrastructure and ultimately move us closer to meeting our national food waste reduction goals.\u201d\n\n\u201cIt is unacceptable that as food insecurity grows across our country, nearly half of all food produced in the U.S. goes to waste, costing consumers billions of dollars and fueling the climate crisis. This level of waste is especially troubling when so many families are struggling to put food on the table, and when food production and food waste are major drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. We can and must confront these two critical, interconnected challenges, and we must do so with urgency,\" said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. \"The Zero Food Waste Act will give local governments the tools they need to cut waste and build more sustainable, resilient food systems that better support families and strengthen our communities. I am also grateful to Senator Booker and Congresswoman Pingree for their partnership as we work to curb food waste, support those in need, and protect our environment for generations to come.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-introduces-legislation-to-ensure-responsible-national-guard-deployments", "Booker Introduces Legislation to Ensure Responsible National Guard Deployments", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Notification of Troop Involvement and Congressional Engagement (NOTICE) Act, legislation that would require the President to notify Congress and provide a clear justification before deploying the National Guard for law enforcement purposes.\n\nSince January 2025, President Trump has deployed the National Guard to several American cities without clear justification, raising legal and constitutional concerns. Most of these deployments have been made under a section of federal law that allows the President to take operational control of the National Guard under limited and extraordinary circumstances to repel foreign invasion, suppress rebellion, or when regular forces are unable to enforce federal law. The current law does not require the President to notify Congress with a justification for using the National Guard for domestic law enforcement, leaving this authority vulnerable to abuse. The NOTICE Act would require the President to provide Congress a clear justification for deploying National Guard domestically, restoring balance to Congress\u2019 constitutional oversight authority.\n\n\u201cOver the last 10 months, Donald Trump has assumed control of the National Guard to send troops into American cities without a clear objective or purpose. Under the guise of crime control, he has weaponized the military against our own citizens as punishment directed at Democratic-led cities,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThese actions are a gross abuse of his limited authority to federalize the National Guard. This is happening in plain sight and must not be normalized. The NOTICE Act requires the President to notify Congress within 24 hours of any National Guard deployment so we can provide meaningful oversight, ensuring these decisions are within constitutional bounds and our communities and members of the military are kept safe.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation helps prevent the President from wielding unchecked power when deploying our National Guard\u2014protecting Americans from executive overreach and the military from becoming political pawns. The President\u2019s unjustified deployment of National Guard units into American cities creates significant risks to our civil liberties. This bill re-establishes proper checks and balances and strengthen Congressional oversight to prioritize the safety of American communities and the sanctity of our apolitical military over the President\u2019s partisan agenda,\u201d said Senator Blumenthal.\n\n\u201cPresidents shouldn't be able to abuse their power and play politics with National Guard troops, deploying them over objections from that state's governor and local leaders. With this legislation, we are increasing congressional oversight over National Guard deployment decisions, ensuring they are made with full respect to the law,\u201d said Senator Van Hollen.\n\n\u201cStarting with Los Angeles, Donald Trump has unleashed his un-American, anti-immigrant playbook on city after city, terrorizing our communities with no accountability,\u201d said Senator Padilla. \u201cBy requiring advanced notice of domestic National Guard deployments, this bill helps safeguard against executive overreach to better ensure the National Guard remains focused on protecting our national defense and providing emergency support.\u201d\n\n\u201cDeploying the National Guard in American cities is a serious decision with real consequences,\u201d said Senator Kelly. \u201cThe American people deserve clear, timely information about why Guard members are being deployed, how long they\u2019ll be there, how civilians will be protected, and who\u2019s in charge. They aren\u2019t getting that from the Trump administration right now. As Trump talks about expanding these deployments, this legislation would provide the accountability and transparency needed to protect communities, service members, and the rule of law.\u201d\n\n\u201cDeploying military troops on U.S. soil should never be the norm. For months, Trump has federalized the National Guard, using troops as a sweeping show of force for ordinary public-safety challenges,\u201d said Senator Hirono. \u201cThis legislation will increase oversight and transparency for National Guard deployments in American cities, helping to ensure that these decisions are made with respect to the law, military readiness, and the safety of our communities.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the NOTICE Act would require the President to submit detailed notifications to Congress within 24 hours of any Title 10 Sec. 12406 deployment and provide ongoing updates if the deployment exceeds 48 hours. Notifications would include:\n\nA good faith claim for federalizing the National Guard;\n\nA specific description of the invasion, including the United States territory, the foreign power, and the act or acts of the foreign power that constitute an invasion necessitating the deployment;\n\nThe rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States, including the place and time of the rebellion, the person, persons, or group engaged in the rebellion, and the activities of those engaged in the rebellion necessitating the deployment of the National Guard;\n\nThe laws of the United States which the President is unable to execute, the reasons that regular military forces are unable to execute the law, and, where the President is taking such action without the consent of the Governor of the State, evidence of the Governor\u2019s inability or refusal to provide for the safety and welfare of the public, or the Governor\u2019s refusal to obey a court order, or other active steps the Governor has taken to obstruct the President from faithfully executing the law;\n\nThe geographical area where the National Guard will be called to, and the duration of the federalization of the National Guard;\n\nThe training received by the National Guard;\n\nThe chain of command under which the National Guard will be placed and their requirements to communicate with state and local forces.\n\nThe NOTICE Act is cosponsored by the U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Mark Kelly (D-AZ).", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-kim-urge-collaboration-in-letter-to-white-house-as-administration-considers-next-us-attorney-for-new-jersey-nominee", "Booker, Kim Urge Collaboration In Letter to White House as Administration Considers Next U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Nominee", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) sent a letter to the White House urging the administration to work with them to identify a suitable candidate for the role of US Attorney for New Jersey following the resignation of Alina Habba.\n\nThe legislators wrote: \u201cWe are now at an inflection point where we can ensure that the people of New Jersey have a chief federal prosecutor who has the requisite experience and integrity to faithfully execute the duties of that office. The time is now for us to work together to identify a candidate who can meet those requirements.\u201d\n\nThe legislators conclude: \u201cRather than prolong this issue at the expense of the people of New Jersey and the orderly functioning of the federal legal system, we urge you to work with us to select a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in the manner required by the Constitution and federal law. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the people we serve, whose interests must remain the shared focus of all our efforts.\n\nA full copy of the letter can be found here and below:\n\nDear Mr. Warrington:\n\nWe write today to renew discussions between our offices to find a suitable candidate for the vacant position of U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey. After two federal courts ruled unequivocally that Alina Habba was unlawfully leading the U.S. Attorney\u2019s Office for the District of New Jersey, Ms. Habba resigned from the role on December 8. We are now at an inflection point where we can ensure that the people of New Jersey have a chief federal prosecutor who has the requisite experience and integrity to faithfully execute the duties of that office. The time is now for us to work together to identify a candidate who can meet those requirements.\n\nAt the beginning of this Administration, we engaged in good faith discussions with the White House Counsel\u2019s Office to identify qualified candidates for the U.S. Attorney vacancy. While those conversations were ongoing, we learned only from news reports that Ms. Habba would be appointed by the Attorney General and then formally nominated by the President. Now that two courts have found that Ms. Habba was not legally appointed and she has resigned from the role, we are hopeful that we can reengage to fulfill our constitutionally mandated role to provide advice and consent.\n\nRather than prolong this issue at the expense of the people of New Jersey and the orderly functioning of the federal legal system, we urge you to work with us to select a U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey in the manner required by the Constitution and federal law. To do otherwise would be a disservice to the people we serve, whose interests must remain the shared focus of all our efforts.\n\nWe look forward to your prompt attention to this matter.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-congressional-republicans-refusal-to-extend-aca-subsidies", "Booker Statement on Congressional Republicans Refusal to Extend ACA Subsidies", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement after Republicans blocked a bill that would lower health care costs for millions of Americans:\n\n\u201cSince the beginning of this year, President Trump and Republicans have launched an all-out assault on Americans\u2019 health care that has led to spiking prices and a health care affordability crisis. They slashed $900 billion from Medicaid, kicked 17 million people off their health insurance, and turned their backs on the science that saves lives. Today, my Republican colleagues had the chance to lower health care costs, and instead they voted to more than double premiums costs for over 20 million Americans.\n\n\u201cThese votes have also exposed how Republicans have no real plan to address Americans\u2019 skyrocketing health care bills: their proposal fails to extend the ACA tax credits and would do nothing to help people afford the thousands of dollars in premium increases they will start seeing in January. On top of that, it would increase deductibles by thousands of dollars, leaving families across the country one medical emergency away from bankruptcy.\n\n\u201cRepublicans\u2019 failure to extend the ACA tax credits will deliver a devastating blow to the millions of Americans who rely on them to afford their health care. I\u2019ve heard stories from families across New Jersey who don\u2019t know how they will choose between affording high-quality health care for their kids and making other ends meet in an economy that\u2019s already squeezing them dry.\n\n\u201cI will continue fighting to ensure that we have a health care system that people can afford. The American people deserve leaders who are working for their best interests, and not afraid to stand up to President Trump. It\u2019s past time for my Republican colleagues to remember who they work for.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415161", "The Epoch Times article on the CECC's 2025 Annual Report'CCP's History of \"Broken Promises,\" Human Rights Abuses Harms US, World: Congressional Commission'", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Catherine Yang\n\nPublished December 10, 2025\n\nChina has regressed with respect to rule of law, according to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China\u2019s (CECC) 2025 annual report, released Dec. 10, which highlights the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s (CCP) long history of breaking promises.\n\nThe commission was created in 2000 to monitor human rights and rule of law in China.\n\n\u201cBroken promises are not an exception; they are a feature of how the CCP deals with the world and with its own people,\u201d commission co-chairs Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) said in a statement in the report.\n\n\u201cThese broken promises affect Americans,\u201d they stated. For example, Americans traveling to China for work or study can become subject to exit bans and arbitrary detention, Chinese forced labor becomes intertwined with U.S. supply chains, national security laws grant the regime \u201csweeping access\u201d to American data, and the regime carries out its human rights abuses extraterritorially through transnational repression such as overseas police stations.\n\nThe annual report includes dozens of recommendations aimed at curbing longstanding CCP practices that harm the United States and international community, including several bills that lawmakers have introduced this year.\n\nOfficers of China's military and police arrive for the third plenary session of the National People's Congress in Beijing on March 12, 2019. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images\n\nThe chairs called on the United States and free world allies to reject Beijing\u2019s attempts to incentivize and divide, because otherwise \u201cAmericans pay the price\u2014in security, in prosperity, and in credibility.\u201d\n\n\u201cUpholding human dignity helps keep markets fairer, travel safer, technology freer, and alliances stronger. It reduces the leverage authoritarian states\u2014led by a totalitarian [People\u2019s Republic of China]\u2014wield over people and partners,\u201d the chairs stated.\n\nIn addition to producing an annual report, the CECC maintains the Political Prisoner Database, which contained 11,262 records as of June 30, which the commission believes is an underreporting of the actual number. They include 2,755 active detentions; the rest are either believed or known to have been released, or have been executed, died in custody, or escaped.\n\nThey include Zhang Zhan, a journalist who reported on the CCP\u2019s response to the COVID-19 outbreak, as well as critics of that response who hung banners in public spaces, such as Peng Lifa, Mei Shilin, and Fang Yirong. They also include artists depicting what the regime considers sensitive issues, such as Gao Zhen, whose work depicted the Cultural Revolution, and Uyghur filmmaker Ikram Nurmehmet.\n\nAmong them are religious believers who do not promote and practice the CCP\u2019s version of religions, such as Xin Ruoyu, who worked on developing a Christian app that provided users access to hymns and worship music, and Zhao Ying, an elderly woman aged over 80 sentenced to more than three years in prison for giving people materials about Falun Gong.\n\nWorst Offender\n\nChina continues to rank among the worst human rights offenders in various reports. Reporters Without Borders ranked China 178 out of 180 countries and territories and the leading jailer of journalists in its 2025 press freedom reports. Freedom House scored China zero out of four on \u201cfree and independent media.\u201d\n\nThe commission saw an increase in dissent as well as suppression in recent years. It cited a China Dissent Monitor report finding a 27 percent year-on-year increase in events from a period July to September 2023 to 2024. The regime created central and local branches of the Central Society Work department in 2023 to further control society and eliminate \u201cillegal social organizations.\u201d In 2025, it tightened rules on banning these organizations.\n\nThe commission reported it observed a \u201ca coordinated campaign, led by the United Front Work Department\u201d to tighten \u201cgovernance of religion\u201d in 2025. This included suppression of ethnic minority Muslim groups, asserting authority of the Catholic Church in China despite an agreement with the Vatican, mass arrests of Protestant house church leaders, and directing \u201cconsiderable resources and attention\u201d in the CCP\u2019s continued persecution of Falun Gong.\n\nUnder the CCP, the criminal justice system is a \u201cpolitical instrument,\u201d according to the report. Dissidents can be arbitrarily detained in \u201cblack jails\u201d such as psychiatric facilities, without formal legal process, and subjected to torture and other mistreatment.\n\nInfluence Operations and Overseas Oppression\n\nThe commission reported an increase in the regime\u2019s digital activities in realms of censorship and global influence campaigns. For instance, U.S.-based OpenAI found accounts that \u201cappear to originate in China\u201d using AI to write articles criticizing the United States and denouncing a critic of the regime.\n\nThe regime\u2019s regulations require embedding \u201ccore values of socialism\u201d into its AI models, raising concerns about how Chinese AI and software can expand the regime\u2019s censorship model.\n\nBeijing is also building out physical infrastructure by way of satellite expansion, which has raised concerns about the regime\u2019s ability to spread its digital authoritarianism.\n\nIts efforts to suppress critics internationally are \u201cmultifaceted,\u201d according to the report, which cites bounties the regime placed on Hong Kong activists, as well as passport cancellations, harassment, hacking, and diplomatic pressure for extradition of dissidents.\n\nThe commission noted that several pieces of legislation addressing transnational repression have already been introduced, and recommended that the government produce a threat assessment of CCP transnational repression and whether there are statutory gaps.\n\nIt also recommended an interagency hub be formed to address the CCP\u2019s malign influence on civil society and institutions.\n\nLong History of Broken Agreements\n\nIn addition to Chinese laws that outline several human rights protections, Beijing has signed onto several international human rights and standards agreements that the regime continually violates, according to the report.\n\nIn 1979, Beijing ratified the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations which requires consular officers to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state, and Chinese embassies in the United States have many times found to be engaging in the CCP\u2019s transnational repression against critics of the regime, such as the high profile incident of instigating violence against peaceful protestors during the 2023 APEC summit in San Francisco, and carrying out espionage.\n\nIn 1981, it ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, requiring a commitment to reverse laws or regulations that perpetuate racial discrimination. Yet the CCP is currently actively erasing minority cultures by forcing Tibetan, Uyghur, and Mongolian children to attend \u201ccolonial boarding schools\u201d that teach a CCP-centric curriculum and penalize the use of native languages and cultural customs.\n\nIn 1984, Beijing ratified the Sino-British Joint Declaration, meant to guarantee Hong Kong \u201ca high degree of autonomy\u201d with independent executive, legislative, and judicial powers. In recent years, the world witnessed as the CCP cracked down on protesters in Hong Kong and the passing of vaguely worded national security laws that give the CCP sweeping power to target dissenters.\n\nIn 1988, the regime ratified the Convention Against Torture, but regular reports from human rights lawyers and religious prisoners show that the regime is continuing to torture political and religious prisoners such as the Uyghur Muslims and Falun Gong practitioners, which have found to be targets of live organ harvesting by the regime. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice that teachers truth, compassion, and tolerance. It was introduced to the public in China in the early 1990s and banned by the regime in 1999. The commission recommended passing bills introduced that would prohibit U.S. public funds from paying for medical care related to organ transplants obtained in China and sanction perpetrators of organ harvesting.\n\nIn 1996, it ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which the regime has violated by building and militarizing artificial islands in contested territory in the South China Sea and increasing maritime aggression against Philippine vessels.\n\nIn 2001, Beijing ratified the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which includes agreements safeguarding fair labor practices. However, the only labor union in China is one led by the CCP, and the regime typically treats strikes as a criminal offense. Multiple investigations in recent years have also uncovered regime-imposed slave labor, including the exploitation of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.\n\nAn Environmental Justice Foundation investigation also revealed the forced labor of North Korean workers on Chinese fishing ships, and the Brazilian government has accused China\u2019s BYD of employing at least 163 workers in \u201cslave-like conditions\u201d and withholding workers\u2019 passports and salaries. The report also noted that workers are subjected to \u201cexcessive overtime practices,\u201d including coffee farm workers in Yunnan who supply coffee to Starbucks and Nestle.\n\nThe covenant also protects parents\u2019 freedom to choose schools to \u201censure the religious and moral education of their children,\u201d which the CCP continues to violate.\n\nIn 2022, the regime ratified the Forced Labor Convention, but the commission found that systemic forced labor practices involving Uyghurs and Turkic minorities have expanded in Xinjiang this past year. The United States government considers the CCP\u2019s persecution of the Uyghur minority a genocide and has enacted law to prohibit the entry of goods made with forced labor in response. The commission recommended strengthening existing mechanisms and expediting the blacklisting of companies using forced labor and mandating transparency in supply chains. The vast majority of Chinese cotton is produced in Xinjiang, and U.S. lawmakers have pressed for better disclosures and due diligence from Chinese fashion retailers.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415162", "Major 2026 defense bill includes Smith amendment to combat LymeSmith amendment to probe whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease passes House", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "A critical amendment authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) to investigate whether the U.S. military weaponized ticks with Lyme disease has been included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26 NDAA) (S. 1071), which has cleared the U.S. House of Representatives, headed to the Senate, and is expected to be signed by President Trump upon its final passage.\n\nSmith\u2019s amendment\u2014now Sec. 1068 of the bill\u2014directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO)\u2014the Congressional \u201cwatchdog\u201d\u2014to investigate the Cold War-era Department of Defense (Department of War) bioweapons program and determine whether they ever used ticks as hosts or delivery mechanisms for biological warfare agents.\n\n\u201cNew Jersey has one of the highest Lyme rates in the United States\u2014the disease is present in all 21 counties,\u201d noted Smith, Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus. \u201cThe pervasive presence of Lyme disease in New Jersey not only carries concerns for civilians, but also for the military personnel stationed in the state\u2014especially and including those serving at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, part of which is located within my congressional district.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, Smith\u2019s amendment in the NDAA compels the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct an exhaustive review of research conducted by the military, the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other federal agencies between the period of January 1, 1945 and December 31, 1972, regarding experiments involving Spirochaetales and Rickettsiales\u2014two forms of tick-borne bacteria.\n\n\u201cNow that this vital provision has advanced out of the House, we are one step closer to finally determining whether the U.S. government\u2019s bioweapons program contributed to the proliferation of Lyme disease,\u201d stated Smith. \u201cIf the GAO investigation concludes that our government\u2019s bioweapons program was not involved, we turn the page.\n\n\u201cThe hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans suffering from Lyme disease\u2014in addition to the millions across the United States\u2014deserve to know the truth about the origins of their illness. An enhanced understanding of how Lyme came to be will only assist in finding a cure for this debilitating disease,\u201d said Smith.\n\nIn previous Congresses, Smith offered two similar amendments\u2014one in 2019 and the other in 2021\u2014both of which passed the House, but were blocked in the Senate.\n\nSmith\u2019s amendments have been inspired in-part by the explosion of Lyme disease in New Jersey and Kris Newby\u2019s book, Bitten: The Secret History of Lyme Disease and Biological Weapons. The book includes in-depth interviews with and the personal files of Dr. Willy Burgdorfer\u2014the federal researcher and U.S. bioweapons specialist credited with discovering Lyme disease\u2014who later revealed that he and other bio-weapons specialists injected ticks with pathogens in order to cause severe disability, disease, and even death to potential enemies in unsuspecting ways.\n\nIn addition to Smith\u2019s section on Lyme disease, the FY26 NDAA includes significant reforms to our Nation\u2019s military, making it better prepared to meet the threats of the future and ensuring fairness for those who answer the call to serve.\n\n\u201cThe FY26 NDAA authorizes $900.6 billion for national defense discretionary programs\u2014proving that Congress is capable of properly funding our military\u2019s operations and supporting our servicemembers, all while ensuring greater fiscal accountability for American taxpayers,\u201d said Smith, the former Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans\u2019 Affairs.\n\n\u201cThis bill supports President Trump\u2019s \u2018peace through strength\u2019 agenda by investing in enhanced defense technologies and activities to more effectively protect America\u2019s lands, seas, and skies.\u201d\n\nSpecifically, the FY26 NDAA:\n\nImproves servicemember quality of life by implementing a 3.8% pay raise and enhances military bonuses and special pay;\n\nFully funds the establishment and enforcement of National Defense Areas along the southwest border;\n\nCodifies President Trump\u2019s executive orders and legislative proposals to eliminate poisonous \u201cwoke\u201d and DEI policies, which harm military recruitment and retention;\n\nAdvances and supports President Trump\u2019s Golden Dome program for missile and drone defense to protect the homeland;\n\nAuthorizes more than $1 billion to combat drug trafficking, including $398 million for DOW support of counter-narcotics operations and $216 million for National Guard counter-drug initiatives;\n\nAllocates $145.7 billion to research, develop, test, and evaluate new technologies, such as drones and counter-drone systems, urgently needed by warfighters;\n\nAuthorizes $26 billion in shipbuilding funding for submarines and surface vessels;\n\nAuthorizes more than $35 billion to restore the United States\u2019 arsenal of munitions\u2014critical for installations, such as Naval Weapons Station Earle;\n\nAuthorizes $38 billion to ensure air dominance, including funds for a next-generation fighter;\n\nProtects the security of Israel by fully funding joint U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs, such as the Iron Dome, Arrow, and David\u2019s Sling;\n\nCounters the innumerable national security threats posed by Communist China by removing Chinese products from our defense supply chains, authorizing $2.7 billion for military construction projects in the Indo-Pacific, fully funding the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative at $1 billion, and supporting our allies in the Indo-Pacific to oppose China\u2019s malign influence operations; and\n\nReforms the defense acquisition system by fast-tracking novel war technologies to the warfighter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415163", "Catholic News Agency article on Smith's work to promote religious freedom'Trump to create sanctions plan for Nigeria, congressman says'", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Madalaine Elhabbal\n\nPublished December 10, 2025 at 15:30 PM\n\nU.S. President Donald Trump is crafting a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution, according to a leading member of Congress.\n\nPresident Trump \u201cis in the process of crafting a comprehensive action plan including sanctions to pursue reform,\u201d according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, who described Nigeria as \u201cground zero,\u201d and the \u201cfocal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today.\u201d\n\nSmith, a Catholic who chairs the house Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, mentioned the plan during his Dec. 9 speech at \u201cThe Emergency Summit on Crimes Against Christians,\u201d organized by For the Martyrs, a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Rep. Marlin Stuzman, R-Indiana, also spoke at the event.\n\nRep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, speaks about a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution on Dec. 9, 2025. | Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA\n\nThe veteran New Jersey congressman praised Trump\u2019s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and affirmed that \u201cReligious freedom will now be at the forefront of the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship.\u201d\n\nThe president can choose from a menu of sanctions for a CPC-designated country under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), ranging from diplomatic measures to economic sanctions. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.\n\nDuring his remarks, Senator Josh Hawley said Nigeria \u201chas recently drawn global attention and has drawn the attention of our own president.\u201d\n\n\u201cI applaud President Trump for standing up for persecuted Christians. I applaud the president for putting Nigeria back on the watch list where it belongs,\u201d Hawley said. The Missouri senator quoted the Book of Revelation while praising Christians persecuted around the world, saying: \u201cThey love not their lives, even unto death.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe see here in the Lord's own word, his testament to the power of the persecuted church,\u201d Hawley said. \u201cThat he says it is those who are persecuted, who are willing to lay down their lives for the Gospel\u2026it is those believers whose blood bears witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.\u201d\n\nStutzman, whose district includes Fort Wayne, Indiana, also condemned the persecution of Christians in Nigeria during his remarks, and praised Trump for being \u201cthe strongest president on [religious freedom] since probably Ronald Reagan.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe have a president who's willing to call out those bad guys around the world,\u201d he said. \u201cAt the end of the day, I think this is why it's so important for us as Americans, especially for us as Christians. We are the party of life. We believe life is a gift from God. And so therefore, we should protect it. And we should be asking those folks, What is the threat? What is the threat of Christians in Nigeria to the government, to the leaders in that nation? What is the threat of Christians there?\u201d\n\nTrump has charged Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, with leading an investigation into persecution in Nigeria.\n\nChina\n\nCongressman Smith went on to highlight religious persecution in China, saying \u201cChinese dictator Xi Jinping\u2019s accelerated and brutal crackdown on believers in China must be exposed and stopped as well.\u201d He highlighted the October raids on home churches by Chinese security agents, saying, \u201cin Xi Jinping\u2019s China, devotion that isn\u2019t Communist Party-approved is treated as a political problem to be solved by police brutality.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe must act with sanctions, especially those prescribed by the International Religious Freedom Act,\u201d Smith said.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415170", "SeafoodSource article on the CECC's 2025 Annual Report'US commission on China calls on Congress to do more to curtail forced labor in seafood supply chain'", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Chris Chase\n\nPublished December 10, 2025\n\nThe U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China\u2019s (CECC) latest annual report \u2013 released to coincide with International Human Rights Day \u2013 features seafood prominently as it calls on Congress and the U.S. government as a whole to do more to combat forced labor.\n\nSeafood from China has been under scrutiny by the U.S. government, in part thanks to a report released by The Outlaw Ocean Project which released findings of a multi-month investigation into the global seafood supply chain. That investigation found extensive evidence of forced labor in processing facilities operated by multiple Chinese companies connected to the U.S. supply chain and U.S. companies.\n\nA later report revealed further evidence of Uyghur and forced labor being used by the Chinese processing industry, and Outlaw Ocean followed that report up with one in 2024 on the presence of North Korean laborers, the abuses they suffer, and the seafood produced by them present in the U.S. supply chain.\n\nThe U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China is calling for more action to tackle the presence of forced labor in China's seafood supply chain | Photo courtesy of the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China\n\nSince that time, the U.S. government has placed an increased focus on Chinese seafood and removing seafood linked to forced labor from the supply chain. The CECC first called for an investigation into allegations from the first Outlaw Ocean report on Uyghur labor and later called on the administration of former U.S. President Joe Biden to collaborate across departments to determine whether seafood processed in China using North Korean labor was making its way into the U.S.\n\nThose efforts have continued in 2025, as U.S. lawmakers demanded the elimination of Chinese-sourced seafood from its military, called for harsh sanctions against Chinese seafood over human rights violations, and recently the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee approved the Stop Illegal Fishing Act which would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and vessels connected to illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing \u2013 particularly China\u2019s distant-water fleet.\n\nThe CECC\u2019s latest report continued those calls for action and again highlighted seafood in what it said was evidence of promises broken by the Chinese government.\n\n\u201cPromises made, promises broken: The People\u2019s Republic of China \u2013 in reality, a party state run by and for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party \u2013 makes solemn commitments then governs as if those commitments are optional,\u201d CECC Chair Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Co-Chair Representative Christopher Smith (R-New Jersey) wrote in the report.\n\nThe two chairs said the broken promises by China are affecting Americans, including through the continued use of forced labor in seafood processing, which exposes U.S. consumers to seafood sourced unethically.\n\n\u201cWhere commitments are repeatedly set aside \u2013 on labor, religion, due process, or maritime norms \u2013 U.S. policy must be calibrated to address behavior that harms U.S. interests,\u201d the chairs wrote. \u201cThat means sustained enforcement against forced labor, real traceability in high-risk sectors like seafood and lithium, and alignment of federal procurement with human rights standards so that American consumers and workers are not made to subsidize coercion.\u201d\n\nThe CECC said the U.S. government should work to stop imports of Chinese seafood associated with forced labor, both to defend the U.S. fishing industry from unfair competition and to pressure China and its corporations to end exploitive labor practices violating international standards.\n\nAs part of that, the CECC has urged Congress to follow through on restricting Department of Defense spending on Chinese seafood imports, urged the Office of Management and Budget to issue clear guidance on procuring goods made with forced labor \u2013 particularly seafood processed in China \u2013 and said the secretary of state and U.S. director of national intelligence should issue a report on how much money is being exchanged between China and North Korea linked to seafood processing that skirts U.S. sanctions.\n\nOn top of its calls for action from Congress, the CECC said the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump should work to implement its executive order on seafood and issue an interagency trade strategy to combat forced labor and IUU fishing, establish a blacklist of vessels that have engaged in IUU and of Chinese processing facilities implicated in using forced labor, and grant law enforcement more resources to investigate Chinese fleets engaged in IUU and processing facilities connected with forced labor.\n\nThe CECC also said the U.S. government should strengthen its enforcement of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act \u2013 which includes more targeted sanctions for goods like seafood that were found to be connected to the use of Uyghur labor.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-votes-fy2026-national-defense-authorization-act-supports-pay-raise", "Kean Votes for FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, Supports Pay Raise for Servicemembers and Picatinny Arsenal Mission", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Thomas H. Kean, Jr.", "K000398", "kean.house.gov", "kean", "https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "December 10, 2025\n\n(December 10, 2025) WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) released the following statement after voting yes on the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act:\n\n\u201cTonight, I voted in support of the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to strengthen our national security, promote peace through strength, and deliver real improvements for our servicemembers.\n\n\u201cThis year's NDAA makes major strides in protecting our homeland. It provides critical resources to ensure continued security at our southern border, counters growing threats from foreign adversaries like China, and strengthens counterterrorism efforts. The SAFER SKIES Act, which is included in the bill, empowers authorities with the necessary tools to defeat drones when they present a threat to the public. Our bill also advances America\u2019s military dominance by revitalizing the defense industrial base and investing in key priorities like missile defense, autonomous systems, and new warships.\n\n\u201cFor the state of New Jersey, the final NDAA includes a version of my amendment to bolster ammunition capabilities, which will support the critical work being done at Picatinny Arsenal. To support our servicemembers and their families, the bill provides a 3.8% troop pay raise, expands access to childcare and healthcare, and improves housing. These improvements will ensure that those who serve our country can focus on their mission without worrying about the well-being of their loved ones.\n\n\u201cI look forward to seeing this legislation, which puts our national security and servicemembers first, head to the President\u2019s desk for signing.\u201d\n\n###\n\nIssues:National Defense", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-republicans-block-congressman-menendezs-amendments-to-protect-the-clean-water-act", "House Republicans Block Congressman Menendez\u2019s Amendments to Protect the Clean Water Act", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M001226", "menendez.house.gov", "menendez", "https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Yesterday, Representative Rob Menendez (NJ-08) challenged House Republicans for refusing to consider his amendments to H.R. 3898, the PERMIT Act, a Republican bill that would weaken the Clean Water Actand erode critical protections that keep our nation\u2019s water systems safe, undercut states\u2019 authority to protect the environment, and jeopardize the health of American families. Rep. Menendez\u2019s amendments included critical protections for water quality and requirements for the EPA to certify that this legislation will not damage water quality in estuaries.\n\n\u201cEnsuring that our water remains clean has historically been a bipartisan issue, but now House Republicans are jeopardizing the safety of our water systems,\u201d said Rep. Menendez. \u201cI am disappointed but not surprised that House Republicans rejected our efforts to reduce the harm that this bill will bring in dismantling key protections of the Clean Water Act. Our communities deserve better than this legislation and that is what I will always fight for.\u201d\n\nTo protect New Jersey\u2019s waterways and estuarine ecosystems, Congressman Menendez\u2019s amendments required that this legislation not go into effect until the EPA Administrator certifies that it will not deteriorate water quality in the nation\u2019s estuaries. Another amendment would have struck the section of this bill requiring that cost to polluting entities and be considered when developing water quality criteria, which are currently a purely health-based standard.\n\nCongressman Rob Menendez has proudly represented New Jersey\u2019s Eighth Congressional District since 2023. He is a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and sits on the Subcommittees on Environment, Energy, and Communications and Technology. Congressman Menendez has consistently fought against corporate polluters and for clean water protections, including his recent push for the EPA to accelerate the cleanup of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, which has polluted the Passaic River and Newark Bay.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases?ID=2903AB58-83F7-4712-BBCF-7522303D9B25", "FY26 National Defense Authorization Act Passes House of Representatives", "2025-12-10", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Donald Norcross", "N000188", "norcross.house.gov", "norcross", "https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases", "page_html", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House of Representatives.\n\nThe FY26 NDAA improves military readiness and strengthens American industry by cutting red tape, fixing outdated systems, and supporting defense innovation. The FY26 NDAA also includes a 3.8% pay raise for all servicemembers and authorizes $1.5 billion in new construction of barracks, dormitories, housing, and child development centers.\n\n\u201cThe National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is a commitment to our nation\u2019s security and a steadfast investment in the courageous men and women in our armed forces. After a year-long effort, we have delivered a robust bill that ensures that our troops are manned, trained, and equipped with the best to carry out our nation\u2019s mission and return home safely. It provides a $3.8% pay raise to all servicemembers, and it cuts down on red tape to make certain that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to keep our country safe,\u201d said Congressman Donald Norcross. \u201cThis bipartisan legislation strengthens our industrial base, supports our allies, and streamlines procurement and decision-making. As ranking member of the Tactical Air and Land Subcommittee, I was honored to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to strengthen our national defense, invest in our industrial base, and deliver for South Jersey.\u201d\n\nFiscal Year 2026 NDAA Priorities Secured by Rep. Norcross:\n\nOver $618 million for CH-47 helicopters, which will be manufactured by South Jersey workers.\n\nNearly $2.5 billion for the KC-46 refueler aircraft, which flies out of Joint Base McGuire-Dix Lakehurst.\n\nRequired an Army study to on the consequences of ammunition research and development away from Picatinny Arsenal in Wharton, New Jersey.\n\nRequired the Secretary of Defense to submit regular reports when they are housing undocumented immigrants on military bases, including if migrants are held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.\n\n$9.9 million investment to enhance Army command and control for unmanned systems and their defense which will be developed by South Jersey workers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-03-30T11:08:25Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415160", "CatholicVote article on Smith's upcoming House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee hearing on Sudan'Rep. Chris Smith calls attention to bloodshed in Sudan'", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Elise Winland\n\nPublished December 9, 2025\n\nRep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is spotlighting Sudan\u2019s deepening civil war and the mounting atrocities against civilians ahead of a new congressional hearing on the conflict.\n\nSmith, a Catholic who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, will lead his 17th congressional hearing on Sudan Dec. 11. He said the scale of mass violence since the Sudanese Civil War began in 2023 demands urgent action from U.S. officials and the international community.\n\n\u201cSince 2023, as many as 18,000 civilian deaths have been committed in Sudan \u2014 with estimates as high as 150,000 \u2014 and more than 10 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the Sudanese Civil War,\u201d Smith said in a statement. \u201cThe catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan \u2014 which includes the systemic killings, rapes, abductions, detentions, and child soldier recruitments of innocent civilians \u2014 demands our attention.\u201d\n\nAs CatholicVote previously reported, the war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over a stalled plan to integrate the RSF into the national army.\n\nAdobe Stock\n\nThe upcoming hearing will review the current status of the war, the widespread crimes attributed to the Sudanese government and armed groups, and the deepening humanitarian emergency facing civilians.\n\nThe first panel will feature Deputy Assistant Secretary Vincent D. Spera of the State Department\u2019s Bureau of African Affairs. A second panel will include Samaritan\u2019s Purse Vice President Ken Isaacs, Family Research Council President and U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom Vice Chair Tony Perkins, and Human Rights Watch Deputy Washington Director Nicole Widdersheim.\n\nChurch leaders have also raised alarms over the conflict. In two appeals last month \u2014 during his Nov. 2 Angelus address and again in a Nov. 16 social media post \u2014 Pope Leo XIV urged prayer for victims of violence in Sudan and highlighted the persecution of Christians there.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-announces-winners-2025-congressional-app-challenge", "Pallone Announces Winners of 2025 Congressional App Challenge", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "New Brunswick, NJ - Today, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) announced the winners of the 2025 Congressional App Challenge for high school and middle school students in New Jersey\u2019s 6th Congressional District. Eric Dai and Vaibhav Sitaraman from Edison Academy Magnet School won this year\u2019s competition. Their app RoadWatch is an initiative to enhance road safety and address infrastructure issues. Their app uses an AI-powered dashcam to detect road infrastructure issues, alert drivers, and report incidents to local governments.\n\n\u201cThe Congressional App Challenge is an important platform for students to showcase their technical and creative skills,\u201d said Pallone. \u201cI congratulate Eric and Vaibhav for their winning app and applaud all of this year\u2019s participants for their creativity. Year after year, the Congressional App Challenge brings out the best, brightest, and most innovative ideas from students across our district. I continue to be impressed by the ingenuity displayed by the winning teams each year and would like to thank the judges for their engagement and attention to this year\u2019s contest. As the Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, I have seen how innovative technology creates new industries and opportunities for all Americans. I will continue to support investments in STEM education in New Jersey and across the country.\u201d\n\nRoadWatch's proposes to transform drivers into a network of road-monitoring sensors with minimal cost, time, and effort. The application is compatible with both iOS and Android, and can be connected to a Raspberry Pi or regular dashcam using Bluetooth. These devices continuously capture footage while driving, with AI models analyzing the video stream for multiple purposes. The AI scans for issues such as potholes, cracked pavement, broken streetlights, and construction zones, and can even determine their severity based on the number of reports and the size of anomalies. In addition, the model can detect other environmental hazards, such as the presence of animals on the road, and send notifications to keep drivers alert. When the AI identifies an accident or near-miss incident, it can automatically start a 911 call to ensure that incapacitated drivers can receive immediate emergency treatment. Lastly, the application serves as a comprehensive road infrastructure monitoring tool. Detected issues are automatically aggregated onto map interfaces by location, which provide local governments with detailed, real-time data across their jurisdictions. The issues are grouped by category, making it easy for local officials to identify patterns, address unsafe road designs, and get localized insights.\n\nThe Congressional App Challenge is an annual competition that highlights the value of computer science and STEM education by encouraging high school and middle school students to learn how to code through the creation of their own apps. Entries in New Jersey's 6th Congressional District were assessed by a panel of local experts on several criteria, including demonstrated knowledge of coding and programming skills as well as the quality and implementation of their ideas.\n\nAs the winning app in the contest, RoadWatch will be displayed on the Congressional App Challenge Website (https://www.congressionalappchallenge.us/) and on a digital display in the Capitol Building this year.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-cornyn-reintroduce-bipartisan-legislation-to-expand-access-to-tutoring-for-underserved-students", "Booker, Cornyn Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Access to Tutoring for Underserved Students", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and John Cornyn (R-TX) reintroduced the bipartisan Partnering Aspiring Teachers with High-Need Schools (PATHS) to Tutor Act, legislation that would ensure that students in high-need communities receive targeted academic support through intensive, structured tutoring opportunities. It would also strengthen the pipeline of future teachers by placing teacher candidates in tutoring roles. U.S. Representatives Susie Lee (D-NV-03) and David Valadao (R-CA-22) introduced companion legislation in the House.\n\n\u201cAcross New Jersey and the nation, far too many students in underserved communities are falling behind academically because they lack access to meaningful support,\u201d said Senator Booker. \u201cThe PATHS to Tutor Act expands access to high-quality one-on-one and small-group tutoring while strengthening the teacher preparation pipeline by engaging nearly 600,000 aspiring teachers nationwide. This bipartisan legislation narrows the educational opportunity gap and provides both students and future educators with the tools needed for success.\n\n\u201cSadly, far too many students in Texas do not receive the educational tools they need to succeed,\" said Senator Cornyn. \"The PATHS to Tutor Act will expand access to small group tutoring in high-need areas while simultaneously reducing economic burdens on our teachers by allowing this tutoring to count toward national service and their TEACH grant service requirement. Texas students deserve every resource we can give them to achieve on a level playing field, and this legislation will give them just that.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe need to make it easier, not harder, for qualified future teachers to start their professional careers and help more students get the targeted help they need,\u201d said Congresswoman Susie Lee. \u201cThe PATHS to Tutor Act is a win-win for our education system \u2014 strengthening opportunities for future teachers and supporting all students, regardless of their needs or what zip code they live in.\u201d\n\n\u201cA good education is the key to future opportunity, and it\u2019s important the next generation can accomplish their goals,\" said Congressman Valadao. \"The PATHS to Tutor Act is a bipartisan, bicameral fix that tackles both challenges at once\u2014making sure our students get the support they need, while giving future teachers real experience in the classroom to help them prepare for their career in education.\u201d\n\nAccording to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), in 2024, the average score in mathematics at eighth grade was 8 points lower compared to 2019, with scores decreasing for lower-performing students at the 10th and 25th percentiles. The average reading score for the nation at grade 4 was 2 points lower compared to 2022, and 5 points lower compared to 2019. The average reading score for the nation at grade 8 was 2 points lower than 2022 and 5 points lower compared to 2019.\n\nThere are nearly 600,000 individuals enrolled in teacher-preparation programs who can help provide critical academic and social-emotional support to students now, while gaining experience to help prepare them to lead classrooms in the future. These aspiring teachers can expand in-person, virtual, and hybrid learning by providing essential academic support through high-impact tutoring, helping both to support learning acceleration and strengthen pipelines into teaching.\n\n\u201cThe bipartisan PATHS to Tutor Act gives local leaders the tools they need to expand evidence-based tutoring that boosts student learning while preparing the next generation of teachers. It\u2019s a common-sense step that puts students first, supports teachers, and helps every community chart a path toward better outcomes,\u201d said Valerie Sakimura, Executive Director, Deans for Impact (DFI).\n\n\u201cThe PATHS to Tutor Act recognizes what we see every day: when aspiring teachers are given real opportunities to serve students, they discover their purpose\u2014and communities thrive. This legislation not only delivers the high-quality tutoring our young people deserve, it helps build a well-prepared educator workforce rooted in service and commitment. It\u2019s a powerful investment in our students, our schools, and the future we want to create together,\u201d said Kathlene Campbell, CEO, National Center for Teacher Residencies.\n\n\u201cThe PATHS to Tutor Act is an evidence-based investment in both students and the teaching workforce. By connecting tutoring to educator preparation, it strengthens learning recovery and the teacher pipeline \u2014 helping every child receive the support they deserve. AACTE proudly supports this effort because it elevates the essential role of teacher candidates as both learners and leaders in ensuring every child has access to high-quality, individualized instruction,\u201d said Cheryl Holcomb-McCoy, Ph.D., President and CEO, AACTE.\n\n\u201cThe PATHS to Tutor Act bipartisan introduction today by Senator Booker and Senator Cornyn, Representative Lee, and Representative Valadao is a critical investment in our students' success and in America's communities. High-impact tutoring does more than just accelerate academic outcomes; it builds the meaningful connections with caring adults that students need to feel seen and valued. This relational approach is one of our most effective strategies for combating chronic absenteeism and ensuring every learner has the consistent support system necessary to flourish both academically and socially,\u201d said Erin Mote, CEO, InnovateEDu.\n\nSpecifically, the PATHS to Tutor Act would:\n\nExpand access to high-quality tutoring through a $500 million competitive grant program disbursed to local partnerships of educator-preparation programs, K-12 schools, and community organizations.\n\nReduce the economic burden on aspiring teachers by allowing successful completion of a tutoring placement to qualify for national service educational awards granted by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).\n\nThe PATHS to Tutor Act is endorsed by: Deans for Impact (DFI), National Center for Teacher Residencies (NCTR), American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE), Teach Plus, National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO), TNTP, Communities in Schools, Education Trust, AASA, The School Superintendents Association, Association of Educational Service Agencies (AESA), National Rural Education Association (NREA), National Association of Schools Boards of Education (NASBE), National Rural Education Advocacy Consortium (NREAC), New Leaders, Teach for America, Teaching Matters, Committee for Children, CASEL, National Black Child Development Institute, Consortium on Reaching Excellence in Education, NIET, InnovateEDU, Saga, Alliance for Catholic Education, New Jersey Tutoring Corps, Virginia Learns, EduTutorVA, Clark County School District, and the North Carolina Education Corps.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/new-videos-senator-booker-highlights-toll-of-spiking-health-care-costs-on-nj-residents-in-new-videos-as-aca-fight-looms", "NEW VIDEOS: Senator Booker Highlights Toll of Spiking Health Care Costs on NJ Residents in New Videos as ACA Fight Looms", "2025-12-09", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "NEWARK, N.J. \u2013 As Senator Booker (D-NJ) continues fighting to lower health care costs for New Jersey families, Senator Booker\u2019s Office is releasing a set of new videos highlighting the voices and stories of New Jerseyans who will no longer be able to afford their health care if the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans continue stripping working families of their ACA subsidies, urging Senate Republicans to join with Democrats in voting to lower the cost of health care.\n\nWATCH HERE", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415159", "Thurs., December 11: Rep. Chris Smith to chair Foreign Affairs hearing\u201cStopping the Bloodshed: U.S. Response to Crimes Against Humanity in Sudan\u201d", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "On Thursday, December 11th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Africa Subcommittee, will chair his seventeenth congressional hearing on the civil conflicts in Sudan and the resulting human rights abuses against civilians in the country.\n\n\u201cSince 2023, as many as 18,000 civilian deaths have been committed in Sudan\u2014with estimates as high as 150,000\u2014and more than 10 million people have been displaced as a direct result of the Sudanese Civil War,\u201d said Smith. \u201cThe catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan\u2014which includes the systemic killings, rapes, abductions, detentions, and child soldier recruitments of innocent civilians\u2014demands our attention.\u201d\n\nWHAT: Congressional hearing on the status of the Sudanese Civil War, the widespread atrocity crimes and human rights abuses perpetrated by the Sudanese government against civilians, and the corresponding humanitarian crisis in Sudan.\n\nWHEN: Thursday, December 11, 2025 at 12:30 PM\n\nWITNESSES: (Partial list)\n\nPANEL 1:\n\noThe Honorable Vincent D. Spera, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State\n\nPANEL 2:\n\noMr. Ken Isaacs, Vice President, Programs and Government Relations, Samaritan\u2019s Purse\n\noMr. Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council (FRC), Vice Chair of U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom\n\noThe Honorable Samuel Dale Brownback, Former Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom\n\noMs. Nicole Widdersheim, Deputy Washington Director, Human Rights Watch\n\nWHERE: 2172 Rayburn House Office Building\n\nWHO: Chairman Chris Smith, other members of the HFAC Africa Subcommittee, and witnesses\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-habba-resigning-not-moment-too-soon", "Pallone on Habba Resigning: \u201cNot A Moment Too Soon\u201d", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement after Alina Habba, President Trump\u2019s pick for Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced her resignation from her illegally obtained post:\n\n\u201cDonald Trump and his right-wing partisans are not above the law. Alina Habba is gone, and not a moment too soon. Her illegal appointment caused major problems for federal courts here in New Jersey and she abused her power to go after Trump\u2019s political opponents. Partisan politics have no place in New Jersey\u2019s or America\u2019s justice systems.\u201d\n\nHabba\u2019s resignation comes after a Third Circuit court ruling confirmed that Habba was not legally serving as Acting U.S. Attorney, under the provisions of the Preserving United States Attorney Independence Act\u2014a 2007 law which requires Senate confirmation of U.S. attorneys within 120 days, and which Pallone helped pass.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-kim-joint-statement-following-resignation-of-alina-habba", "Booker, Kim Joint Statement Following Resignation of Alina Habba", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "NEWARK, NJ \u2013 Today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) issued the following statement regarding Alina Habba\u2019s resignation as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey:\n\n\u201cToday\u2019s resignation of Alina Habba from her role as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey brings to a close a troubling chapter and confirms what we have warned from the start. Habba\u2019s installation through an irregular and unlawful process undermined the credibility of the office and eroded the public\u2019s trust in the state\u2019s chief federal prosecutor. The courts\u2019 rulings only confirmed our longstanding concerns\u2014that this appointment was driven by political loyalty, not qualifications or respect for the rule of law.\n\n\u201cIn light of this leadership vacuum, the administration must now act swiftly and responsibly. We hope that they will work with us to put forward a qualified nominee\u2013\u2013one with deep prosecutorial experience, unquestioned integrity, and a genuine commitment to delivering impartial justice\u2013\u2013and to give the Senate a full, fair opportunity to consider that nominee. New Jersey deserves no less, and we will not compromise on the safety of our communities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-statement-on-white-house-farmer-aid-announcement", "Booker Statement on White House Farmer Aid Announcement", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2014 In response to the Trump administration\u2019s announcement of emergency assistance to farmers, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement:\n\n\u201cThis financial assistance package is necessary to mitigate the harms of the Trump administration\u2019s chaotic trade and tariff policies, but it fails to do enough for farmers growing fruits and vegetables. Specialty crop farmers are facing high input costs, labor shortages, mounting debt, and the reckless cancellation of USDA programs that funded food purchases from farmers for local schools and food banks.\n\n\u201cWhile the emergency financial assistance announced today is needed, the farm crisis we are facing is rooted in a dysfunctional federal safety net for farmers. The United States lost over 140,000 farms between 2017 and 2022, despite recurring bailouts for commodity crop growers. As Congress works in the coming months to draft a new Farm Bill, we need to dramatically rethink our farm safety net and create a system that provides incentives to farmers to move to new profitable production practices and to grow healthy foods to feed their local communities.\u201d", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/in-the-face-of-rising-antisemitism-and-mainstreaming-of-neo-nazi-white-supremacists-booker-joins-schumer-senate-democrats-to-condemn-neo-nazi-hate-urge-gop-senators-to-join-condemnation", "In the Face of Rising Antisemitism and Mainstreaming of Neo-Nazi White Supremacists, Booker Joins Schumer, Senate Democrats to Condemn Neo-Nazi Hate; Urge GOP Senators to Join Condemnation", "2025-12-08", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "WASHINGTON D.C. \u2014Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and every Senate Democrat introduced a resolution that strongly rejects the views of and platforming of Nick Fuentes and condemns Tucker Carlson\u2019s platforming of Fuentes. The resolution also condemns Nazism and white supremacy in all its forms and urges all elected officials to condemn them as well.\n\n\u201cHate speech and antisemitism have no place in our country, and it is critical that we call out this dangerous rhetoric and stand firmly with Jewish communities,\u201d said Senator Booker.\n\n\u201cAntisemitism is rising at levels we have not seen in generations \u2014 and instead of condemning it, too many Republican leaders are enabling it. When extremists like Nick Fuentes are praised, platformed, or excused, that hate doesn\u2019t stay on the fringes. It spreads. It emboldens. It becomes dangerous,\u201d said Leader Schumer. \u201cSenate Democrats are united in saying: enough. Hate has no place in America. I urge every Republican to join us \u2014 not with silence, not with excuses, but with action \u2014 by condemning this poisonous neo-Nazi ideology.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe normalization of this antisemitic, white supremacist extremism has fueled a cycle of violence from Charlottesville to Pittsburgh and Poway, to El Paso and Buffalo, and beyond. It threatens every single one of our communities and the core of our democracy \u2013 yet we\u2019ve seen political leaders continue to embrace and platform this deadly hate and those who peddle it, like Nick Fuentes. We\u2019re grateful to Senator Schumer for his leadership in calling out this dangerous extremism, and hope each and every one of his colleagues will do the same,\u201d said Jewish Council for Public Affairs CEO Amy Spitalnick, who previously led the successful lawsuit against the neo-Nazis responsible for the Charlottesville violence.\n\n\u201cThe platforming of individuals who promote hateful, antisemitic, and white supremacist rhetoric is dangerous and entirely at odds with American values,\u201d said Meredith Jacobs, CEO of Jewish Women International. \u201cFor the safety of our communities and the soul of our nation, Congress must forcefully reject and condemn any attempt to mainstream antisemitism, white supremacy, or other forms of hate, whenever or wherever they occur. The fact that such condemnation is not universal underscores the very real and present danger that these ideologies are gaining ground in our society.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe thank Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats for leading this resolution rejecting the insidious views of Nick Fuentes and unequivocally condemning antisemitism and white supremacy,\u201d said Halie Soifer, Jewish Democratic Council of America CEO. \u201cThis issue should not be partisan, yet not one Republican has joined this resolution, and the President of the United States has refused to condemn Fuentes, Tucker Carlson's platforming of Fuentes, and the hate they've espoused. We're deeply concerned about Republicans placing politics above efforts like this one to combat white nationalism, antisemitism, and hate, and strongly encourage them to join this effort.\u201d\n\nThe full list of endorsing organizations can be seen here: Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA), Democratic Majority for Israel (DMFI), Jewish Women International (JWI), National Council of Jewish Women, Hadassah, The Women\u2019s Zionist Organization of America, JStreet, and Nexus Project.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415154", "Rep. Smith on Taiwan's special defense budget announcement", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), issued the following statement, welcoming President Lai Ching-te\u2019s announcement that Taiwan would be investing $40 billion to meet defense needs:\n\n\u201cPresident Lai understands that cutting edge deterrence capabilities are needed to protect Taiwan\u2014a democratic Chinese society free from tyranny, where the people are able to achieve both liberty and wealth.\n\n\u201cFree and prosperous Taiwan presents a stark contrast to mainland China, which, under Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party, enjoys neither; people struggle under a forced labor regime and a \u20189-9-6 economy\u2019 to simply make ends meet\u2014while propping up the dictatorship.\n\n\u201cI strongly encourage Taiwan\u2019s legislature\u2014and all political parties\u2014to approve President Lai\u2019s proposal and work with the President to advance other key measures to support Taiwan\u2019s military and the men and woman who serve to defend their nation.\n\n\u201cTaiwan is America\u2019s frontline in the Pacific, and Taiwan\u2019s security is America\u2019s security. I urge my fellow Americans to stand firmly with Taiwan.\u201d\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415155", "CatholicVote article on the PROTECT Our Kids Act'House passes bill to prevent China's communist teachings in American schools'", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Elise Winland\n\nPublished December 5, 2025\n\nThe House approved legislation Dec. 4 to bar federal funding from any K-12 school that receives money from the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC), as lawmakers sharpen scrutiny of Beijing\u2019s attempts to influence American education.\n\nThe measure, the PROTECT Our Kids Act (HR 1069), passed by a vote of 247-164, with all 164 opposing votes coming from Democrats.\n\nRepublican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey, a Catholic, said the bill, which was introduced by Rep. Kevin Hern, R-Okla., is needed to counter the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s (CCP) \u201cpervasive and insidious influence\u201d in U.S. classrooms. He argued the measure would help shield students from CCP propaganda and bolster national security.\n\n\u201cThe PROTECT Our Kids Act is a vital tool for helping to stop the spread of the PRC\u2019s lies about communism and the operations of the Chinese government, as well as promote the importance of protecting national security interests in America\u2019s schools,\u201d Smith said. \u201cThis legislation helps ensure that American students can no longer be misled and misinformed by foreign governments, such as the PRC, about the empty promises of communism.\u201d\n\nShutterstock\n\nThe House also advanced a related bill Dec. 3. Rep. David Joyce, R-Ohio, introduced the Combatting the Lies of Authoritarians in School Systems Act, which passed with 242 votes.\n\nJoyce\u2019s bill would bar federally funded schools from accepting money or contracts from the Chinese government or its affiliates and would require schools to disclose any foreign funding to the Department of Education. He said the legislation responds to China\u2019s expanding attempts to shape American classrooms.\n\n\u201cThe CCP\u2019s attempts to shape narratives in our classrooms threaten the fairness and independence of American education,\u201d he said. \u201cGiven China\u2019s growing influence in education worldwide, taking commonsense steps to protect our children and safeguard the integrity of our school systems is essential.\u201d\n\nThe legislation comes amid heightened concern over what Smith has called the CCP\u2019s \u201cwar on religion.\u201d Earlier this year, Beijing detained about 30 leaders of the underground Zion Church, including well-known pastor Mingri \u201cEzra\u201d Jin, whose family holds U.S. citizenship. Catholic dissident Jimmy Lai has similarly spent nearly five years in a Hong Kong prison and still awaits sentencing.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415156", "Breitbart article on Smith-Lee letter to OPM'GOP Lawmakers Demand OPM Halt Taxpayer-Funded Abortions for Members of Congress, Staff'", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Katherine Hamilton\n\nPublished December 5, 2025\n\nTwo dozen Republican lawmakers say members of Congress and their staff have access to taxpayer-funded healthcare plans that include coverage for elective abortions, in violation of federal law.\n\nSen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) led a bicameral letter on Friday to U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor demanding the agency stop \u201cadministering government contributions for Members of Congress and Congressional staff in connection with health insurance plans that cover elective abortion, in violation of the longstanding Smith (NJ) Amendment.\u201d\n\nThe letter explains that, since 1984, federal laws have prohibited the use of appropriated funds \u201cto pay for an abortion, or the administrative expenses in connection with any health plan under the Federal employees health benefits program which provides any benefits or coverage for abortions\u201d except in cases of rape or incest or if the life of the mother is in danger. Lawmakers said the provisions restrict OPM from administering government contributions in connection with any health plan for federal employees that covers elective abortion.\n\nJemal Countess/Getty Images for Women's March\n\n\u201cHowever, OPM is currently subsidizing plans that cover elective abortion in clear violation of the Smith Amendment,\u201d the letter alleges. \u201cWhile the Affordable Care Act (ACA) limits Members of Congress and designated Congressional staff to purchasing health plans offered through an Exchange, under a current Obama-era rule in effect since plan year 2014, OPM administers government contributions\u2026for Members of Congress and Congressional staff enrolled in any Gold level health insurance plan offered through the District of Columbia\u2019s Health Exchange Small Business Health Options Program (DC SHOP)\u2014also known as DC Health Link\u2014including plans that cover elective abortion.\u201d\n\nThe letter points out OPM\u2019s claim on its website that abortion coverage is enabled by segregated costs, meaning the individual\u2019s contribution to their health plan is used for abortion coverage, while other coverage is derived from taxpayer funds. Republicans rejected that claim in their letter, calling it an \u201caccounting gimmick.\u201d\n\n\u201cOPM\u2019s use of this accounting gimmick to grant abortion subsidies to Congress is not provided for under Section 1303 of the ACA and is blatantly illegal under the Smith Amendment\u2019s strict requirement for a complete exclusion of elective abortion coverage for federal employees,\u201d they wrote. \u201cBy flouting the Smith Amendment, such subsidies also violate the Antideficiency Act, which prohibits the authorization of expenditures or obligations without an appropriation by law.\u201d They continued:\n\nTaxpayers, who contribute 72 to 75 percent of these health benefit premiums, do not want their hard-earned tax dollars to pay for abortions,\u201d they continued. \u201cThe Smith Amendment does not allow Members of Congress and Congressional staff to operate under a different set of rules than other federal employees when it comes to taxpayer funding of abortion. For 2026, there are only two health plans offered through DC Health Link that do not cover abortion, CareFirst\u2019s BluePreferred PPO Gold and United Healthcare\u2019s Choice Plus Gold.\n\nTherefore, we request swift action by OPM to ensure that any health insurance subsidies for members of Congress or Congressional staff are in full compliance with the clear terms of the Smith Amendment. Any DC SHOP plan that covers elective abortion should not be eligible for a government contribution.\n\n\u201cThank you for your attention to this important matter. We look forward to working with you to ensure the health and safety of the American people,\u201d lawmakers concluded.\n\nLawmakers sent the letter amid a larger battle in Congress to extend the Hyde Amendment to expiring Obamacare premium subsidies. The Hyde Amendment bans the use of federal taxpayer dollars from funding abortions, with exceptions for rape or incest, or to save the life of the mother. It was first enacted in 1976 and must be renewed annually through the congressional appropriations process.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415158", "SeafoodSource article on the Stop Illegal Fishing Act'US House committee approves Stop Illegal Fishing Act'", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Nathan Strout\n\nPublished December 5, 2025\n\nThe U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee has approved the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, legislation that authorizes U.S. President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on foreign individuals and vessels that engage in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU) fishing.\n\nThe authors of the bill say the measure is necessary to crack down on large foreign fishing fleets that have dodgy records on the environment and human rights \u2013 particularly China\u2019s distant-water fleet.\n\n\u201cFleets of illegal fishing vessels are devastating sensitive fish populations, harming food security and local economies around the world. Nearly half of these vessels, 44 percent, originate from China. If Beijing won't hold these exploitive vessels and individuals accountable, the U.S. must. That is why we\u2019ve introduced legislation that would grant the president power to impose sanctions on any individual or entity engaging in IUU fishing,\u201d U.S. Representative Gregory Meeks (D-New York) and U.S. Representative Young Kim (R-California) said in a joint statement.\n\nThe Stop Illegal Fishing Act would give the president the authority to impose sanctions on individuals who own vessels engaged in IUU fishing, those who hold leadership positions at companies engaged in IUU fishing, and captains and senior crew members on the vessels. Sanctioned individuals could have their U.S.-based assets frozen and their visas revoked.\n\nIf passed, the legislation would require a report from the president to produce a list of all individuals and vessels sanctioned under the new law within 180 days.\n\nU.S. Representative Brian Mast (R-Florida), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, was highly critical of China\u2019s distant water fishing practices.\n\n\u201cIt is a serious threat to coastal nations worldwide,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat it really is, it's harassment. It is mostly a middle finger from the Chinese Communist Party to neighboring and coastal countries. The Chinese Communist Party oversees the largest illegal fishing fleet. They deplete fish stocks. They violate maritime laws. They harm local economies across the globe.\u201d\n\nU.S. lawmakers have grown increasingly critical of China\u2019s seafood sector following the Outlaw Ocean Project\u2019s reports documenting state-sponsored forced labor and other worker violations in the nation\u2019s domestic processing sector and distant water fishing fleet.\n\nThe first report, which was published in 2023, revealed evidence that the Chinese government was forcing members of the oppressed Uyghur population to work in seafood-processing plants, where they were subject to a litany of abuse. Follow-up reports alleged abusive working conditions on Chinese squid-harvesting vessels and the use of North Korean labor at seafood-processing facilities \u2013 a violation of international law. All told, the Outlaw Ocean Project alleged that at least 47,000 metric tons of seafood processed with Uyghur labor made its way to U.S. markets.\n\nDuring the 1 December markup of the Stop Illegal Fishing Act, U.S. Representative Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) \u2013 who chaired a Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) hearing on \u201cHow Forced Labor in China Taints America's Seafood Supply Chain\u201d shortly after the first Outlaw Ocean Project report dropped \u2013 urged his colleagues to support the bill.\n\n\u201cChina\u2019s fleet is filled to overflowing with forced labor,\u201d Smith said. \u201cOn the open seas, cut off from contact with the land, harsh and very cruel punishment is meted out to laborers, who are treated as slaves \u2013 wages are withheld. Captive peoples, especially the Uyghurs, are often conscripted onto these boats.\u201d\n\nSmith and other lawmakers on the commission have called on the federal government to further investigate the seafood industry\u2019s connections to forced labor and block seafood imports from China. Not long after the Outlaw Ocean Project revelations, U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) introduced the Ban China\u2019s Forbidden Operations in the Oceanic Domain (Ban C-FOOD) Act, but no action was ever taken on the bill.\n\nWhile the U.S. has not outright banned Chinese seafood, the government has taken several actions targeting individual companies and restricting Chinese imports.\n\nIn 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security added seafood to its high-priority list for enforcing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA) and banned imports from the Shandong Meijia Group under the same law. The U.S. Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force held three webinars last year on what the government was doing to enforce the UFLPA.\n\nLawmakers are also currently pushing to pass the Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, a bill that would establish a blacklist of vessels involved in IUU fishing and ban them from U.S. waters.\n\n\u201cThe FISH Act gives us more enforcement tools in response to illegal fishing,\u201d U.S. Representative Val Hoyle (D-Oregon) said during a November hearing. \u201cIt creates a list for illegal vessels, holds vessel owners accountable, and improves tracking of foreign boats, which helps keep illegal seafood out of American stores through sanctions and import restrictions, protecting consumers and vulnerable workers.\u201d\n\nThe Senate passed the FISH Act as an amendment to the annual defense appropriations bill in October, but it\u2019s not clear if that language will survive negotiations between the House and Senate. There are several differences between the two versions of the bill, including an amendment eliminating exceptions for seafood from the government\u2019s \u201cBuy American\u201d provisions in the House bill and an amendment banning the military from buying seafood originating from or processed in China in the Senate bill.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-welcomes-health-board-move-defer-decision-would-close-long-branchs", "Pallone Welcomes Health Board Move To Defer Decision That Would Close Long Branch\u2019s Hospital", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Frank Pallone, Jr.", "P000034", "pallone.house.gov", "pallone", "https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "LONG BRANCH, N.J. \u2014 Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today welcomed the decision by the State Health Planning Board last night to defer their decision to issue a recommendation on the closure of Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) hospital in Long Branch.\n\nThe decision by the Board to postpone issuing their final recommendation comes after the State\u2019s final hearing in Trenton yesterday, where Pallone led hundreds of members of the community in expressing opposition to RWJ Barnabas Health\u2019s plan to relocate all of Monmouth Medical Center\u2019s acute care facilities and hospital license in Long Branch to a new facility in Tinton Falls\u2014a plan which would devastate vulnerable communities in Long Branch and the surrounding area.\n\n\u201cEveryone deserves access to life-saving health care at a hospital. This fight isn\u2019t over and I\u2019m glad the State Health Planning Board understands just how disastrous this would be,\u201d Pallone said. \u201cThe decision by the board to defer is unprecedented and demonstrates the legitimate and serious concerns with RWJ Barnabas Health\u2019s application. I\u2019m going to continue making the case that the current proposal fails Long Branch residents and puts hospital access throughout the region at risk. Premiums are going up, people are losing their insurance, and families are making tough choices. Closing Long Branch\u2019s hospital would only make our health care crisis worse.\u201d\n\nThe Board\u2019s decision to defer their recommendations comes after a lengthy and mismanaged public comment process where Long Branch area residents were literally shut out in the cold. The Board requested further information on the use of mass transit by patients to the new facility; staffing sourcing; an extension on the services that would remain in Long Branch; and how moving the hospital license and facilities out of Long Branch would detrimentally affect health equity.\n\nFor decades, Monmouth Medical Center hospital has provided essential health care to residents who already face barriers such as transportation challenges, chronic illness, and lack of insurance coverage.\n\nPallone has long argued that closing Monmouth Medical Center hospital and abandoning the Long Branch community will lead to worse health care outcomes for many. Other hospitals in the region will be forced to absorb an influx of patients, potentially leading to longer wait times, staff burnout, and greater financial strain. He continues to advocate for a solution that would allow RWJ Barnabas Health to keep acute care hospital services in Long Branch while building their new facility in Tinton Falls.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press/booker-hosts-roundtable-with-new-jerseyans-to-discuss-republicans-refusal-to-address-spiking-health-care-costs-for-nj-families", "Booker Hosts Roundtable with New Jerseyans to Discuss Republicans\u2019 Refusal To Address Spiking Health Care Costs for NJ Families", "2025-12-05", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Cory A. Booker", "B001288", "www.booker.senate.gov", "booker", "https://www.booker.senate.gov/news/press", "scraper", "NEWARK, N.J. \u2013 This morning, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a roundtable discussion with New Jersey residents who spoke about their concerns that their health care could become even more expensive if Senate Republicans do not work with Democrats to extend ACA subsidies. The roundtable comes as Democrats seek to address the crisis of spiking health care costs as the ACA subsidy fight looms in Congress later this month.\n\n\u201cThis morning, I heard from my neighbors in Newark about one of their deepest worries: the rising cost of their health care at a time when the price of everyday necessities continues to climb\u2013\u2013from energy to groceries,\u201d said Sen. Booker. \u201cNo family should have to choose between affording essential health care and making ends meet. Yet, this is exactly what Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans are forcing hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans to do with their refusal to bolster ACA subsidies. Republicans control the White House, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. It's time Republicans work with us to address the pain their policies have caused and lower costs for working families.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe help thousands of state residents enroll in health insurance every year, people who can afford to see a doctor thanks to the Affordable Care Act,\u201d said Maura Collinsgru, Director of Policy and Advocacy for New Jersey Citizen Action. \u201cBut with the GOP's 900 billion in cuts\u2014to the ACA, Medicaid, and Medicare\u2014more than 350,000 New Jerseyans are expected to lose coverage. We call on all Republicans, especially our Representatives Kean, Smith, and Van Drew, to work with Democrats to repair the damage they're responsible for. That starts with restoring the ACA premium tax credits they cut now so people renewing their ACA coverage during open enrollment will not be forced to choose between keeping a roof over their head or having access to health care for themselves and their families.\"\n\nBACKGROUND: TRUMP & GOP ARE RAISING THE COST OF NEW JERSEY FAMILIES\u2019 HEALTH CARE", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"], ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415150", "Combating foreign influence in American K-12 schoolsHouse passes the PROTECT Our Kids Act to prevent the People\u2019s Republic of China\u2019s communist teachings in American schools", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "With the strong support and vote of Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), the U.S. House of Representatives passed the PROTECT Our Kids Act (HR 1069), legislation to \u201cprohibit the availability of Federal education funds for elementary and secondary schools that receive direct or indirect support from the Government of the People\u2019s Republic of China\u201d (PRC).\n\n\u201cThe PRC\u2019s goal in influencing American students is not an altruistic one; they are not seeking to merely \u2018enlighten\u2019 American children and expand their worldviews,\u201d said Smith. \u201cThe purpose of these so-called \u2018Confucius Classrooms\u2019 is to undermine and subvert American business, national security, and civic interests by manipulating malleable students into perceiving China favorably on the global stage.\n\n\u201cFor many years, I have been sounding the alarm on the PRC\u2019s pervasive and insidious influence on American students in our colleges and universities,\u201d continued Smith, the author of legislation to require Confucius Institutes, think tanks, academic programs, or nongovernmental organizations funded by the PRC to register under section 2 of the Foreign Agents Registration Act of 1938 (22 U.S.C. 612).\n\n\u201cStudents in our elementary and secondary schools are especially vulnerable to the PRC\u2019s fabrications\u2014we must immediately end these pernicious programs.\n\n\u201cThe PROTECT Our Kids Act is a vital tool for helping to stop the spread of the PRC\u2019s lies about communism and the operations of the Chinese government, as well as promote the importance of protecting national security interests in America\u2019s schools,\u201d noted the China policy expert. \u201cThis legislation helps ensure that American students can no longer be misled and misinformed by foreign governments, such as the PRC, about the empty promises of communism.\n\n\u201cChina, led by the dictator thug General Secretary Xi Jinping, has been a standalone leader in perpetrating mass human rights abuses; a foreign government, especially of this nature, should have absolutely zero say in the education of our students.\n\n\u201cI strongly urge my colleagues in the Senate to immediately take up this critical legislation for a vote. The United States should be educating our future leaders on the cruel truth of communist governments\u2014not allowing their impressionable minds to be shaped by a foreign government\u2019s lies,\u201d concluded Smith.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "truncated": false, "filtered_table_rows_count": 1279, "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 \"state\" = :p0 and \"year\" = :p1 order by date desc limit 101", "params": {"p0": "NJ", "p1": "2025"}}, "facet_results": {"party": {"name": "party", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "Democrat", "label": "Democrat", "count": 858, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025&party=Democrat", "selected": false}, {"value": "Republican", "label": "Republican", "count": 421, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025&party=Republican", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "chamber": {"name": "chamber", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "House", "label": "House", "count": 990, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025&chamber=House", "selected": false}, {"value": "Senate", "label": "Senate", "count": 289, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025&chamber=Senate", "selected": false}], "truncated": false}, "state": {"name": "state", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "NJ", "label": "NJ", "count": 1279, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?year=2025", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}, "year": {"name": "year", "type": "column", "hideable": false, "toggle_url": "/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025", "results": [{"value": "2025", "label": "2025", "count": 1279, "toggle_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ", "selected": true}], "truncated": false}}, "suggested_facets": [], "next": "2025-12-04,https~3A~2F~2Fchrissmith~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D415150", "next_url": "http://dpwillis-congress-press-search.hf.space/press/releases.json?state=NJ&year=2025&_next=2025-12-04%2Chttps~3A~2F~2Fchrissmith~2Ehouse~2Egov~2Fnews~2Fdocumentsingle~2Easpx~3FDocumentID~3D415150&_sort_desc=date", "private": false, "allow_execute_sql": true, "query_ms": 351.4943467453122, "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"}