{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-renews-demand-additional-public-hearing-long-branch-after-residents", "Pallone Renews Demand for Additional Public Hearing in Long Branch After Residents Shut Out of State Meeting on Hospital Closing", "2025-11-17", "2025", "2025-11", "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 called on the New Jersey Department of Health to schedule an additional in-person public hearing in Long Branch after hundreds of residents were denied entry to the State Health Planning Board\u2019s November 13 hearing on the proposed relocation of Monmouth Medical Center hospital.\n\nIn a letter sent this morning to Acting Commissioner Jeffrey A. Brown, Pallone reiterated that Long Branch residents were forced to stand outside for hours in freezing temperatures because the small room provided by RWJBarnabas Health quickly filled with its own employees. Most residents were never able to speak before the Board.\n\n\u201cThere is no question that the hundreds of people who attended the November 13th hearing, almost all of whom were Long Branch residents opposed to the application, were left standing outside in the cold for hours because the small room provided by RWJBarnabas Health quickly reached capacity with their own employees. Many residents ultimately left before having any opportunity to speak, as temperatures dropped and there was no indication they would ever be allowed inside,\u201d Pallone wrote.\n\nPallone noted that Acting Commissioner Brown indicated the relocation application will likely be on the agenda at the State Health Planning Board\u2019s December 4 meeting in Trenton. While the meeting will be open to the public, Pallone stressed that it is unreasonable to expect Long Branch residents to travel even farther from home to weigh in on a proposal that directly impacts their community.\n\n\u201c\u2026you cannot reasonably expect Long Branch residents to travel even farther from the city to speak at a hearing in Trenton. I again request that a second in-person hearing be held locally in Long Branch, in a room large enough to accommodate our residents, and at a time after normal working hours. It is simply unrealistic to expect people to take time off from their jobs between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to participate in this meeting,\u201d Pallone continued.\n\nIf the Department refuses to hold a second in-person hearing in Long Branch, Pallone urged the state to ensure that the December 4 meeting is fully accessible virtually.\n\n\u201cThis would allow Long Branch residents to gather at a suitable venue within the city with enough space and the necessary technology to accommodate everyone. Residents must be allowed to line up indoors, speak to the board via a large screen, and express their concerns until every person who wishes to be heard has that opportunity. The virtual option must afford all members of the public to comment directly to members of the board,\u201d he wrote.\n\nA full copy of Pallone\u2019s letter to Acting Commissioner Brown is below:\n\nDear Acting Commissioner Brown,\n\nThank you for taking the time to speak with me this morning about the public hearing held by the State Health Planning Board on November 13, 2025, and about my request for an additional hearing to be held in Long Branch so that the public may have a full and fair opportunity to be heard.\n\nThere is no question that the hundreds of people who attended the November 13th hearing, almost all of whom were Long Branch residents opposed to the application, were left standing outside in the cold for hours because the small room provided by RWJBarnabas Health quickly reached capacity with their own employees. Many residents ultimately left before having any opportunity to speak, as temperatures dropped and there was no indication they would ever be allowed inside.\n\nDuring our conversation, you expressed your view that the State Health Planning Board meeting scheduled for December 4, 2025, will likely include the Monmouth Medical Center relocation application on its agenda. You also noted that this meeting in Trenton would be open to the public, and that you would consider allowing public comment both in person and virtually.\n\nHowever, you cannot reasonably expect Long Branch residents to travel even farther from the city to speak at a hearing in Trenton. I again request that a second in-person hearing be held locally in Long Branch, in a room large enough to accommodate our residents, and at a time after normal working hours. It is simply unrealistic to expect people to take time off from their jobs between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to participate in this meeting.\n\nIn addition, I respectfully ask that the December 4th State Health Planning Board meeting be fully accessible virtually to the public. This would allow Long Branch residents to gather at a suitable venue within the city with enough space and the necessary technology to accommodate everyone. Residents must be allowed to line up indoors, speak to the board via a large screen, and express their concerns until every person who wishes to be heard has that opportunity. The virtual option must afford all members of the public to comment directly to members of the board.\n\nThank you again for your time and consideration.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T19:52:45Z"]], "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"], "primary_key_values": ["https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-renews-demand-additional-public-hearing-long-branch-after-residents"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.5288079157471657, "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"}