Press releases
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986 rows where chamber = "House", state = "NJ" and year = 2026 sorted by date descending
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| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415879 | Washington Examiner Op-Ed by Rep. Smith'Over 2 million people are alive today because of one law — and Washington wants to kill it' | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Rep. Chris Smith Published September 30, 2026 at 5:00am ET Fifty years ago — on Sept. 30, 1976 — Congress first enacted an amendment offered by the late, great Rep. Henry Hyde of Illinois to prohibit federal Medicaid funds from being used to subsidize the killing of unborn children by abortion. During debate in the House, Henry said: “An innocent, defenseless human life, in a caring and humane society deserves better than to be flushed down a toilet or burned in an incinerator.” “The promise of America,” he said, “is that life is not just for the privileged, the planned, or the perfect.” According to Dr. Michael J. New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, approximately 2.7 million people are alive today — and each year, another 60,000 evade the irreversible consequence of abortion and survive — because of Henry Hyde’s amendment. Thanks to Henry Hyde, 2.7 million people — who would have otherwise been aborted — have experienced the joys and challenges of life and opportunities to thrive. Beginning in 1981, I had the honor of serving alongside Henry Hyde in the House of Representatives. He was brilliant, compassionate, tenacious, incredibly articulate, self-effacing, a man of great wisdom and humor — a one-of-a-kind lawmaker — who, to this day, remains the greatest defender of unborn children and their mothers. He was so good at debate, you always wanted him to be your closer. Henry believed sound moral principles and courage should inform and guide the decisions we make in government, and he addressed the 1990 class of incoming freshmen members of Congress with these words: “This may sound odd, even ironic. You are here in the flush of victory. And yet it is precisely now that I ask you to contemplate the possibility of defeat — perhaps even the necessity of defeat. … If you don’t know the principle, or the policy, for which you are willing to lose your office, then you are going to do damage here.” No one wants to lose an election. However, we do great “damage” when we sacrifice our core convictions … | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415880 | FEMA Region 2 Administrator Hartnett to survey Nor’easter damage with Chris Smith | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Friday, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) will join FEMA Region 2 Administrator Christopher Hartnett and local officials in surveying the extensive damage wrought by the severe Nor’easter from September 25-28, 2026. “Last week, New Jersey—and especially the shore communities within our Fourth Congressional District—experienced a severe Nor’easter, bringing heavy rains, damaging winds, and substantial, prolonged flooding. The storm also caused significant and dangerous beach erosion, as well as thousands of power outages across the state,” said Smith, who secured millions of dollars in federal grants for Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts. As the Nor’easter ripped through New Jersey, several communities in Ocean County were isolated from the mainland, first responders conducted hundreds of rescues from flooded homes and vehicles, and many schools in both Monmouth and Ocean County remained closed on Monday, September 28th. “As the impacted towns in my district take stock of the damage and needs to rebuild, I am committed to helping our local leaders through this tenuous process—first, by surveying the damage first-hand and documenting the storm’s impacts to residents’ safety and quality of life,” continued Smith. “While we still do not know the full extent of the Nor’easter’s damage, this visit will give us a greater understanding of how the federal government can best assist our shore communities during this perilous time.” ### | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-joins-north-jerseys-korean-american-community-at-the-25th-annual-korean-harvest-festival-of-new-jersey | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Joins North Jersey’s Korean-American Community at the 25th Annual Korean Harvest Festival of New Jersey | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Below: Gottheimer at the 25th Annual Korean Harvest Festival of New Jersey to celebrate Chuseok. RIDGEFIELD, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) attended the 25th Annual Korean Harvest Festival of New Jersey. The festival brings together New Jersey’s diverse communities to enjoy and experience Korean culture. This year’s festival featured Korean dishes, music, art, games, and more to celebrate Chuseok, a South Korean holiday celebrating the full moon and harvest. “The Korean American community is a critical part of North Jersey — they work every day to make the Fifth District an even better place to live, raise our families, and do business. I’m proud to be able to help celebrate Chuseok and remember that our greatest strength is diversity in the United States,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). Gottheimer has worked with Korean American community and business leaders from North Jersey to support small businesses, lower taxes, keep communities safe, help make life more affordable, and combat hate against the Asian American and Pacific Islander community. Gottheimer was joined by Bergen County Executive James Tedesco, Bergen County Clerk John Hogan, Bergen County Sheriff Anthony Cureton, Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, Bergen County Commissioner Mary Amoroso, Bergen County Commissioner Rafael Marte, NJ Assemblywoman Ellen Park, NJ Assemblyman Robert Auth, Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna, Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mark Park, Palisades Park Mayor Paul Kim, Palisades Park Councilman Christopher Kwak, Palisades Park Councilman Charlie Shin, Palisades Park Councilman Frank Donohue, the Korean American Association of NJ, The Ko-American Harvest Festival Committee, Korean Produce Association of NY, The Korean NY Daily. Below: Gottheimer at the 25th Annual Korean Harvest Festival of New Jersey celebrating Chuseok. ### | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-calls-on-the-u-s-doj-and-nj-attorney-general-to-investigate-lindens-targeting-of-jewish-community | RELEASE: Gottheimer Calls on the U.S. DOJ and NJ Attorney General to Investigate Linden’s Targeting of Jewish Community | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | LINDEN, NJ — Today, Wednesday, September 30, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced he is working with the U.S. Department of Justice and New Jersey Attorney General Jennifer Davenport to address serious concerns about the seven-year pattern of discriminatory zoning changes and selective enforcement by the City of Linden against its Jewish community. Gottheimer has now sent a letter to both U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and New Jersey Attorney General Davenport, asking them to work together on a review. “Religious freedom is one of the cornerstones of our democracy, and any attempt to exclude or harass a certain population based on prejudice, particularly by public officials, is deeply upsetting and disturbing,” wrote Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).”For more than 35 years prior to the arrival of the Jewish community in Linden, there were no significant changes to the City’s zoning regulations. However, in the seven years since the Jewish community began to settle there, the City has enacted four major zoning changes. Each of these changes directly impacts the Jewish community’s religious life and unique family needs… I encourage the U.S. Department of Justice and New Jersey Office of the Attorney General to investigate these claims and, if necessary, take legal action to remediate these alarming actions by the City of Linden.” The full letter can be found here. Gottheimer’s September 2026 letter asks the U.S. Department of Justice and the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General to look into a seven-year pattern of zoning changes and selective enforcement by the City of Linden (Union County) aimed at its Jewish community. It builds on his May 2025 letter to the Department of Justice. The letter outlines: Houses of worship: Months after approving a synagogue in May 2017, the City raised the minimum lot size for houses of worship from 25,000 to 75,000 square feet. It then made combining lots effectively impossible. Residential zoning: Between 2023 and 2025, the City proposed counting basem… | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2101 | Congressman Van Drew Recognizes Childhood Cancer Awareness Month | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC - As Childhood Cancer Awareness Month comes to a close, Congressman Van Drew released the following message: "No child should have to spend their childhood fighting cancer. But every day, children and families across the country are facing treatments, hospital stays, and uncertainty that most of us can hardly imagine," said Congressman Van Drew. "Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is a chance to recognize those kids and the families who are right there beside them. It is also a reminder that we have to keep supporting the research, treatments, and doctors working to give these children the best possible chance. To every child fighting cancer, and every parent, sibling, and loved one going through it with them, we are thinking about you and praying for you. And we are going to keep supporting the doctors, researchers, and families doing everything they can to beat this disease." | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2102 | Congressman Van Drew Applauds President Trump's Executive Order Addressing Alpha-gal Syndrome | 2026-09-30 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew applauded President Trump's executive order addressing alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-borne allergy that can cause serious reactions to certain foods, medicines, and other products containing mammal-derived ingredients. The order includes efforts to improve treatment options and explore clearer labeling for food and drug products that may contain alpha-gal. "Alpha-gal is something I have been working on for a long time because I have heard directly from people who have to think about it every single day," said Congressman Van Drew. "They have to constantly worry about what is in their food, what is in their medicine, and whether something they use could cause a serious reaction. President Trump's executive order is a very important step because it focuses on two of the biggest things I have been pushing for: better treatment options and clearer labeling. "My Alpha-gal Allergen Inclusion Act would formally add alpha-gal to the list of major food allergens under federal law so people have clearer information about when it may be present in the products they use. Now, with the administration also directing federal agencies to explore labeling for food and drug products and look at potential treatments, we have real momentum behind this issue. I am going to keep working to build on that and move my bill forward so people living with alpha-gal have the protections and treatment options they deserve." | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415877 | Smith welcomes release of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu | 2026-09-29 | 2026 | 2026-09 | 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-Chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, today welcomed the long-awaited release of Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu, an imprisoned Azerbaijani economist, anti-corruption advocate, and former New Jersey resident. Dr. Ibadoghlu has safely arrived in Berlin for urgently needed medical treatment. “I am overjoyed that Dr. Gubad Ibadoghlu is finally free and safe in Germany, where he can receive the medical care he so urgently needs,” said Smith, who has consistently advocated for Dr. Ibadoghlu’s release and access to medical care since his arrest in 2023. “This is a wonderful day for Gubad; his wife, Irada; their children; and all those who have stood with this courageous family,” he continued. “Gubad’s son, Emin—a New Jersey resident—and the entire Ibadoghlu family were extraordinary in their steadfastness and determination. They never stopped working for Gubad’s freedom, building support for him across governments, parliaments, human rights organizations, universities, and civil societies around the world. Their persistence and courage have been remarkable, and today, they have every reason to rejoice.” Smith also expressed his gratitude for the German government and other U.S. officials, who worked tirelessly to secure Dr. Ibadoghlu’s release and safe arrival in Germany. Dr. Ibadoghlu’s son, Emin Bayramli, said, “We want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who has helped and supported our family throughout this difficult journey. We are especially grateful to Congressman Chris Smith, who have stood with our family from day one and have never stopped advocating on our behalf. We would also like to thank the German government, the State Department, and the Administration for their continued support and for all the assistance they have provided to our family.” “While we celebrate Gubad’s freedom today, I call upon Azerbaijani authorities to fully drop the criminal charges that remain against him following his release on medical grounds, as well as the charges against his broth… | 1 | 2026-09-30T10:57:52Z | 2026-09-30T10:59:04Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415878 | Smith authored the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (PL 113-150)Smith applauds State Department’s new visa restriction policy to combat international parental child abduction | 2026-09-29 | 2026 | 2026-09 | 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 author of the landmark Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (PL 113-150)—the law created to help return kidnapped American children—issued the below statement following U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s announcement that the State Department will be implementing a new policy to “restrict visa issuance to individuals responsible for, or complicit in, impeding the prompt resolution of international parental child abduction cases, as well as their immediate family members”: “As the author of the Sean and David Goldman International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act (PL 113–150)—which listed specific diplomatic tools and gave the State Department other authorities to enact critical, groundbreaking policies to combat international parental child abduction—I want to thank Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar for taking such bold and decisive action to prevent and punish this incredibly heartbreaking and life-altering crime. “The specified policy, which will restrict visa issuance to foreign nationals found to be responsible for, or complicit in, cases of international parental child abduction, is another critical addition to the United States’ toolkit for reuniting families and securing the return of abducted children to the U.S. “This escalated action is exactly what the Goldman Act envisioned over ten years ago—a United States visa is a privilege, not a right, and it is reserved for those individuals who fully comply with U.S. law and policy. “Any judge, official, law enforcement officer, or individual, who deliberately obstructs the court-ordered return of an American child to their left-behind parent, should not be afforded the opportunity to travel to the United States. “I commend Secretary Rubio and Assistant Secretary Namdar for taking critical steps to ensure that American children abducted from their parent(s) are returned, and that all noncompliant actors are held accounta… | 1 | 2026-09-30T10:57:52Z | 2026-09-30T10:59:04Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-secures-over-2-million-hire-more-clifton-firefighters | Congresswoman Pou Secures Over $2 Million to Hire More Clifton Firefighters | 2026-09-29 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | PATERSON, NJ – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) today announced that she helped secure a $2,139,724.80 federal Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant for the Clifton Fire Department. Awarded through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the funding will allow the department to hire additional firefighters. “Clifton’s firefighters put themselves in harm’s way seven days a week. They deserve to have the people they need beside them when the alarm sounds,” said Congresswoman Pou. “I am proud to help bring more than $2.1 million home to Clifton to put additional firefighters on the job. More firefighters mean a stronger department and more support for the men and women already serving on the front lines. I will always fight to make sure our local fire departments have the federal money they need to protect our communities and bring their firefighters home safely.” “As a vibrant, growing community, Clifton’s fire heroes need every dollar of federal resources to do their jobs. Thanks to this federal funding secured by Congresswoman Pou, Clifton will be able to hire more firefighters and protect our residents when the worst strikes,” said Clifton Mayor Ray Grabowski. Congress created the SAFER program in 2003 to address staffing shortages at fire departments across America. While existing federal fire grants largely helped departments purchase equipment and improve training, SAFER was designed specifically to help communities put more firefighters on the job and ensure departments have adequate personnel to respond to emergencies. Earlier this year, Congresswoman Pou sent a letter to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee requesting increased funding for the SAFER program. SAFER was created through the efforts of the late Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr., who was also the longtime head of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus. Administered by FEMA, SAFER supports two primary activities: hiring additional career firefighters and recruiting and retaining volunteer firefi… | 1 | 2026-09-30T10:57:52Z | 2026-09-30T10:59:04Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/pou-introduces-resolution-celebrating-bangladeshs-global-leadership | Pou Introduces Resolution Celebrating Bangladesh’s Global Leadership | 2026-09-29 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | PATERSON, NJ – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), the co-chair of the Congressional Bangladesh Caucus, has introduced a bipartisan House resolution congratulating the People’s Republic of Bangladesh on assuming the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and reaffirming the importance of the longstanding partnership between Bangladesh and the United States. The Republican lead cosponsor is Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC-02). “Bangladesh’s leadership at the United Nations is a proud moment for Bangladeshis around the world, including the thousands of Bangladeshi Americans I am honored to represent in North Jersey,” said Congresswoman Pou. “Our two nations share deep economic, security, and personal ties that have grown stronger over more than half a century. As co-chair of the Bangladesh Caucus, I want Congress to recognize this historic achievement and continue building a relationship that benefits the people of both our nations.” “We are grateful for Congresswoman Nellie Pou’s leadership in introducing this important resolution and working hard to deepen the ties between the United States and Bangladesh,” said Paterson Second Ward Councilman Shahin Khalique. Pou represents one of the largest Bangladeshi-American communities in the United States. In Congress, she has worked to elevate the voices of Bangladeshi Americans in Washington and strengthen the relationship between the United States and Bangladesh. As her new resolution notes, an estimated 300,000 people of Bangladeshi heritage live in the United States. The United States and Bangladesh established diplomatic relations in 1972 and maintain important economic, military, security, and humanitarian ties. The Congresswoman’s resolution finds that bilateral trade in goods and services totaled an estimated $13.7 billion in 2025 and highlights Bangladesh’s major contributions to U.N. peacekeeping and its hosting of more than one million Rohingya refugees. Bangladeshi Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman was elected President of the … | 1 | 2026-09-30T10:57:52Z | 2026-09-30T10:59:04Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-hosts-hispanic-heritage-month-roundtable-with-north-jersey-community-leaders-and-advocates | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable with North Jersey Community Leaders and Advocates | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer Hosts Roundtable for Hispanic American Heritage Month. BERGENFIELD, NJ — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a Hispanic Heritage Month Roundtable in Bergenfield, bringing together community leaders, advocates, educators, local elected officials, county officials, faith leaders, veteran advocates, and workforce professionals from across North Jersey to celebrate the contributions of the Hispanic and Latino community and discuss the challenges families continue to face. “It’s this diversity of Hispanic and Latino cultures, honestly, that makes North Jersey strong and such a vibrant place to live, work, and raise a family,” Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “If we work together to lift one another up and highlight the diversity that gives us our strength, in the greatest country in the world, our best days will always be ahead of us.” In New Jersey’s Fifth District, more than 151,000 constituents are part of the Hispanic and Latino community, with towns like Hackensack, Englewood, and Bergenfield — where roughly a third of residents are Hispanic — among the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the state. This roundtable was hosted during National Hispanic American Heritage Month, which is celebrated every year from September 15th to October 15th to honor the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans. First, this observance originated as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Then, it was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover this 30-day period, from mid-September to mid-October. This event discussed a range of priorities, including access to affordable and culturally competent health care and mental health care, rising costs and housing affordability, community safety and immigration enforcement concerns, language barriers, and barriers to education. Gottheimer was joined by Camelia Valdes, Passaic County Prosecutor; Raúl Ruiz, President of the New Jersey Coalition of Latino Pastors and Ministers; John Lucas, President of the S… | 1 | 2026-09-29T11:07:12Z | 2026-09-29T11:08:49Z |
| https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-calls-nj-federal-officials-survey-damage-after-storm-anticipating | Pallone Calls for NJ, Federal Officials to Survey Damage After Storm, Anticipating Federal Disaster Declaration | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | P000034 | pallone.house.gov | pallone | https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | LONG BRANCH, NJ – Following heavy rain and coastal flooding caused by a powerful nor’easter that impacted areas across New Jersey, Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today called on the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM), as well as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to conduct a prompt survey to assess the damage to the state in anticipation of the necessity for a federal disaster declaration. “In some parts of my district 6 to 7 feet of tidal flooding inundated businesses and homes, municipal infrastructure such as piers and bulkheads are severely damaged, and cars on the street are submerged in flood water,” Pallone wrote. “While it appears that flood control projects, berms, and raised homes saved many areas from even worse damage, the destruction left behind from this storm is significant.” Pallone also thanked Governor Sherrill for her proactive state of emergency declaration, and reiterated his willingness to work with state officials to provide the necessary federal funds to help towns, businesses, and residents recover from the storm. Full text of the letter is available here and below: Dear Commissioner Potosnak and Acting State Director Hengemuhle: Over the weekend, my district and areas across New Jersey were hit by a powerful nor’easter storm that resulted in intense rainfall, tidal surges, and forceful winds. I appreciate your willingness to conduct a prompt survey to assess damage to our state. This is necessary in my effort to secure a federal disaster declaration, should the damage survey thresholds be met. From power outages to substantial coastal erosion, this nor’easter has brought dangerous conditions to our state. In its most recent forecast, the National Weather Service warned that the nor'easter would likely continue heavy rain and tidal surges on mid-Atlantic and northeastern states through Monday night. Coastal sections of New Jersey are seeing signific… | 1 | 2026-09-29T11:07:12Z | 2026-09-29T11:08:49Z |
| https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallone-urges-ferc-protect-pjm-customers-stronger-data-center-rules | Pallone Urges FERC to Protect PJM Customers with Stronger Data Center Rules | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | P000034 | pallone.house.gov | pallone | https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today urging the Commission to use its authority to approve and strengthen recent proposals put forth by PJM surrounding its handling of data centers. “Americans are deeply frustrated and concerned that the rapid and unceasing development of data centers is driving up their monthly energy bills. At the end of the day, protecting Americans’ power bills is FERC’s responsibility,” Pallone wrote in his letter to FERC Chairman Laura Swett. “While I support many of the provisions included in the proposals, I am concerned that they do not go far enough and believe [FERC] should use its authority to improve PJM’s proposals to protect families across the mid-Atlantic region.” Pallone explained that data centers are responsible for an increase in PJM capacity market costs of nearly $30 billion since the summer of 2024. Meanwhile, demand for electricity over the next decade is expected to explode, with PJM forecasting a roughly four percent increase in peak demand each year driven almost entirely by data centers. PJM is therefore suggesting it implement three reforms: requiring data centers to pay for new power plants to make PJM’s grid reliable, requiring data centers to bring their own new generation capacity online, and creating a registry of data centers within PJM’s boundaries. Pallone writes that while he supports these goals, FERC should impose the following improvements to strengthen them: Ensure that data centers are responsible for all the costs they cause, not just for new power plants designed to shore up reliability; Make the requirement for data centers to bring their own new generation capacity online permanent; and Make the proposed data center registry public so that every American has access to the information they need to protect and empower their communities. “Last year, my constituents saw an outrageous 20 percent increase in their power bills, fueled… | 1 | 2026-09-29T11:07:12Z | 2026-09-29T11:08:49Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/pou-introduces-safe-water-schools-act-protect-students-lead | Pou Introduces Safe Water for Schools Act to Protect Students from Lead | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | PATERSON, NJ – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), a member of the House Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, last week introduced H.R. 10596, the Safe Water for Schools Act, legislation to help schools across the country replace aging drinking water fountains and monitor their water for dangerous lead contamination. “Every parent should be able to send their child to school knowing the water they drink is safe,” said Congresswoman Pou. “Last year, testing in Paterson in our district found lead in water fountains and faucets throughout our schools, including dangerous levels that forced some fixtures out of service. This is a problem we can fix. My new bill will help schools in New Jersey and across America replace old fountains, monitor water, and keep lead away from our children. Safe drinking water isn’t political and should be something every family can count on, no excuses.” The Safe Water for Schools Act would reauthorize a federal grant program under the Safe Drinking Water Act at $7 million annually from fiscal years 2027 through 2029. The program helps local school districts replace older drinking water fountains and cover the costs of monitoring lead levels in school drinking water. The legislation is endorsed by the New Jersey School Boards Association and the American Federation of Teachers. The need for this investment has hit close to home in the Garden State. Testing conducted in Paterson Public Schools last year found excessive lead levels in fountains and faucets at 10 schools. Fourteen fixtures registered above the federal action level (15 parts per billion, or ppb), while testing found some amount of lead in a whopping 29.5 percent of the district's fountains and faucets. Congresswoman Pou has made improving water infrastructure a major focus of her first term in Congress. Earlier this month, the House overwhelmingly passed the Water Resources Development Act, which includes more than a dozen priorities Pou championed to advance flood protection and water projects across North … | 1 | 2026-09-29T11:07:12Z | 2026-09-29T11:08:49Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2099 | Congressman Van Drew Issues Statement on FCC Review of Verizon Copper Service Proposal | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew welcomed the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) decision to prevent Verizon's application to discontinue copper-based telephone service in portions of New Jersey from being automatically approved while the Commission conducts further review. Earlier this month, Congressman Van Drew sent a letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr urging the Commission to reject Verizon's proposal. "This is a good first step, and I appreciate Chairman Carr and the FCC for taking these concerns seriously," said Congressman Van Drew. "People across South Jersey reached out to us because they are genuinely worried about losing a service they still depend on, especially in rural areas where cell coverage is not always reliable. I will continue working with Chairman Carr and the FCC as they review this proposal, and I am still asking that it ultimately be rejected." | 1 | 2026-09-29T11:07:12Z | 2026-09-29T11:08:49Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-watson-coleman-bynum-krishnamoorthi-calls-for-review-of-epas-microplastics-monitoring-and-research | Reps. Watson Coleman, Bynum, Krishnamoorthi Calls for Review of EPA’s Microplastics Monitoring and Research | 2026-09-28 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | W000822 | watsoncoleman.house.gov | watsoncoleman | https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases | scraper | Today, Congresswoman Janelle Bynum (D-OR), Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led 21 of their colleagues in a letter requesting Government Accountability Office Comptroller General Brown, to conduct a review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to monitor and evaluate the risks of human exposure to micro- and nanoplastics. The lawmakers argue that to continue protecting Americans’ health, they need to understand what the EPA has accomplished in its work on microplastics and what progress still needs to be made. They also emphasize the urgency of this review amid emerging research connecting microplastics to adverse health consequences and serious environmental risks. In the letter, the lawmakers write: “Even as the EPA's FY2023-FY2026 research plan approaches its conclusion, Congress lacks a clear assessment of what the EPA has accomplished in its work on microplastics and what work remains necessary to support reliable monitoring, risk assessment and potential regulatory action.” Later, they write: “Addressing microplastic pollution is critical for protecting the health of Americans and safeguarding our waterways and ecosystems. Our constituents deserve to know what microplastic exposure means for their families’ health, and the requested information above will be critical in informing Congress’s work in tackling this challenge." The letter was also signed by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Representatives Jesús G. "Chuy" García (IL-04), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C), Emanuel Cleaver II (MO-05), Mike Quigley (IL-05), Melanie Stansbury (NM-01), Dave Min (CA-47), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Judy Chu (CA-28), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Adelita S. Grijalva (AZ-07), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Mike Levin (CA-49), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Nanette Diaz Barragán (CA-44), and Zoe Lofgren (CA-18). Researchers at the Environmental Protections Agency (EP… | 1 | 2026-10-01T11:23:28Z | 2026-10-01T11:25:15Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2098 | Congressman Van Drew Provides Update on Storm Response Across South Jersey | 2026-09-27 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew provided an update on the ongoing response to the nor'easter impacting South Jersey and the work underway to prepare for recovery efforts. "Teams are already in the district assessing conditions and damage, and that work will continue throughout the week," said Congressman Van Drew. "In the coming days, I will be personally meeting with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Army Corps of Engineers, including the FEMA Administrator and the Secretary of the Army, both in the district and on the ground. We are going to stay on top of this and make sure our communities get every federal resource and dollar they are eligible for. We have been through storms like this before. South Jersey is strong, and we will recover. My office will be there every step of the way. "If you are without power, or if there is another storm-related issue in your community that you believe needs attention, please fill out the form below. This will help my office know where problems remain so we can follow up with the appropriate agencies, utilities, or local officials. "Finally, I want to thank our first responders, emergency management teams, utility crews, law enforcement, firefighters, and everyone else who has been working to keep our people safe. We are incredibly grateful for everything they have done and continue to do." | 1 | 2026-09-28T11:29:07Z | 2026-09-28T11:30:58Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415873 | Storm Resources | 2026-09-26 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | TOMS RIVER, NJ , Sep 26, 2026 Important Storm Resources: Call 911 for emergencies Report power outage to JCP&L - text “OUT” to 544487 or call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877) If you see downed power lines: Call 911 immediately if you see a downed power line. Stay at least 30 feet away and instruct others to do the same. State of NJ’s 24-hour helpline: 211 State of NJ’s preparedness info: ready.nj.gov National Weather Service for Central and Southern NJ Additional resources: Ocean County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM): (732) 929-2044 Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM): (732) 577-8700 ** Be sure to keep cell phones fully charged during this emergency** Sept 2026 National Weather Service Map. | 1 | 2026-09-27T10:23:37Z | 2026-09-27T10:25:08Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415871 | The Daily Wire exclusive article on Smith legislation'Federal Pro-Life Protection Hits Major Milestone As New Attacks Emerge' | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Leif Le Mahieu Published September 25, 2026 Fifty-years ago, a Republican congressman from Illinois named Henry Hyde took action to successfully protect American dollars from being used to end the life of an unborn child. To honor the lawmaker’s legacy, Senator James Lankford (R-OK) on Friday introduced a resolution calling for the continued support of the Hyde Amendment, a measure prohibiting the use of federal dollars to fund abortions. Lankford credits the amendment with saving over 2.5 million babies, according to a copy of a resolution first obtained by The Daily Wire. Lankford’s resolution marks the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Hyde Amendment, which occurred on September 30, 1976. Since that time, the Hyde Amendment has been repeatedly passed ensuring that federal dollars are not paying for abortions. In recent years, some Democrats have pushed to end the amendment and force Americans to pay for abortions. Credit: YsaL via Getty Images. “For 50 years, the Hyde Amendment has been an important protection for American taxpayers. Every child is valuable. No American should ever wonder if the check they’re sending to the IRS on April 15 will be used to pay for someone’s elective abortion,” Lankford Told The Daily Wire. “Hyde was a bipartisan agreement five decades ago, and it has been included in appropriations bills every year since. We should keep that commitment in place.” The resolution says its purpose is to recognize the Hyde Amendment’s “enduring legacy of saving the lives of more than 2,600,000 unborn children and respecting the conscience rights of the American people.” It adds that it wants to “encourages the people of the United States to reflect upon the history and significance of the Hyde amendment and the loss of 63,000,000 babies through abortions that have taken place since Roe v. Wade.” A companion resolution was introduced in the House by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). “I had the honor of serving alongside Rep. Hyde in the House for more than two decades, and I can personally a… | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-celebrates-bergen-county-seniors-at-annual-senior-citizens-festival | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Celebrates Bergen County Seniors at Annual Senior Citizens Festival | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer with Bergen County seniors. PARAMUS, NJ — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) attended Bergen County’s Annual Senior Citizens Festival. Gottheimer helped serve lunch, greeted and thanked local seniors and veterans for their contributions to the community, and enjoyed the festival’s games, music, and food at Van Saun County Park. He also spoke to seniors about his focus on helping them battle back senior scams and ensure their veterans benefits, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are protected. “Bergen County’s Annual Senior Citizens Festival is one of the great North Jersey traditions, and there’s nothing I enjoy more than spending the day with our Fifth District seniors,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Bergen County seniors make invaluable contributions to our North Jersey community, and I’ll always work to make their lives more affordable by cutting taxes, lowering the cost of prescription drugs and healthcare, and helping them access the Social Security they’ve earned.” Gottheimer is fighting to support Jersey’s seniors by: Lowering the cost for prescription drugs and health care: Gottheimer helped pass legislation to lower prescription drug costs by capping the cost of insulin under Medicare at $35 per month for thousands of residents from the Fifth District and for more than 77,000 residents across New Jersey. The legislation also caps annual out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 under Medicare. Gottheimer is also working to expand Medicare coverage for lung cancer and expand Alzheimer’s testing, helping seniors get timely answers about their health and the care they need. Making life more affordable for Jersey seniors by helping lower property taxes: Gottheimer announced that New Jersey’s Fifth District has now clawed 357% more federal tax dollars back from Washington and the Moocher States since he took office, helping to lower property taxes, make life more affordable and safer, and improve North Jersey communities amount to an average of more than $750 clawed ba… | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-hosts-local-veterans-100th-birthday-celebrates-american-heros-achievements | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts Local Veteran’s 100th Birthday, Celebrates American Hero’s Achievements | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer celebrates August “Augie” Caccavone’s 100th Birthday. FORT LEE, NJ — Today, Friday, September 25, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a 100th birthday celebration for local WWII veteran August “Augie” Caccavone, honoring his life and his service to his country. Watch Gottheimer’s remarks here. “Augie is a living symbol of perseverance, strength, and service. From fighting in the Battle of the Bulge to earning the Bronze Star for his heroism, he represents the very best of the Greatest Generation,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “It’s an honor to celebrate this incredible milestone with him. Augie and every veteran who wore the uniform had our backs when our country needed them most, and we will always have theirs — that’s a promise I’ll never stop working to keep.” Retired U.S. Army Sergeant August “Augie” Caccavone is a lifelong Bergen County resident and a proud World War II veteran. A veteran of the Battle of the Bulge, Augie served as a Sergeant in the 7th Army and was awarded the Bronze Star for destroying two German machine guns. He also served in the Philippines and with the 8th Army in Japan, exemplifying courage in defense of our nation. At 100 years old, Augie remains an active member of VFW Post 2342, where he continues to support fellow veterans with kindness and good humor. Gottheimer was joined by; Bergen County Clerk John Hogan; Deputy Commissioner of the NJ Dep. of Veterans Affairs Esther Chucaralao; 108th Mission Support Group Commander, Colonel Eric Balint; Bergen County Commissioner Dr. Joan Voss; Senator Gordon Johnson; Fort Lee Mayor Mark J. Sokolich; Fort Lee Councilman Harvey Sohmer; Fort Lee Council President Bryan Drumgoole; Fort Lee Councilman Paul Yoon; Upper Saddle River Mayor Arman Fardanesh; Vernon Township Mayor Anthony Rossi; Alpine Mayor Paul Tomasko; Leonia Mayor Bill Ziegler; Tenafly Mayor Mark Zinna; Palisades Park Mayor Paul Kim; Palisades Park Councilman Charlie Shin; Palisades Park Councilman Christopher Kwak; Tenafly Councilwoman… | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/mejia-secures-six-new-jersey-water-infrastructure-priorities-in-house-passed-bill | Mejia Secures Six New Jersey Water Infrastructure Priorities in House-Passed Bill | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Analilia Mejia | M001246 | mejia.house.gov | mejia | https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | For Immediate Release: September 21, 2026 Contact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov The bipartisan water resources bill includes provisions to advance flood protection, protect wetlands, address harmful algal blooms, and improve access to U.S. Army Corps programs across NJ-11 WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) announced that six priorities she championed to strengthen flood protection and protect waterways across New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District were included in the House-passed version of the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives last week by a vote of 415-9. The bill now awaits consideration by the Senate. The legislation includes provisions directing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to advance flood mitigation efforts along the Whippany River, Rockaway River, and Den Brook, and throughout the Passaic River Basin. It also expands support for natural flood protection, calls for additional federal attention to harmful algal blooms affecting Lake Hopatcong, and makes it easier for communities to navigate USACE programs and access technical assistance. “Flooding is one of the greatest natural threats to families and businesses across New Jersey—it is something our communities have experienced again and again. I fought to make sure that the voices of our communities were heard and that these initiatives moved forward,” said Congresswoman Mejia. “These projects will help us better prepare for flooding, protect our waterways, and give local communities more tools to build the resilient infrastructure they need, before disaster strikes. I will continue working to make sure New Jersey gets its fair share of federal support as we confront the growing impacts of climate change.” The House-passed WRDA includes six priorities championed by Congresswoman Mejia: Whippany River Flooding: The bill directs USACE to expedite its ongoing study of flooding along the Whippany River, helping move the project closer to poten… | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-mejia-supports-victims-calls-for-immediate-resignation-of-lt-governor-caldwell | Rep. Mejia Supports Victims, Calls for Immediate Resignation of Lt. Governor Caldwell | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Analilia Mejia | M001246 | mejia.house.gov | mejia | https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | For Immediate Release: 9/25/2026 Contact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov Glen Ridge, NJ — Congresswoman Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) released the following statement on the independent investigation into Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell: "Lieutenant Governor Caldwell’s conduct is deeply disappointing and falls far short of the standard we should expect from anyone entrusted with public office. I stand with the victims who had the courage to come forward, and they deserve to be heard, supported, and protected. I have spent my life fighting for accountability and justice for workers facing harassment, which is why I support the actions taken by Governor Sherrill and her call for the Lieutenant Governor’s resignation," said Congresswoman Mejia. "When harassment and ethical violations go unchecked, it sends a message to the public and to state employees that this kind of conduct is tolerated. That is simply unacceptable. Government officials have a responsibility to protect workers, stand up for our values, and fight every day to make life better for everyday New Jerseyans." ### | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2097 | Congressman Van Drew Statement on Nor'easter This Weekend | 2026-09-25 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement as South Jersey prepares for a strong coastal storm this weekend. "We are praying for the best, but preparing for the worst," said Congressman Van Drew. "My office is in touch with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the White House so that if South Jersey is hit hard, we can make sure our communities get any federal help they need as quickly as possible. South Jersey has been through major storms before, and we know how important it is to be ready before conditions get bad. Be prepared for possible flooding and power outages, and pay close attention to updates from your local officials. We will be monitoring the storm closely, and if our towns need help, we will do everything we can to make sure South Jersey gets it." | 1 | 2026-09-28T11:29:07Z | 2026-09-28T11:30:58Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415869 | The Daily Signal exclusive article on Smith letter to Sec. Rubio and Pres. Trump'China Hawk Urges Trump and Rubio to Discuss Chinese Prisoner Release in New Letter' | 2026-09-24 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Pedro Rodriguez Published September 24, 2026 FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—The chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China sent a letter to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday, urging them to discuss with Chinese leader Xi Jinping the release of worshippers and American citizens who remain imprisoned in China. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., penned the letter after he held two hearings in late September on the detainees, including media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, Christian worshippers, Uyghur Muslims activists, Falun Gong, and American citizens detained for minor crimes. “They are people—sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters—whose families have spent years waiting and pleading for their loved ones to come home,” the letter, exclusively obtained by the Daily Signal, reads. “I respectfully ask that you raise the following cases directly with President Xi and press for their release, including through medical or humanitarian transfer where appropriate.” President Donald Trump (right) talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping during an arrival ceremony on Sept. 23, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) “At this critical moment, I ask that you make the freedom and humanitarian treatment of these individuals a priority in your discussions with Beijing,” the letter adds. “Several of these prisoners face serious medical conditions that warrant immediate consideration for medical or humanitarian release or transfer.” During the first summit between the second Trump administration and the Chinese Communist Party earlier this year, Trump raised the issue of releasing Pastor Ezra Jin, who was imprisoned for operating a non-state-approved church in China, which eventually led to his release from a Chinese prison. In his letter to the president and the secretary of state, Smith urged them “to bring that same commitment directly to the table with President Xi.” Among the prisoners are eight leaders of Zion Church, who were orig… | 1 | 2026-09-25T10:04:52Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2096 | Congressman Van Drew Urges FCC to Reject Verizon Plan to End Copper Service in South Jersey | 2026-09-24 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew sent a letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr urging the FCC to reject Verizon's proposal to discontinue copper-based telephone service in parts of New Jersey, including Salem County. "Many people in South Jersey still depend on these copper lines, especially in rural areas where cell service can be unreliable," said Congressman Van Drew. "These lines are used for medical-alert systems, alarm monitoring, elevator phones, and dependable 911 access. I have heard the concerns from people across South Jersey, and I agree with them. I am asking the FCC to turn this proposal down and make sure residents are not left without a reliable option." | 1 | 2026-09-25T10:04:52Z | 2026-09-25T10:05:46Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-introduces-ai-kill-switch-legislation | Kean Introduces AI Kill Switch Legislation | 2026-09-24 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (SEPTEMBER 24, 2026) WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) introduced the AI Emergency Button Act to require artificial intelligence developers to install an emergency kill switch. “While AI can be a helpful tool, it is essential that humans remain in control of complex artificial intelligence systems,” said Congressman Kean. “This legislation would ensure that advanced artificial intelligence systems include a technical capability for a human operator to shut down the system.” Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) introduced the AI Emergency Button Act in the Senate earlier this month. In July, Congressman Kean introduced the Spot the Fakes Act with Representatives Gottheimer (NJ-05) and Liccardo (CA-16) to require that all AI-generated content carry a label embedded in its metadata, giving Americans the transparency they need to verify the authenticity of the content they view. In September 2025, Congressman Kean introduced the LIFT AI Act with Congressman Amo (RI-01) to improve artificial intelligence literacy for students K-12. The bill passed the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in June of this year. Read the text of the bill HERE. ### | 1 | 2026-09-26T09:43:57Z | 2026-09-26T09:44:55Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415853 | The Epoch Times article on Smith hearing'Families Call for Release of Loved Ones in China as Xi Visits US' | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Eva Fu Published September 23, 2026 WASHINGTON—These are the faces that Beijing doesn’t want the world to see. They are political prisoners, ranging in age from their early 20s to nearly 80, each held behind bars because their beliefs or speech do not align with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Each of them is a father or a mother, a son or a daughter. In the United States and elsewhere, someone is thinking of them, waiting for the day they will be allowed to go home. Among those waiting are a mother of an 8-year-old, and a daughter undergoing chemotherapy, wishing to hold her father’s hand. As the U.S.–China summit looms over Washington, advocates see an opening to make that happen. One phone call to Beijing from the Oval Office, they argue, and these detainees could walk free. On Capitol Hill, the plight of the political prisoners has galvanized bipartisan lawmakers ahead of the bilateral talks. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said at a presser that he believes the “release of the hostages” is on the agenda. Five Democratic lawmakers have also presented the president with the names of 22 prisoners he could bring up with Chinese counterparts. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) hosted two hearings this month championing their cause. “It’s like that could be me. That could be my wife if she lives in China,” he told The Epoch Times. “We’re all God’s children. If we don’t raise [this cause], who will?” Butterfly in the Kitchen On the kitchen counter of her Florida home, Ziba Murat keeps an embroidered image of a swallowtail butterfly. It’s a small, tangible piece of Gulshan Abbas, Murat’s reticent mother, who’s now in Chinese jail under a 20-year sentence on terrorism-related charges. The United States has deemed those accusations as unfounded. Ziba Murat holds a photo of her mother, Dr. Gulshan Abbas, at Murat's home in Virginia in 2024. Ziba Murat keeps a framed image of a butterfly that was cross-stitched by her mother, jailed political prisoner Dr. Gulshan Abbas, in her kitchen. It was hard for… | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415866 | On the eve of Trump-Xi meeting in Washington, D.C.Capitol Hill hearing features heartfelt appeals to Xi Jinping: let these wonderful people go | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | At yesterday’s Capitol Hill hearing chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), lawmakers heard compelling, emotional testimony about the people imprisoned and persecuted by the Chinese government, the families and religious communities working for their freedom, and the retaliation faced by those who speak out on their behalf in China. “Behind every statistic about political prisoners is a person with hopes and dreams, and a life filled with isolation and pain. Behind every person in a Chinese prison is a family waiting, praying, and hoping that someone will not forget them. And behind many of those families is an entire community that feels threatened and intimidated,” Smith said during his opening remarks. “Today, we appeal to Xi Jinping to release women and men of conscience and goodness—as a tangible good faith expression of good will, benevolence, respect, and strength. We appeal to Xi Jinping’s heart,” continued Smith, the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). “We again ask President Trump—who helped Pastor Ezra Jin gain his freedom—to appeal to Xi Jinping to show compassion and courage.” At the hearing—entitled “The Faces of Repression: Prisoners, Families, and Communities Targeted by the CCP”—members of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) heard from multiple highly anticipated witnesses, including Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, the founder and pastor of China’s underground Zion Church, who was recently released from Chinese detention after spending more than 260 days in custody. During the first panel of witnesses, Pastor Jin—accompanied by his daughter and translator, Grace Jin Drexel—testified before Congress for the first time since his long-awaited release in July. Pastor Jin described the persecution, harassment, and intimidation inflicted upon his church and congregants by the Chinese government, explaining that “the government put pressure on the landlords to terminate our leases, police came to stop church activities and demanded that attendees register thei… | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-joins-bergen-community-college-hispanic-heritage-month-celebration | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Joins Bergen Community College Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer joins students, faculty, families, and community members for a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Bergen Community College. PARAMUS, NJ — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined students, faculty, families, and community leaders at Bergen Community College to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. “New Jersey’s Hispanic and Latino community is central to who we are — our small businesses, our schools, our hospitals, and our neighborhoods are all stronger because of it,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “During Hispanic Heritage Month, I’m here to do what I always try to do: listen and keep fighting for the families of the Fifth District every single day.” Gottheimer was joined by County Executive Jim Tedesco, Bergen County Commissioner Germaine Ortiz, Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, Bergen County Commissioner Rafael Marte, Bergen County Commissioner Mary Amoroso, Bergen County Commissioner Dr. Joan M. Voss, President of Bergen County Community College Dr. Eric M. Friedman, President & CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center Deborah Visconi, Consulate General of Ecuador in New Jersey & Pennsylvania – Acting Consul General Dr. Ramiro Hidalgo Tandazo, Consulate General of Peru in New Jersey & Pennsylvania – Consul General Dr. Ramiro Hidalgo Tandazo. Below: Gottheimer joins students, faculty, and community members for a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration at Bergen Community College. ### | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-gillen-van-drew-introduce-legislation-reduce-commuting-expenses | Kean, Gillen, Van Drew Introduce Legislation to Reduce Commuting Expenses | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (SEPTEMBER 23, 2026) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07), Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04), and Congressman Jefferson Van Drew (NJ-02) introduced the Lowering Commuting Costs Actthat would help hardworking families save money on their daily commutes to work. "Commuting costs strain hardworking New Jerseyans' bottom lines," said Congressman Kean. "The Lowering Commuting Costs Act would create a new deduction for taxpayers to save thousands of dollars of costs incurred when commuting, whether on train fare, on congestion pricing tolls, and more. I am proud to co-lead this bill to help families keep more of their hard-earned money and reduce the monetary strain of daily commutes.” “Hardworking Long Islanders are forced to pay skyrocketing costs just to get to work, making the cost of living crisis even worse,” said Rep. Gillen. “With the rising price of gas, LIRR fares and the NYC congestion tax, working families are left with no affordable way to get to their jobs. This bipartisan bill will help families save money as they commute to work and contribute to the economy by creating the first-ever tax credit for personal commuting expenses.” “For millions of Americans, just getting to work every day is expensive,” said Rep. Van Drew. “Gas is expensive, tolls are expensive, and for a lot of families, those costs add up to thousands of dollars a year. If businesses can deduct the cost of doing business, working people should be able to deduct what it takes to get to and from their jobs. I am proud to join Congresswoman Gillen on this bill and give some of that money back to the people who earn it.” The Lowering Commuting Costs Act would establish a federal income tax deduction of $340 a month for individuals or $680 for joint filers, for personal commuting expenses, including the cost of gas, public transit, and tolls such as New York City’s congestion pricing. Congressman Kean has championed efforts to provide tax relief and lower costs for New Jersey families in the U.S. House of Repr… | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415867 | The Epoch Times article on Smith hearing'"Bring Them Home": Americans Push to Free Loved Ones Jailed in China' | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Eva Fu Published September 23, 2026 WASHINGTON—With the U.S.–China summit approaching, Americans who have loved ones detained in China are pleading with President Donald Trump not to forget them. One of them is 20-year U.S. Army veteran Nelson Wells, whose son, Nelson Wells Jr., has been in Chinese prison for 12 years on charges that the family says are dubious. At a hearing held by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on Sept. 22, Wells appealed to the U.S. president “father to father.” Weeks ago, his son was diagnosed with hepatitis C. He is set to be released in 2041. But with Wells Jr.’s deteriorating health, including chronic pain, high blood pressure, diabetes, and seizures, Wells said he’s not sure whether his son could last that long. “He’s sick. His family has suffered. There’s no justice in allowing him to die in prison,” Wells said. He said Wells Jr.’s daughter, now 12, “has never seen her father outside photographs” and prays at night “for someone who can bring him home.” Trump can be that someone, he said. Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), who hosted the hearing, agreed that the United States cannot look away. Freeing political prisoners needs to be on the U.S.–China summit agenda, he told The Epoch Times. “It has to be—period,” he said. The congressman said he hopes the president can convey “a sense of urgency and compassion” for “these suffering individuals.” Seated next to Wells at the witness table was Tim Hunt, whose sister, Dawn Michelle Hunt, like Wells’s son, was arrested in China in 2014 for alleged drug smuggling. Both families deny the accusations. While visiting his sister in July, Hunt said, he didn’t recognize the sibling he had last seen two years ago. “She has aged dramatically. Her posture is that of someone much older. She is slumped over,” he said. He noticed how her teeth had yellowed and shifted, and how her hair had grayed. When they met, he said, she kept asking when she would be freed, and he couldn’t give her an answer. In January, their father passed … | 1 | 2026-09-25T10:04:52Z | 2026-09-25T10:05:46Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415868 | The Epoch Times article on Smith hearing'Congress Warned About Beijing's Repression on US Soil' | 2026-09-23 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Eva Fu Published September 23, 2026 WASHINGTON—The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) sweeping repression targeting one faith group is creating a challenge to the United States and allowing Beijing to expand its toolbox to persecute other communities, a Falun Gong spokesperson testified to Congress. Erping Zhang described a wide spectrum of Beijing-linked tactics targeting the spiritual community, playing out in America—including assault, anonymous violent threats, spying, disinformation, and frivolous lawsuits. The tactics can be used against “any group the CCP decides is a problem,” Zhang told the Congressional-Executive Commission on China on Sept. 22. “The regime’s actions undermine the basic rights of Americans and the rule of law,” he said in his written testimony. “The impact of this activity reaches far beyond our own community, creating a playbook of tactics that the regime can use against other targets while undermining U.S. democracy, freedom, and sovereignty.” Zhang pointed to a June report by the Falun Dafa Information Center, which identified more than 600 cases of transnational repression incidents across 30 states. Falun Gong practitioners have faced these threats for simply practicing their faith in the United States, Zhang said. Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, is a meditation practice with spiritual teachings based on the core tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance. In the 1990s, 70 million to 100 million people began practicing, with many crediting Falun Gong for uplifting their physical and mental well-being. In 1999, the Chinese communist regime marked it for eradication. Organizations monitoring the persecution have verified thousands of deaths, which they say represent a drop in the ocean. Between March and April, nearly 800 practitioners in China reported experiencing harassment, arrest, or house raids, according to Minghui.org, a clearinghouse for such information. The oldest of them was 94. Since 1999, Falun Gong practitioners have been “detained by the m… | 1 | 2026-09-25T10:04:52Z | 2026-09-25T10:05:46Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415850 | The Washington Times Op-Ed by Rep. Smith'A presidential appeal to release unjustly detained U.S. citizens' | 2026-09-22 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Rep. Christopher H. Smith - Tuesday, September 22, 2026 Political prisoner in China Jimmy Lai illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times OPINION: President Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping will meet in Washington this week with trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran on a crowded agenda. These critical, wide-ranging disputes require intense focus and attention but are unlikely to be resolved in a single day. Yet, the summit can produce one immediate result: bringing home Americans unjustly detained in China and political prisoners such as Jimmy Lai, whose time behind bars must come to an end. Mr. Xi should leave the U.S. knowing four names by heart: Nelson Wells Jr., Dawn Michelle Hunt, Youlin Chen and Min Zin. Mr. Trump already understands why detention cases require leader-level diplomacy. In May, Mr. Trump personally raised the case of Mr. Lai, the 78-year-old Hong Kong publisher nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, who is serving a 20-year sentence for his peaceful advocacy. We hope the president will raise Mr. Lai again. Only Mr. Xi can approve a release of that political significance. Only Mr. Xi can do the same for Americans whose cases have already become U.S. priorities. Mr. Wells and Ms. Hunt have spent more than 12 years behind bars. Mr. Wells is a Louisiana-born father of three. Ms. Hunt is a Chicago artist. They were prosecuted in a judicial system controlled by the Communist Party. Testimony at hearings I have chaired has documented failures of evidence, legal defense and due process in these cases. Mr. Wells was first sentenced to life; his sentence was later reduced to 22 years, which could keep him imprisoned until 2041. Ms. Hunt received a death sentence with a two-year reprieve, which was later commuted to life. Their health is now deteriorating. Mr. Wells’ family reports seizures, diabetes and high blood pressure. He also has endured physical attacks in prison. Ms. Hunt needs blood transfusions, has experienced sexual abuse and mistreatment while in prison, and has sever… | 1 | 2026-09-23T09:45:16Z | 2026-09-23T09:46:14Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415851 | Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at CECC hearingThe Faces of Repression: Prisoners, Families, and Communities Targeted by the CCP | 2026-09-22 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China’s (CECC) September 22nd hearing, entitled “The Faces of Repression: Prisoners, Families, and Communities Targeted by the CCP”: Behind every statistic about political prisoners is a person with hopes and dreams, and a life filled with isolation and pain. Behind every person in a Chinese prison is a family waiting, praying, and hoping that someone will not forget them. And behind many of those families is an entire community that feels threatened and intimidated. Perhaps, that is what the Chinese Communist Party wants. It wants the prisoner isolated. It wants the family frightened. And it wants everyone watching to conclude that speaking out is either futile or simply too costly. But today, we are here to say: we will not look away. The real cost is failing to speak out. Silence is not an option. Today, we appeal to Xi Jinping to release women and men of conscience and goodness—as a tangible good faith expression of good will, benevolence, respect, and strength. We appeal to Xi Jinping’s heart. We again ask President Trump—who helped Pastor Ezra Jin gain his freedom—to appeal to Xi Jinping to show compassion and courage. Pastor Jin founded Beijing Zion Church, which grew to a congregation of approximately 1,500 people before Chinese authorities forcibly shut down its sanctuary in 2018. Even after the physical church was closed, the congregation continued to meet, worship, teach, and evangelize across China. By 2025, Zion Church had nearly 100 meeting points in 40 cities. The response from the Chinese Communist Party was a nationwide crackdown. In October 2025, authorities carried out arrests in 11 cities, taking approximately 30 pastors and church leaders into custody. Eighteen were ultimately criminally detained. Pastor Jin was one of them. His amazing daughter, Grace, came before this Commission and told us what his imprisonment meant for him and their family. Both Congress an… | 1 | 2026-09-23T09:45:16Z | 2026-09-23T09:46:14Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-during-childhood-cancer-awareness-month-gottheimer-announces-new-bipartisan-legislation-to-fight-pediatric-cancer | RELEASE: During Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Gottheimer Announces New Bipartisan Legislation To Fight Pediatric Cancer | 2026-09-22 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer announces “Kylie’s Law” at Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen. MONTVALE, NJ — Today, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Bergen in Montvale, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced the introduction of the bipartisan Kylie’s Voices for Childhood Cancer Act, or “Kylie’s Law,” with his colleague Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). Named in honor of a close family friend of Gottheimer, Kylie Kupperman, the bill would require states to include at least two pediatric cancer experts on the coalitions that write state cancer control plans, ensuring children’s needs aren’t overlooked in blueprints built largely around adult cancer. Kylie was born in Englewood, New Jersey, and grew up in Chappaqua, New York. Just weeks before her fourth birthday, she was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare and fast-growing pediatric brain tumor. After undergoing months of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, she was declared cancer-free. Just as she was starting her freshman year at the University of Delaware, her cancer returned. She tragically passed away on September 10, 2025, at age 19. Every state has a Comprehensive Cancer Control Coalition that shapes its long-term cancer plan, but only about a third of states build specific childhood cancer goals into those plans. New Jersey ranks third in the nation for pediatric cancer incidence, with roughly 440 children and teens diagnosed every year and nearly 1,900 cases across Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties over one recent 25-year stretch. Watch Gottheimer’s remarks here. “Kylie should be starting her junior year of college right now — and wow, you should have heard how her friends gushed about her — and how her brother and sister who played games and music for her — and carried her up the stairs when she was too weak.” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). “But, instead of being at the University of Delaware, her parents are here today, along with friends from Jersey, Chappaqua, and beyond, to honor… | 1 | 2026-09-23T09:45:16Z | 2026-09-23T09:46:14Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415852 | OSV News article on Smith hearing'Ezra Jin Mingri, lawmakers call on Trump to push Xi to free prisoners of conscience' | 2026-09-22 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Kate Scanlon Published September 22, 2026 at 5:03 PM WASHINGTON (OSV News) — Ezra Jin Mingri, founder and pastor of an underground church in China and a former prisoner of conscience in that country, called for the release of other individuals imprisoned for their religious beliefs Sept. 22 at a hearing by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. With his daughter Grace Jin Drexel acting as translator, Jin said in remarks at the hearing that “reuniting with my family after eight years apart and watching the fireworks together on America’s 250th Independence Day felt like a dream.” “Even as I rejoice and enjoy such freedom and joy with my family, I cannot stop thinking and worrying about my eight fellow church leaders who remain in prison,” he said. Jin was released from imprisonment and reunited with his family in the U.S. shortly before Independence Day. President Donald Trump previously sought his release during a May summit with China’s President Xi Jinping. U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington March 10, 2021. (OSV News photo/Ken Cedeno, Pool via Reuters) Ezra Jin Mingri, founder and pastor of an underground church in China and a prisoner of conscience in that country until his release, is pictured in a 2018 file photo in Beijing. Mingri arrived in Los Angeles July 3, 2026, after he was released from imprisonment and reunited with his family in the U.S. shortly before Independence Day, U.S. officials said. (OSV News photo/Thomas Peter, Reuters) Ezra Jin Mingri calls for release of pastors As Trump prepared to host Xi for a state visit in Washington, advocates have urged him to again push for the release of additional prisoners of conscience and political prisoners of interest to the U.S., including Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s prominent Catholic and pro-democracy campaigner. Lai remains in prison, where he is serving a 20-year sentence. “I sincerely hope that the members of Congress will continue to pay attention to religious persecution and human rights within Ch… | 1 | 2026-09-24T09:44:48Z | 2026-09-24T09:45:52Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415870 | The Washington Stand article featuring Smith's commentary'Advocates, Lawmakers Press Trump to Uphold Prisoners of Faith, Conscience during Xi Visit' | 2026-09-22 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Dan Hart Published September 22, 2026 With President Trump set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday as part of a state visit to Washington, human rights advocates and lawmakers are urging the commander in chief to champion the cause of Christians and other citizens who are imprisoned in China simply for practicing their faith or for advocating for freedom. A large-scale crackdown on non-government approved churches is being carried out by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) over the past year. Last October, almost two dozen pastors and other workers from a single church called Zion Church were arrested, including founder and head pastor Ezra Jin. But in July, the power of personal advocacy was put on display as Xi’s communist regime released Jin following a personal appeal to Xi from Trump in May for Jin’s release. Now, human rights advocates such as Voice of the Martyrs’ Todd Nettleton are highlighting the plight of other imprisoned pastors such as John Cao. As detailed by Family Research Council’s Bob Fu, Cao “spent seven years in a Chinese prison for conducting humanitarian work along the China-Myanmar border,” but even two years after completing his sentence, he is still being prevented from reuniting with his family in the U.S. by the CCP. Others are urging Trump to fulfill a promise to secure the freedom of Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media mogul and champion of democracy. As Fu catalogs, the list of the wrongfully imprisoned in China goes on and on: Gao Zhisheng, a human rights lawyer; Dr. Wang Bingzhang, a leader of the overseas Chinese democracy movement who was kidnapped by CCP agents in Vietnam; Zhang Zhan, a citizen journalist who exposed the truth about COVID-19. Then there are the eight pastors and members of Ezra Jin’s Zion Church who remain imprisoned, as well as Elder Li Yingqiang, Pastor Yang Rongli of Golden Lampstand Church, and Pastor Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church. These Christians are imprisoned simply for refusing to surrender the authority of their churches to the Comm… | 1 | 2026-09-25T10:04:52Z | 2026-09-25T10:05:46Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-lawler-push-bipartisan-plan-on-ai-safety | RELEASE: Gottheimer, Lawler Push Bipartisan Plan on AI Safety | 2026-09-21 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer and Lawler discuss their bipartisan AI legislation. WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Mike Lawler (NY-17) held a press conference to amplify the importance of their bipartisan Stop Rogue AI Act, legislation that would establish clear, practical guardrails for the powerful new AI “agents” now operating inside America’s networks. This commonsense legislation ensures that businesses and agencies have the ability to see and stop rogue agents before they cause real damage. The Representatives also highlighted several other bipartisan actions they’ve led this Congress on AI — including legislation to protect consumers, develop America’s workforce, and boost innovation. Watch Gottheimer and Lawler’s remarks here. “You can’t drive a car in this country without a license plate, without insurance, without some way for a cop — or the person you just rear-ended — to know who’s behind the wheel and who’s responsible,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the House Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Economy. “AI agents right now don’t have any of that. Our bill puts a driver’s license on every AI agent operating in this country — so organizations can find every agent on their network, verify who built it, watch it in real time, and cut off its access the second something looks wrong. That means putting humans back in the driver’s seat. It’s time for Congress to get back to work and get this done.” “This isn’t about stopping AI or stifling innovation. It is about making sure we can safely deploy AI. A pause is not a safeguard. Some states have put a moratorium on the infrastructure that powers this technology. That does not invent a kill switch. It does not inventory the agents already on a hospital network or a utility system,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17.) “If the United States taps the brakes while others floor it, we do not get safer AI. We get someone else’s AI. We are not going to regulate ourselves into second place.” Ri… | 1 | 2026-09-22T09:42:49Z | 2026-09-22T09:44:35Z |
| https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-bills-to-combat-ai-driven-cyberattacks-and-protect-americans-from-scams-pass-out-of-committee | Menendez Bills to Combat AI-Driven Cyberattacks and Protect Americans from Scams Pass Out of Committee | 2026-09-21 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Robert Menendez | M001226 | menendez.house.gov | menendez | https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) announced that two of his bipartisan bills with Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) and Congresswoman Erin Houchin (IN-09) passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The bills are as follows: H.R. 7294, AI for Secure Networks Act (Menendez and Pfluger) The AI For Secure Networks Act strengthens the cybersecurity of America’s communications networks by promoting the responsible use of artificial intelligence while addressing the risks posed by its misuse. “As our communications networks face growing threats, we must advance forward thinking solutions to protect the communications, emergency services, critical infrastructure, and financial systems Americans depend on,” said Congressman Menendez. “Our legislation promotes the responsible use of AI while confronting the growing risks posed by its exploitation, including the potential for more sophisticated cyberattacks on the communications systems Americans rely on every day. I look forward to working to pass this legislation and strengthen protections for our networks and the people who depend on them.” Click here to view Congressman Menendez’s remarks. H.R. 5967, Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act (Menendez and Houchin) The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act establishes a federal task force to develop a national scam prevention strategy that strengthens support for victims, provides local law enforcement stronger tools to stop scams, and lowers the risk of financial losses from fraudulent activity. “As scams become increasingly more sophisticated, we need a national strategy to protect American families and consumers,” said Congressman Menendez. “The Strategic Task Force on Scam Prevention Act brings together the federal government, law enforcement, and corporations to protect our families and seniors from being targeted by bad actors online and over the phone. I am proud that our legislation has passed the full Committee and is one step closer to becoming law and look forward to… | 1 | 2026-09-22T09:42:49Z | 2026-09-22T09:44:35Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-condemns-trump-administration-attempts-to-hijack-nih-research-grants | Rep. Watson Coleman Condemns Trump Administration Attempts to Hijack N.I.H. Research Grants | 2026-09-21 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | W000822 | watsoncoleman.house.gov | watsoncoleman | https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases | scraper | Yesterday, theNew York Times reported that White House officials were attempting to make massive cuts to research grants at the National Institutes of Health, conflicting with months of denials from NIH officials. Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), who sits on theLabor, Health and Human Services and Education subcommittee, released the following statement: Today, we learned that the White House is trying to cancel funding that "does not conform to Trump's political agenda." Over the last year and a half, the NIH director and his sub-directorshave assured my colleagues and me that politics would bekept out of decisions for health research that saves millions of lives in the United States. Last June, I introducedlegislation to insulate vital NIH research grants from Trump's political attacks. As recently as this past Tuesday, NIH Institute directors told members of the Appropriations Committee that grant funding was still on track. Yet today, we get the news that President Trump and OMB Director Vought are moving to cut funding that doesn’t align with their extreme ideology. Funding decisions are supposed to be made by experts based on scientific merit and the likelihood of outcomes that could save lives and reduce suffering. The Trump Administration's public health record has been an abysmal failure. Instead of correcting course, they're doubling down and playing political games with the lives of the American people. Congress MUST reassert its authority over the budget and ensure the government works for the American people regardless of partisan politics. | 1 | 2026-09-22T09:42:49Z | 2026-09-22T10:42:50Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415849 | The Washington Times article featuring Smith's commentary'Republican Rep. Chris Smith urges Trump to confront Xi about Americans jailed in China' | 2026-09-21 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Kerry Picket Published Monday, September 21, 2026 With as many as 300 Americans detained in China, where some are subjected to sexual abuse and torture, Rep. Chris Smith is demanding that President Trump make their release a centerpiece of his upcoming summit with China’s President Xi Jinping. The New Jersey Republican, who co-chairs the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, warned that quiet, piecemeal diplomacy has only emboldened Beijing to keep taking American hostages. Mr. Smith, who has been chairing hearings with witnesses testifying about people imprisoned and persecuted by the Chinese government, told The Washington Times that China “only recognizes strength.” He cited his 1994 meeting with Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, who warned that Western pleading is held in contempt by the Chinese Communist Party. “They only recognize one thing, and that is strength. I met with [Wei Jingsheng] in 1994 when he was released briefly in Beijing,” Mr. Smith said. “They rearrested him. … We worked really hard to make sure he got out, because they were going to kill him. When we, the West, and especially the United States, in any way kowtow … they hold that in contempt.” Mr. Smith said, “That’s why we have to be firm. Very civil, but very firm. Our hope is that the president will have a very well-defined list … to effectuate the release of these individuals.” Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been advocating for all American citizens unlawfully or wrongfully detained in China. Among the people detained or imprisoned by China, the most well-known include Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai; Uyghur economics professor Ilham Tohti; American think tank scholar Min Zin; American businessman Kai Li; Americans Dawn Michelle Hunt, Nelson Wells Jr., and John Chen; Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu; and the Zion 8 — eight pastors and co-workers of Beijing Zion Church. A senior official told The Washington Times that Mr. Trump raises the issue of Americans and others detained in China every time he has met wit… | 1 | 2026-09-23T09:45:16Z | 2026-09-23T09:46:14Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-honors-local-veterans-at-the-bergen-county-sheriffs-annual-veterans-appreciation-bbq | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Honors Local Veterans at the Bergen County Sheriff’s Annual Veterans Appreciation BBQ | 2026-09-20 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer at Bergen County Sheriff’s Annual Veterans Appreciation BBQ. PARAMUS, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office, local veterans, and their families for their Annual Veterans Appreciation BBQ, honoring the brave men and women who have served our nation in uniform. “Our veterans answered the call to serve and protect our great country, and we owe them a debt we can never fully repay,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “It was an honor to spend the day with the brave men and women who wore the uniform, and their families who have stood beside them. I want to thank the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for putting on this event and for standing with our veterans year after year. In Congress, I’ll always keep fighting to make sure our veterans get the care, recognition, and respect they’ve rightfully earned.” The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office Annual Veterans Appreciation BBQ brings together local veterans, their families, and community members each year to recognize and thank those who have served in our nation’s Armed Forces. Below: Gottheimer at Bergen County Sheriff’s 3rd Annual Veterans Appreciation BBQ. ### | 1 | 2026-09-21T10:25:24Z | 2026-09-21T10:26:54Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415846 | The Washington Stand article on Smith Special Order'Hyde Amendment Approaches 50th Anniversary Having Saved almost 3 Million Babies' | 2026-09-18 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Quinn Delamater Published September 18, 2026 “An innocent, defenseless human life, in a caring and humane society, deserves better than to be flushed down a toilet or burned in an incinerator.” Such are the words of Henry Hyde, the former U.S. congressman from Illinois who tirelessly championed life and introduced the Hyde Amendment in 1976. Almost 50 years later, the legislative rider faces the opportunity to be renewed again. For a half-century, the Hyde Amendment has stopped taxpayer dollars from funding abortion. On Wednesday evening, Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, hosted a Special Order on the House floor to acknowledge the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment on September 30. “The promise of America is that life is not just for the privileged, the planned, or the perfect,” Smith said, quoting Hyde. “This may sound odd, even ironic; you are here in the flush of victory. And yet it is precisely now that I ask you to contemplate the possibility of defeat, perhaps even the necessity of defeat. If you don’t know the principle or the policy for which you are willing to lose your office, then you are going to do damage here.” Quena González, senior director of Government Affairs at Family Research Council, explained to The Washington Stand that Smith and Hyde have a history. “Representative Chris Smith served with Representative Henry Hyde for 26 years; he’s been a tireless defender of the unborn in Congress for 45 years and comes as close as anyone to carrying Hyde’s inimitable mantle.” After the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, the U.S. government paid for an estimated 300,000 abortions each year via Medicaid. According to the Charlotte Lozier Institute, since the Hyde Amendment’s first enactment in 1976, approximately 2.7 million lives have been saved. During Wednesday’s event, Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) asserted that society has a duty to protect the unborn. “Life matters. Who are we as a people if we cannot stand up in defense of the most innocent form… | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415847 | Tues., Sept. 22: Rep. Chris Smith to chair CECC hearing“The Faces of Repression: Prisoners, Families, and Communities Targeted by the CCP” | 2026-09-18 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Tuesday, September 22nd, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), will chair a congressional hearing on people imprisoned and persecuted by the Chinese government, the families and religious communities working for their freedom, and the retaliation faced by those who speak out on their behalf. The hearing will examine the treatment of prisoners in China, the prolonged detention of U.S. citizens, and the persecution of Christians, Falun Gong practitioners, and Uyghurs. Witnesses will also discuss Beijing’s campaign to suppress Uyghur and Tibetan identity, including through the new Ethnic Unity Law, and the threats, surveillance, legal harassment, pressure on relatives, and online abuse directed at advocates outside China. WHAT: Congressional hearing on how Congress and the Administration can press for the release of those still detained in China, protect their loved ones and the people who advocate for them, and impose consequences on those responsible for their persecution—including through the passage and enactment of the Nelson Wells Jr. and Dawn Michelle Hunt Unjustly Detained in Communist China Act (HR 5491), introduced by Rep. Smith earlier this Congress. WHEN: Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 2:30 PM WITNESSES: (Partial list) Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri, Founder and Pastor, Zion Church Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs Erping Zhang, Spokesperson for Falun Gong Nelson Wells Sr., Father of Detained American Citizen Nelson Wells Jr. Tim Hunt, Brother of Detained American Citizen Dawn Michelle Hunt WHERE: 216 Hart Senate Office Building and livestreamed here WHO: Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman Dan Sullivan (R-AK), other members of the CECC, and witnesses ### | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-announces-new-bipartisan-legislation-on-ai-safety-to-protect-jersey-families-national-security | RELEASE: Gottheimer Announces New Bipartisan Legislation on AI Safety to Protect Jersey Families, National Security | 2026-09-18 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer announces new AI safety legislation at FDU. TEANECK, NJ — Today, Friday, September 18, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the House AI Commission and a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, announced a new bipartisan agenda to put real guardrails on AI development to ensure the U.S. can win the global AI race in the right way. Watch Gottheimer’s remarks here. “Right now, there are no mandatory requirements for pre-deployment testing of frontier AI models,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That doesn’t work in banking, it doesn’t work in food safety, it doesn’t work in medicine, and it sure as hell shouldn’t work with the technology that experts say could help build a bioweapon or take down our power grid. This isn’t about stopping AI or stifling innovation, it is about making sure — with warning signs flashing red — that we can safely deploy AI, and win the race the right way. “Artificial intelligence is one of the most consequential technologies of our time, and we have a responsibility to make sure it strengthens our national security rather than becoming a tool for those who seek to harm Americans. The American AI Security Act takes a commonsense approach: before the most powerful AI models are deployed, we should know whether they could be used to launch devastating cyberattacks or facilitate the development of chemical, biological, or radiological weapons,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). Gottheimer’s AI safety agenda includes two new bipartisan pieces of federal legislation and an inquiry into the Administration’s new cybersecurity plan, including: The American AI Security Act, co-led by Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), establishes a mandatory, pre-deployment national security review for the most powerful AI models. Before releasing a covered model, developers would be required to give the National Security Agency full access to evaluate whether it could be used to launch a serious cyberattack or help build a chemical, biological, o… | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-sends-follow-up-letter-to-dhs-secretary-demanding-information-on-the-status-of-sick-constituent-at-delaney-hall | Rep. Watson Coleman Sends Follow-up Letter to DHS Secretary Demanding Information on the Status of Sick Constituent at Delaney Hall | 2026-09-18 | 2026 | 2026-09 | 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 letter to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Acting ICE Director David Venturella demanding answers on the investigation into the death of Edwin Jovanny Lopez Cornejo and the status of detainee Amro Sehaim. The letter comes after the Department failed to respond to an inquiry sent by the Congresswoman and several members of the New Jersey Delegation on August 7th calling for answers surrounding the death of Lopez Cornejo and demanding the immediate humanitarian release of Amro Sehaim, an Egyptian national and small business owner in the 12th District who, before his detention, was undergoing treatment for cancer. The letter reads in part: Individuals in your custody are your responsibility. The shocking number of deaths within ICE custody, including Mr. Lopez Cornejo’s, is appalling and unforgivable. The conditions in ICE detention facilities across the country are atrocious and bring shame to your Department, this Administration, and our nation. The September 17th letter demands detailed explanations as to the conditions that led to the death of Mr. Lopez Cornejo and of the actions being taken to provide Mr. Sehaim with adequate, independent medical care. Related Files | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415843 | Shielding NJ families and communities from high energy costsSmith votes for Ratepayer Protection Act to protect Americans from footing AI data centers’ energy costs | 2026-09-17 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Yesterday, with Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-Manchester) strong support and vote, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed the Ratepayer Protection Act (HR 9340)—by a margin of 417-3—to protect hard-working Americans from shouldering the hefty energy costs associated with the construction and operation of data centers. “Protecting families and communities from increased energy costs is paramount—especially after years of skyrocketing energy costs driven by Joe Biden’s ‘Green New Scam,’” said Smith. “The Ratepayer Protection Act will inject transparency and public scrutiny into the system to ensure that the largest users of energy—including hyperscale data centers—pay for energy infrastructure upgrades and generation capacity,” continued Smith, who cosponsored HR 9340. The Ratepayer Protection Act amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act by adding a new ratemaking standard for large-load customers, ensuring that the costs associated with grid upgrades and new generation requirements are borne by the project customer and not American families. “American families deserve protection from exorbitant and unpredictable energy bills, and this legislation ensures that the companies who want to build and operate data centers will be made to pay for the massive amounts of electricity they consume. “I strongly support the Ratepayer Protection Act, and although the Senate blocked unanimous consent for the legislation, I urge my colleagues in that chamber to immediately reconsider this bill, pass it, and send it to President Trump’s desk for his signature,” concluded Smith. ### | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415845 | The Epoch Times article on Smith hearing'Jimmy Lai's Son Pleads for Ailing Father's Release Ahead of Xi's US Visit' | 2026-09-17 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Eva Fu and Frank Fang Published September 17, 2026 WASHINGTON—The son of imprisoned Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai has appealed for his father’s release on humanitarian grounds ahead of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s expected meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump. Lai founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. He was detained in 2020 under the Beijing-imposed national security law and sentenced to 20 years in prison in February. Sebastien Lai described the “painful realization” of imagining his elderly father’s physical and mental state if they were ever reunited, five years after their last meeting. Sebastien Lai (R) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) stand for a photo after a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing regarding the continued imprisonment of his father, Jimmy Lai, on Capitol Hill on Sept. 16, 2026 Mariam Zuhaib/AP Photo Jimmy Lai outside West Kowloon Magistrates' Court in Hong Kong on Sept. 18, 2020. Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times “I hear about his health declining every single day,” Sebastien Lai said on Sept. 16 at a congressional hearing hosted by the bipartisan Congressional-Executive Commission on China. “It’s really sad. It’s really worrying.” Sebastien Lai’s sister, Claire Lai, was diagnosed with cancer recently and is undergoing chemotherapy in London. “My father learned of his own daughter’s diagnosis from a maximum-security prison. He cannot hold her hand. She wants nothing more than to have him with her for this fight,” Sebastien Lai said. “We hope the Chinese authorities will consider what compassionate release would mean for her and for a 78-year-old man who has already suffered enough. “My father poses no threat. His imprisonment makes him a symbol of injustice. His death in prison would be a disgrace.” He said that his father’s release was just a “phone call away” for Xi. Sebastien Lai speaks with reporters after a Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing regarding the continued imprisonment of his father, Jimmy Lai, on Capitol Hill on… | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415848 | WATCH: 'Free Jimmy Lai: Rep. Chris Smith | The World Over with Raymond Arroyo' | 2026-09-17 | 2026 | 2026-09 | 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), sat down with host Raymond Arroyo on EWTN's The World Over with Raymond Arroyo to discuss the congressional hearing he chaired this week to press for the release of incarcerated Hong Kong businessman and Catholic Jimmy Lai, and the hope that Lai might be released after next week's summit in DC between President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. The full interview can be viewed by clicking here. ### | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-house-passes-bill-first-championed-by-gottheimer-am-radio-for-every-vehicle-act | RELEASE: House Passes Bill First Championed by Gottheimer, AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, September 15, 2026, the House of Representatives passed the “AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act,” supported by Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), delivering a major win for public safety and moving the country one step closer to guaranteeing that every new car and truck sold in America comes equipped with AM broadcast radio. Gottheimer, who first announced and introduced the legislation in the 118th Congress to protect public safety and encourage electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to include AM radio in their cars and trucks, applauded the bill’s passage. “AM radio is a lifeline. When the power goes out, when the cell towers go down, and when the Internet cuts off during a storm or an emergency, AM radio is often the only way families can get the life-saving information they need,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “It’s outrageous that some automakers want to rip out a basic, free feature — one that helps keep people safe — just to pad their own bottom line. I’m proud to have helped lead this bipartisan bill from day one, and today the House stood up for every driver, every first responder, and every family who counts on AM radio when it matters most.” “For more than 100 years, AM radio stations have provided music, sports, news, and entertainment to listeners across the Garden State and the country. More importantly over the last century, radio has provided a critical lifeline in times of emergency. Ensuring that this free service utilizing the public’s airwaves is readily available in every vehicle sold in the United States by passing the AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act is the right decision for public safety,” said New Jersey Broadcasters Association (NJBA) Executive Director Jordan Walton. “It’s hard to imagine that what started as a conversation over a cup of coffee has evolved into this legislation being passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. New Jersey’s broadcasters thank Rep. Gottheimer, leaders in the House, and all who advanced AM4EVA today.” More than 50 millio… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-house-passes-bipartisan-gottheimer-led-guard-act-to-protect-seniors-from-financial-fraud-and-scammers | RELEASE: House Passes Bipartisan, Gottheimer-Led GUARD Act to Protect Seniors from Financial Fraud and Scammers | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Tuesday, September 15, 2026, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan GUARD Act (Guarding Unprotected Aging Retirees from Deception Act, H.R. 2978) legislation that U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) co-led to protect seniors and their families from the financial fraud and scams costing Americans billions every year. The GUARD Act was introduced alongside Representatives Zachary Nunn (IA-3) and Scott Fitzgerald (WI-5), and now heads to the Senate. “Every day, scammers are targeting our seniors — draining the hard-earned savings they spent a lifetime building, often with a single phone call or a fake investment scheme,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus and member of the House Financial Services Committee. “These criminals don’t play it straight, and too often they hide behind overseas networks that make them nearly impossible to track. The GUARD Act gives our cops and investigators the tools and the resources to hunt these fraudsters down, claw back stolen money, and protect the people who built this country. Protecting our parents and grandparents is just common sense, and I’m proud this bipartisan bill is one step closer to becoming law.” The GUARD Act empowers state, local, and Tribal law enforcement to fight back against the fraud epidemic targeting older Americans. Specifically, the legislation: Allows law enforcement to use existing federal grant funds to investigate elder financial fraud, “pig butchering” cryptocurrency investment scams, and general financial fraud — including by hiring analysts and experts and providing specialized training on complex, often transnational financial crimes; Clarifies that federal law enforcement agencies may assist state, local, and Tribal partners and fusion centers in using blockchain-tracing tools and related technology to follow the money and identify the criminals behind these scams; Instructs the Treasury Department, FinCEN, and federal partners to report to C… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415831 | Opening statement of Co-Chairman Smith at CECC hearingA Son and Daughter’s Appeal to Xi Jinping to Release Their Dad, Jimmy Lai | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of Co-Chairman Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) opening statement at the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)’s September 16th hearing, entitled “A Son and Daughter’s Appeal to Xi Jinping to Release Their Dad, Jimmy Lai”: Today’s hearing is about Jimmy Lai—and an earnest appeal to Xi Jinping from Jimmy’s children to set him free on humanitarian grounds. They are grateful that President Trump has personally raised Jimmy Lai’s release with Xi Jinping, and they respectfully ask him to do so again at the upcoming summit. We will hear directly from Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien, speaking for himself and on behalf of his sister, Claire, who was initially scheduled to join her brother today. Sadly, Claire was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer and has begun treatment. We are thinking of her, praying for her, and wishing her a full recovery. Sebastien, who testified on behalf of his father in 2023, will tell us today: “My father learned of his own daughter's diagnosis from a maximum-security prison. He cannot hold her hand. She wants nothing more than to have him with her for this fight. We hope the Chinese authorities will consider what compassionate release would mean for her, and for a 78-year-old man who has already suffered enough…Let Jimmy Lai come home to his family and let him sit beside his daughter in her hardest moment.” Jimmy Lai is 78 years old. He has spent six years in detention. In February, a Hong Kong court sentenced him to 20 years in prison following his conviction under the National Security Law. It was the longest sentence, thus far, imposed under that law. For a man of Jimmy Lai’s age, and given the serious concerns about his health, a 20-year sentence carries an obvious and deeply troubling humanitarian consequence. His son, Sebastien, has described it as a death sentence. That is why time matters. Jimmy Lai is not being imprisoned because he committed an act of violence. His son has emphasized that his father has never advocated violence. Rather… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415836 | Providing critical funding for Lyme disease researchKay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act passes House, on its way to President Trump’s desk | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Last night, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved legislation to provide $150 million over five years in continued funding for Lyme disease research at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sending the bill to President Trump’s desk for his signature. The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act (S. 2398)—sponsored by Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)—is the identical Senate companion legislation to Rep. Chris Smith’s (R-NJ) HR 4348, which passed the House in late July. Having now passed both chambers, the President is expected to sign the final Senate version into law in the next several days. The soon-to-be law will fund critical vector-borne disease research programs and initiatives at the CDC that were due to expire on September 30th. “My colleagues will recall that our distinguished colleague, North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan, suffered a tick bite and died in 2019 from encephalitis caused by Powassan virus—the current law and reauthorization is named in her honor,” said Smith, the founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Caucus, during the bill’s debate on the House floor. “Vector borne diseases are now endemic in regions of the country where they have not historically been present. Disease-laden ticks are now found in all 48 contiguous U.S. states. The problem is exploding—not abating,” said Smith. The Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act will allocate $50 million over five years for the CDC’s regional Centers of Excellence and provide funding for states in regions that have an elevated risk of Lyme or other tick-borne disease outbreaks, enabling them to work in tandem with the federal government to quickly identify and address such outbreaks. “Critically, this new bill reauthorizes cooperative agreement funding for states and localities—$100 million over five years—to tangibly assist state public health departments and other local entities to support the development and implementation of evidence-based research, interventions, and treatment,” Smit… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415837 | Ahead of planned Trump-Xi meeting in Washington, D.C.An appeal from Jimmy Lai’s son | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | At today’s Capitol Hill hearing chaired by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), lawmakers examined the unjust imprisonment of Jimmy Lai—a well-known free-speech advocate and the publisher of the pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily—by Hong Kong officials, as well as what his case reveals about the continued erosion of the freedom of the press, judicial independence, and the rule of law in Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-controlled Hong Kong. “Today’s hearing is about Jimmy Lai—and an earnest appeal to Xi Jinping from Jimmy’s children to set him free on humanitarian grounds,” said Smith, the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC). Smith pushed for Jimmy’s release on humanitarian grounds, highlighting the “human dimension of this case.” He noted that “for more than five years, Jimmy Lai’s children have had to live with the reality that their father is imprisoned thousands of miles away,” and that Jimmy’s son, Sebastien, “has spoken publicly about the possibility that he may never see his father again.” “Jimmy’s children are grateful that President Trump has personally raised Jimmy Lai’s release with Xi Jinping, and they respectfully ask him to do so again at the upcoming summit,” said Smith. The hearing was intentionally scheduled in anticipation of the upcoming meeting between President Donald Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping in Washington, D.C. on September 24th. Given Jimmy’s advanced age—78-years-old—and the “serious concerns about his health,” Smith argued that “a 20-year sentence carries an obvious and deeply troubling humanitarian consequence. Sebastien has described it as a death sentence. That is why time matters.” Sebastien, who testified at today’s hearing about the urgency of his father’s release, spoke on behalf of himself and his sister, Claire—who was initially scheduled to testify alongside her brother, but was recently diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. “My father learned of his own daughter’s diagnosis from a maximum-security prison. He cannot hold her hand. She… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415839 | Daily Signal article on Smith hearing'Congress Hears Pleas for Release of God-Fearing Chinese Democracy Advocate' | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Pedro Rodriguez Published September 16, 2026 A top congressional panel on Wednesday examined the imprisonment of Chinese media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai and the state of press freedom and judicial independence in China. The Congressional-Executive Commission on China hearing, titled “A Son and Daughter’s Appeal to Xi Jinping to Release Their Dad, Jimmy Lai,” comes a week before the Chinese Communist Party leader’s visit to the United States. The hearing featured testimony from Sebastien Lai, the son of the imprisoned media entrepreneur, who called for the immediate release of the 78-year-old democracy activist. Jimmy Lai was sentenced to prison after founding a non-state-sponsored newspaper and “believing in the almighty,” the panel’s chairman, Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., said during the hearing. People gather in front of the Chinese Consulate General to protest the unjust conviction of media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai on Feb. 14, 2026, in Los Angeles. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images) “America understands, in his pains, that freedom dies with the last men willing to defend it. And that the cost of not standing up for liberty is not felt until it is too late,” Sebastien Lai said. “My father poses no threat. His imprisonment makes him a symbol of injustice. His death in prison would be a disgrace.” Lai also said during his testimony that his sister, Claire Lai, was supposed to testify before the panel alongside him Wednesday but was diagnosed with cancer earlier this month and is currently undergoing chemotherapy in London. The congressional panel also heard from Steve Yates, senior research fellow for China and national security at The Heritage Foundation, who provided the committee with insight into the Chinese Communist Party’s control. “This is no longer principally an appeal to law, foreign or domestic,” Yates said. “It is a litmus test of whether there remains any reason to believe there is a future in Xi Jinping’s China for the kind of man that Jimmy Lai is.” During his testimony, Yates, who lost his 25-year-ol… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415840 | OSV News article on Smith hearing'Advocates urge Trump to push for Jimmy Lai release during Xi’s state visit to the US' | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Kate Scanlon Published 2:43 PM September 16, 2026 WASHINGTON (OSV News) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to host Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House in late September, and advocates for Hong Kong’s prominent Catholic media tycoon and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai said Trump should push for his release from prison during the summit. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., a Catholic, who is a longtime lawmaker and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, held a hearing Sept. 16 examining Lai’s imprisonment, with Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, among the witnesses. Trump and other U.S. officials have pushed for Lai’s release and have cast the charges leading to Lai’s conviction on national security offenses under the city’s controversial national security law as fabricated, arguing that they were evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is seeking to silence dissent. Sebastien Lai, son of Jimmy Lai, a prominent Hong Kong Catholic, philanthropist and media mogul, poses for a portrait in London Dec. 15, 2025, next to a campaign poster featuring imagery of his father during an interview with Reuters. He gave the interview after his father was found guilty under Hong Kong's national security law of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and to publish seditious material. Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment Feb. 9, 2026. He pleaded not guilty to all charges during his trial. (OSV News photo/Toby Melville, Reuters) Smith: Trump ‘has to be absolutely unmovable’ At a May summit in China, Trump asked Xi to release political prisoners of interest to the U.S., including Jimmy Lai and Ezra Jin Mingri, founder and pastor of Zion Church. U.S. officials expressed grave religious freedom concerns in both cases. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., is pictured in an Oct. 11, 2022. Smith, a Catholic who is a longtime lawmaker and co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, held a hearing Sept. 16, 2026, examining Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment, with Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, among the w… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415841 | “The Hyde Amendment reaffirms the fundamental truth that every life is precious and irreplaceable.”Smith hosts Special Order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | Tonight, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, hosted a Special Order on the House floor to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, which protects taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, both directly and through federal health plans. Rep. Smith’s remarks are provided below: Fifty years ago—on September 30th, 1976—Congress first enacted an amendment offered by the late, great Congressman Henry Hyde of Illinois to prohibit federal Medicaid funds from being used to subsidize the killing of unborn children by abortion. During debate in the House, Henry said: “An innocent, defenseless human life, in a caring and humane society, deserves better than to be flushed down a toilet or burned in an incinerator. The promise of America is that life is not just for the privileged, the planned, or the perfect.” Mr. Speaker, according to Dr. Michael J. New of the Charlotte Lozier Institute, approximately 2.7 million people are alive today—and each year, another 60,000 evade the irreversible consequence of abortion and survive—because of Henry Hyde’s amendment. Thanks to Henry Hyde, 2.7 million people—who would have otherwise been aborted—have experienced the joys and challenges and opportunities to thrive. Beginning in 1981, I had the honor of serving alongside Henry Hyde in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was brilliant, compassionate, tenacious, incredibly articulate, self-effacing, a man of great wisdom and humor—a one-of-a-kind lawmaker—who, to this day, remains the greatest defender of unborn children and their mothers. He was so good at debate, you always wanted him to be your closer. Henry believed sound moral principles and courage should inform and guide the decisions we make in government, and he addressed the 1990 class of incoming freshman Members of Congress with these words: “This may sound odd, even ironic. You are here in the flush of victory. And yet it is precisely now that I ask you to contemplate the possibility of defeat—perhaps even the necessi… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/house-small-business-committee-advances-mejia-bill-to-ensure-accurate-disaster-assistance-information | House Small Business Committee Advances Mejia Bill to Ensure Accurate Disaster Assistance Information | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Analilia Mejia | M001246 | mejia.house.gov | mejia | https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | For Immediate Release: September 16, 2026 Contact: Beth Wiesinger | NJ11AMPress@Mail.House.Gov Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act would require SBA to provide consistent, current disaster loan information to small business owners WASHINGTON, D.C. — The House Committee on Small Business today advanced legislation introduced by Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) to strengthen federal disaster assistance for small businesses and ensure owners have accurate, up-to-date information when recovering from natural disasters. The legislation will advance to the House floor when scheduled for a vote. Small businesses are increasingly on the front lines of natural disasters, facing flooding, severe storms, blizzards, and other events that can threaten their ability to stay open. The Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act would require the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish standardized procedures to ensure disaster outreach materials are consistent, current, and accurate across its field operations centers—equipping businesses with the information to seek and receive aid in a timely manner. “With nearly 99 percent of all businesses in my home state of New Jersey are small businesses and each one facing the threat of coastal storms and severe floods, these are over 1 million owners and potential borrowers who need all the relevant information. This is why my bill, the Disaster Loan Outreach Consistency Act, offers a simple solution and basic oversight to this issue,” said Congresswoman Mejia. “I urge my colleagues and members of this committee to support this legislation. In a period of time where misinformation is rampant, we must work to ensure small business owners have all the possible information they can have to make the best decision for themselves. We cannot let our federal agencies misguide, misdirect, and withhold vital information, especially when they make regulatory changes that affect Americans. The disaster loan program is one crucial step in recovery after a natural disaster.” Small … | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-legislation-to-strengthen-electric-grid-planning-amid-rapidly-growing-energy-demand-passes-the-house | Menendez Legislation to Strengthen Electric Grid Planning Amid Rapidly Growing Energy Demand Passes the House | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Robert Menendez | M001226 | menendez.house.gov | menendez | https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, Congressman Rob Menendez (NJ-08) announced that his bipartisan legislation, the Load Forecasting Enhancement Act, passed the House of Representatives. The legislation, introduced in June with Congressman Troy Balderson (OH-12), would help protect families and strengthen grid planning amid rapidly growing energy demand due to AI data centers. “Families across America are facing rapidly rising utility bills as a result of unprecedented strain on our power grids, including increased demand from AI data centers,” said Congressman Menendez. “I am pleased that our legislation has passed the House of Representatives and is one step closer to becoming law. We will continue working to lower energy costs for families, protect ratepayers, and ensure our electrical grid can meet growing needs.” “To protect Americans from higher electric bills and make sure our grid can keep up with rising demand, we need to plan ahead,” said Congressman Balderson. “The bipartisan Load Forecasting Enhancement Act gives states and utilities the tools they need to better understand future electricity demand and prepare for it. I applaud my House colleagues for supporting this practical legislation and helping make electricity reliable and more affordable for American families.” The bill directs the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (“FERC”) to convene regional joint boards with state public utility commissions to identify best practices for electric load forecasting. The legislation also requires FERC to report its findings and recommendations to Congress and encourages states to consider adopting improved forecasting procedures to support reliable, affordable electric service. The United States is experiencing unprecedented growth in electricity usage and demand. At the same time, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation’s 2025 Long-Term Reliability Assessment warns that much of North America faces a growing risk of energy shortfalls over the next five years, with PJM—the regional transmission org… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases/pallones-bipartisan-am-radio-every-vehicle-act-passes-house | Pallone’s Bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Passes House | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Frank Pallone, Jr. | P000034 | pallone.house.gov | pallone | https://pallone.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC - Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, today applauded House passage of his bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a bill to ensure AM radio remains available in new vehicles sold in the United States. Pallone introduced the legislation with Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) in response to automakers removing AM radio from some new vehicles, threatening access to an important source of emergency information when other communications systems fail. Their bill directs the U.S. Department of Transportation to issue a rule to require automakers to include AM radio as standard equipment in new passenger vehicles. “Today, the House acted to protect a service that millions of Americans rely on every day and that can become a lifeline when disaster strikes,” Pallone said. “During Superstorm Sandy – when power, cell service, cable, and internet went down across New Jersey – radio listenership in my district surged 247 percent as people tuned in for critical information on AM radio stations. I’m proud we passed this bipartisan bill today, and I’ll keep working to get it across the finish line.” AM radio remains an important part of the nation’s Emergency Alert System. A network of AM broadcast stations serves as Primary Entry Points for emergency alerts, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) invests in maintaining their ability to continue broadcasting during major disasters. Pallone’s AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would: Require automakers to maintain free AM radio in new passenger vehicles sold in the United States. Require clear disclosure to consumers if a vehicle lacks AM radio access before the new requirement takes effect. The legislation previously advanced through the House Energy and Commerce Committee with bipartisan support in September 2025. Today’s House passage sends the legislation to the Senate for further consideration. | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2094 | Congressman Van Drew's PROOF Act Passes House to Crack Down on Fraud in Federal Programs | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew announced that H.R. 10326, the Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds (PROOF) Act, has passed through the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would give federal investigators a direct way to obtain records from states when investigating fraud in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, unemployment benefits, disaster assistance, and other federally funded programs. "To me, it is simple. If taxpayer money is being stolen, investigators should be able to get the records they need to find out where it went," said Congressman Van Drew. "Right now, that does not always happen. We just saw four states refuse twice to provide SNAP data, to the point where the Justice Department had to take them to court just to get the information. Meanwhile, the states that did cooperate provided data that showed billions of dollars a year going to overpayments and fraud. "The PROOF Act fixes this problem. If the Attorney General is investigating fraud involving federal taxpayer dollars, the state has to provide the records needed for that investigation. We also made sure there are strong privacy protections in place to ensure that the information is only used for the investigation. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar not going to a family, senior, or individual counting on that help. It is our responsibility to make sure that these programs are working as they were intended." Click here to read the text of the bill. | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2095 | Congressman Van Drew Celebrates Passage of Major South Jersey Water Infrastructure Priorities | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew celebrated the passage of the Water Resources Development (WRDA) Act of 2026 through the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation includes eleven priorities he secured for South Jersey, and it is expected to be signed into law. "This is exactly the kind of work I came to Congress to do," said Congressman Van Drew. "South Jersey is surrounded by water, and our towns deal with flooding, erosion, aging dams, and waterways that need our full attention. I fought to get these priorities into the bill because they will directly address these concerns and make a real difference in the safety of the residents of South Jersey. Now they are on their way to becoming law. I am proud of what we were able to get done here, and I am going to stay on top of these projects to make sure the work gets done." Priorities Secured: East Point Lighthouse Shore Protection- Expands the ongoing Maurice River dredging study to include shoreline protection for the East Point Lighthouse. North Wildwood Shore Protection- Expedites the North Wildwood hurricane and storm damage reduction project using Hereford Inlet as the source of sand. Coastal Storm Risk Management Trust Fund Study- Includes Congressman Van Drew's provision directing a study to create a dedicated funding source for beach projects. Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act- Reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through 2031 and includes Congressman Van Drew's DAMS Act provision to strengthen dam safety nationally. Great Egg Harbor River Watershed Assessment- Adds the Great Egg Harbor River Watershed to the Corps' authorized watershed and river-basin assessment list. New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway Rerouting- Authorizes a study to reroute the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway near Ventnor City to solve navigation challenges related to the Dorsett Avenue bridge. Absecon Island Shoreline Project- Accelerates the Atlantic City hot spot erosion study. Hot Spot Erosion Program Improvements- Strengthens Congress… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415842 | EWTN News article on Smith hearing'Jimmy Lai’s family, advocates press for his release before Xi-Trump meeting' | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Tessa Gervasini Published September 16m, 2026 at 5:32 PM ET Family members and advocates of imprisoned Catholic pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai offered urgent pleas for his release ahead of President Xi Jinping’s planned trip to the U.S. to meet with President Donald Trump. In anticipation of Xi’s visit to Washington on Sept. 24, Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai’s son, met with leaders to advocate for his father. He joined a Sept. 16 congressional hearing led by Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey. “Jimmy Lai is not being imprisoned because he committed any act of violence whatsoever,” Smith, co-chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, said. Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, left, holds a congressional hearing with testimony from Sebastien Lai on Sept. 16, 2026, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Tessa Gervasini/EWTN News “His son has emphasized that his father has never, never advocated violence. Rather, Jimmy Lai used his voice, his newspaper, and his public platform to support freedom and democracy,” he said. Smith said he introduced legislation Sept. 16 that would require the State Department to quickly assess any death in custody of a Hong Kong political prisoner and impose sanctions on officials found responsible. He titled the bill the “Jimmy Lai Hong Kong Political Prisoner Accountability Act of 2026.” At the hearing, Sebastien Lai offered testimony along with Steve Yates, a research fellow on China and national security policy, and Mark Clifford, president of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation. “I want to thank America, President Trump, who has been a true champion of my father’s, his administration, and the senators and members of both parties whose support has never wavered and only gotten stronger. That is moral courage, and my family does not take it for granted,” Sebastien Lai said. “By the end of this year my father will have spent six years in a maximum-security prison in solitary. At 78, he is the oldest political prisoner in Hong Kong. With a 20-year sentence looming ov… | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-blasts-pairing-unchecked-trump-tariffs-russia-sanctions | Congresswoman Pou Blasts Pairing of Unchecked Trump Tariffs with Russia Sanctions | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09) tonight blasted sabotage of Ukrainian support by authorizing broad new tariff authorities to President Trump. “For nearly five years, Ukrainians have fought bravely for their survival, and against all odds, Ukraine is now winning the war. America should be giving Ukraine the necessary support it needs to expel Russia from its borders and end this war of aggression,” said Congresswoman Pou. “I support providing broad aid to Ukraine, strong sanctions against Russia, and the message that Congress stands with Ukraine. Tragically, the substance of this bill does not match the message and this bill wrongly pairs Russian sanctions with giving Donald Trump destructive tariff powers that would go beyond this conflict. “And for nearly two years, the President has imposed widespread tariffs on allies, yet has waived Russian sanctions and has refused to apply similar tariffs on Russia, despite Russia’s repeated attacks on Ukrainian civilians and its refusal to engage in good-faith peace negotiations. “Nothing is preventing the President from imposing sanctions on the Russian war machine and he could have imposed harsh sanctions on day one of his administration nearly two years. I call upon him to do that today. To my Ukrainian friends: Americans are with you, and I am with you. Slava Ukraini!” concluded Pou. Congresswoman Pou’s support for Ukraine Pou was a cosponsor of a discharge petition that, in June, forced Speaker Johnson to bring H.R. 2913, the Ukraine Support Act, to a vote on the House floor. The legislation – which Pou voted in favor of – would provide fresh funding to Ukraine in its fight for survival and help impose long-sought sanctions on Russia for its cruel and illegal war. Pou has advocated for the U.S. Department of State to increase funding to assist Ukraine with tracking and returning children abducted by Russia and has repeatedly called on the Department of Homeland Security to uphold legal protections for Ukrainian refugees in the United States. … | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/pou-backed-flood-protections-pass-house | Pou-Backed Flood Protections Pass House | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), a member of the House’s Water Resources Subcommittee, spoke on the floor of the House in favor of the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). The legislation includes over a dozen priorities Pou championed to help protect North Jersey from flooding and advance critical local water infrastructure projects. The legislation passed the House overwhelmingly, 415-to-9. The passed legislation includes provisions that will help move long-delayed flood mitigation projects forward, launch new studies, and strengthen protections for communities across North Jersey that have endured repeated flooding. The bill also incorporates Congresswoman Pou’s bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act, legislation she introduced earlier this year to remove barriers that have stalled environmental remediation projects. “In our North Jersey communities, flooding is not some distant threat. In just the last few weeks, our communities have seen terrible flash floods turn streets into rivers, destroying homes, cars, and small businesses, and upending lives,” said Congresswoman Pou. “This bill takes action by moving long-delayed flood protection projects forward across Bergen and Passaic Counties. I am especially proud this package includes my bipartisan CLEAN-UP Act. We cannot keep waiting until after disaster strikes to act. We must be proactive and give our communities the tools to protect themselves before the next storm comes.” Since taking office, Congresswoman Pou has made flood mitigation one of her key priorities in Congress. Earlier this year, she introduced the CLEAN-UP Act to remove barriers delaying Army Corps projects and authored the Water Crisis Prevention Act to improve the federal response to infrastructure failures. During the Surface Transportation Reauthorization mark-up, Pou also secured an amendment into the bill that would direct the Government Accountability Office to review Department of Transportation PROTECT grants and produce a report identifying best practices and… | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/reps-thanedar-watson-coleman-introduce-legislation-to-strengthen-ice-reporting-standards | Reps. Thanedar, Watson Coleman Introduce Legislation to Strengthen ICE Reporting Standards | 2026-09-16 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | W000822 | watsoncoleman.house.gov | watsoncoleman | https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases | scraper | Yesterday, Representative Shri Thanedar (MI-13) and Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) introduced the No ICE Deaths in the Dark Act, comprehensive legislation that will ensure that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports quickly and transparently on any deaths that occur in ICE custody. In a reversal from previous policy, ICE is no longer required to report certain deaths that occur within 30 days after release from custody, even when ICE detention or release conditions may have contributed to the death. This legislation would codify Biden-era reporting rules that required full reporting on these and all other deaths in ICE custody. “Since President Trump took office, ICE has gotten out of control, detaining a record number of Americans in horrific conditions,” said Thanedar. “It is beyond unacceptable that detainees are dying in custody and ICE is refusing to report their deaths. I’m proud to introduce this necessary legislation with Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman to ensure ICE finally acts with the transparency the American people deserve and to protect the lives of those in detention centers.” “ICE has had free reign to attack people in front of cameras, so it’s imperative we demand to see what is going on behind closed doors,” said Watson Coleman. “Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, one of my constituents, was denied medical care and died in ICE custody. How many other detainees have suffered from medical neglect while in custody, only to die once released? These people deserve justice too.” This legislation is co-sponsored by Representatives Steve Cohen (TN-09), Herb Conaway (NJ-03), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia (IL-04), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Al Green (TX-09), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Betty McCollum (MN-04), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Mike Quigl… | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415828 | Hyde Amendment violations & transparency failures revealedNew GAO report: Taxpayers bankrolled Obamacare health insurance plans covering elective abortions for 4.4 million individuals in 2026 | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | A new report from the U.S. government’s nonpartisan watchdog agency revealed that federal taxpayers subsidized 1,719 Affordable Care Act (ACA) Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) that covered elective abortions for an estimated 4.4 million individuals this year alone. The report also showed that 683 more abortion-covering QHPs were available through the ACA than when GAO issued a similar brief in 2014. The recent report, compiled by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), was requested by House and Senate majority leadership, Co-Chairs of the House and Senate Congressional Pro-Life Caucus and Values Action Teams, and Chairmen of the House and Senate Committees of jurisdiction. Upon the release of the report—first reported by The Daily Wire—Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Chairman of the House Values Action Team (VAT), issued the following statement: “For far too long, pro-life Americans have been deceived by the ACA and strongarmed into paying for health plans that do not respect the sanctity of life. American taxpayers deserve complete transparency and truthfulness as to where their hard-earned dollars are going—and under the ACA as it currently stands, that’s just not possible. “Today’s GAO report confirms the very concerns that Republicans have raised for over fifteen years: the ACA fails to apply the longstanding and bipartisan Hyde Amendment law, which protects taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, both directly and through federal health plans. “The ACA allows premium tax credits to be directed towards health insurance coverage that includes elective abortion. Federal taxpayer dollars—even from individuals living in pro-life states—are subsidizing plans that include elective abortion coverage for over 4.4 million people. “The report also found that some insurance issuers failed to comply with the ACA’s consumer transparency provision, which requires plans to prominently disclose abortion coverage. “As we approach the 50th annive… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415829 | The Daily Wire exclusive article on Smith-requested report'EXCLUSIVE: Obamacare Plans Use Taxpayer Dollars For Abortions, Watchdog Finds' | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Mary Margaret Olohan Published September 15, 2026 WASHINGTON—A nonpartisan federal watchdog on Tuesday revealed that Obamacare subsidizes abortions, upending a longtime Democrat talking point, The Daily Wire can first report. Nearly a third of Affordable Care Act plans cover abortions, the Government Accountability Office found. Of the 6,655 qualified health plans offered on Obamacare exchanges, 1,719 cover “non-excepted abortion services,” meaning elective abortions that are not the result of rape, incest, or danger to the mother’s life. States that have banned abortion prohibit exchange plans from covering these services. About 4.4 million Americans are enrolled in Obamacare plans that cover abortions, the report found. (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP) (Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images) “As a strong defender of life, I find the results of today’s GAO report deeply concerning,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune told The Daily Wire. “American taxpayer dollars should not be used to subsidize elective abortions in violation of the longstanding Hyde Amendment.” Republicans have long said that the Hyde Amendment — which bans the use of federal funds to pay for abortions except in cases where the unborn baby is conceived through rape or incest, or when the mother’s life is in danger — should apply to Obamacare plans. Critics say that Democrats have misled the public about when Obamacare plans are subject to Hyde rules. Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images) “Today’s GAO report confirms the very concerns that Republicans have raised for over fifteen years,” New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith told The Daily Wire. “The ACA fails to apply the longstanding and bipartisan Hyde Amendment law, which protects taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, both directly and through federal health plans.” Earlier this year, some Republicans pushed back strongly when President Donald Trump suggested that they should be flexible on the Hyde Amendment. Smith, who leads the co… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415830 | Washington Examiner article on Smith-requested report'GAO finds millions of Obamacare enrollees have abortions covered' | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Rena Rowe Published September 15, 2026 1:32pm ET A new report from the Government Accountability Office found that federal premium tax credits have helped subsidize Affordable Care Act health plans that cover abortions for millions of enrollees this year. The GAO found that 1,719 of the 6,655 ACA plans available nationwide in 2026, or roughly 26%, covered abortions. Those plans covered an estimated 4.4 million people. That is an increase of 683 plans from the number GAO found in a similar review in 2014. The availability of abortion coverage varied widely by state, largely because of varied state abortion laws. The findings come as Congress approaches the 50th anniversary of the Hyde Amendment, a long-standing federal policy that bars federal funds from being used to pay for abortions, with exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest and cases in which the woman’s life is endangered. But Obamacare is not funded annually through the appropriations process, so it is not required to follow the rules of the Hyde Amendment. Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), co-chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus, and Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), chairman of the House Values Action Team, said the report shows Obamacare does not provide the same Hyde protections to marketplace plans as those that apply to other federal programs. “The ACA allows premium tax credits to be directed towards health insurance coverage that includes elective abortion,” the lawmakers said, calling for stronger Hyde protections and greater transparency about abortion coverage. Smith has also called on the Trump administration to take action on abortion coverage in Obamacare plans until Congress passes legislation extending Hyde protections to those plans. “Today’s GAO report confirms the very concerns that Republicans have raised for over fifteen years: the ACA fails to apply the longstanding and bipartisan Hyde Amendment law, which protects taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, both directly and through federal health plans,” the law… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/statement-gottheimer-says-third-party-audits-alone-dont-meet-the-moment | STATEMENT: Gottheimer Says Third-Party Audits Alone Don’t Meet the Moment | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, September 15, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) released the following statement: “Handing independent auditors the job of protecting America’s national security just won’t cut it and certainly doesn’t meet the moment. With our cybersecurity, biosecurity, critical infrastructure, and national security on the line, every AI developer should have to submit their frontier models to the U.S. government for a shot-clocked review before they release them to the public. It can’t only be voluntary, and we can’t rely on third-party organizations that don’t have the compute power, expertise, or security clearances to actually test and assess these models effectively. When AI developers cheer on the framework meant to hold these companies accountable, it should raise red flags, not confidence.” ### | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-hosts-fourth-annual-seniors-distinction-event | Kean Hosts Fourth Annual Seniors of Distinction Event | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (September 15, 2026) BRIDGEWATER, NJ – Last week, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) hosted his fourth annual Seniors of Distinction event at the Bridgewater Township Senior Center to honor the outstanding seniors of New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District. This year, Congressman Kean celebrated 24 seniors representing all six counties within New Jersey’s Seventh Congressional District. Each honoree was nominated by their friends, families, or local officials in recognition of their exceptional service and dedication to others. The Seniors of Distinction were selected for their long history of giving back to their communities. “The people we recognize today represent what is best about our communities,” said Congressman Kean. “They have spent years giving their time, sharing their experience, helping their neighbors, and strengthening their hometowns. So much of what makes a community strong comes from people who simply choose, day after day, to show up for others. It is a privilege to recognize these extraordinary New Jerseyans and to thank them for the example they continue to set for all of us.” “I want to thank Congressman Kean for being here and for holding this event,” said 2026 Honoree Gloria Padgett. “It was great getting to know the people here and hearing about their volunteering. They are doing wonderful things for their communities, and when you give to people, it deserves to be recognized.” “I want to thank Congressman Kean for hosting the Seniors of Distinction event and for his advocacy, which has made a real, measurable difference in our district,” said Bernard Rosario. “For working families and seniors on fixed incomes in a high-property-tax state like New Jersey, the SALT deduction that Congressman Kean fought is often the difference between being able to afford to stay in the home and community we have spent our lives in or being forced to relocate out of state in retirement. Thank you, Congressman Kean, for your continued dedication to NJ-07 and for fighting for policies that keep our c… | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/co-chairs-of-defend-the-14th-amendment-task-force-introduce-resolution-to-protect-voting-rights-and-defend-free-and-fair-elections | Co-Chairs of Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force Introduce Resolution to Protect Voting Rights and Defend Free and Fair Elections | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Analilia Mejia | M001246 | mejia.house.gov | mejia | https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Co-Chairs of the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force, Representatives Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Emily Randall (WA-06), and Suhas Subramanyam (VA-10), today introduced a resolution reaffirming the House of Representatives’ commitment to enforcing the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and protecting every eligible American’s right to vote. The resolution comes as fundamental voting-rights protections face growing threats, including efforts to deploy armed federal or immigration enforcement personnel at or near polling places, impose documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration, compile sensitive voter registration information into a national database, and use executive authority to interfere with election administration. In response, the resolution condemns voter intimidation and suppression, opposes efforts to restrict access to the ballot, and calls for protecting every eligible voter’s ability to cast their ballot free from fear. The resolution also calls for restoring federal voting rights protections weakened by recent Supreme Court decisions, including the preclearance protections struck down in Shelby County v. Holder and protections under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act weakened by Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee and Louisiana v. Callais. It supports legislation including the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, the Protect Our Polls Act, and the Protecting Our Democracy Act. “The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy, and that foundation is under attack. We are witnessing a coordinated assault on the people’s power to choose their leaders: voter intimidation, barriers to the ballot, the weaponization of voter data, and threats of federal interference at the polls,” said the Defend the 14th Amendment Task Force members. “The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were born out of a struggle to make our democracy more inclusive and more representative. Generations of Americans fought, marched, organized, … | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-applauds-major-passaic-river-cleanup-milestone-following-pressure-on-epa-and-doj | Menendez Applauds Major Passaic River Cleanup Milestone Following Pressure on EPA and DOJ | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Robert Menendez | M001226 | menendez.house.gov | menendez | https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Rob Menendez released the following statement after a proposed $125,000,000 settlement agreement was reached by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) in the long-overdue cleanup of the Passaic River. “The Passaic River cleanup agreement is a necessary step forward for families in Newark and our neighboring communities who have borne the brunt of toxic pollution for far too long,” said Congressman Menendez. “We demanded action from the EPA and DOJ to protect our residents, and we fought alongside dedicated community advocates to get our residents long overdue progress. I will not stop fighting until the Passaic River is fully cleaned up, our families’ health is protected, and environmental justice is served.” The proposed consent decree comes after Congressman Menendez led an effort with Congresswomen LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) and Nellie Pou (NJ-09) urging EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and former Attorney General Pam Bondi to hold polluters accountable, accelerate the cleanup of the Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, and protect the health and well-being of New Jerseyans. The Diamond Alkali Superfund Site was added to the National Priorities List in 1984, but the complex cleanup remains incomplete. The Passaic River continues to suffer from the impact of industrial waste, including dioxins discharged during the Vietnam War-era production of Agent Orange. This new proposed agreement will support the next phase of the cleanup and ensure that liable polluters pay for the restoration, not taxpayers. Congressman Rob Menendez has represented New Jersey’s Eighth Congressional District since 2023. He serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including the Subcommittees on Environment, Energy, and Communications and Technology. | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2092 | Congressman Van Drew Chairs Hearing on New Jersey Voter Roll Scandal | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew, Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, held a hearing examining how 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey, with almost 400 later casting votes. "The part that should make every person in New Jersey angry is that the state knew there was a problem in June of 2024 and did not tell the public what happened until two years later," said Congressman Van Drew. "How do thousands of noncitizens get registered, hundreds vote, and nobody thinks the people of New Jersey deserve to know? Now we are asking questions to find out exactly what went wrong, and we have been met with resistance from the state every step of the way. That is why I chaired this hearing today. Elections can come down to one vote, so yes, we are going to keep asking questions to make sure that it is only Americans voting in American elections." | 1 | 2026-09-16T09:43:13Z | 2026-09-16T09:44:22Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415832 | National Review article on Smith-requested report'One in Four Obamacare Plans Cover Elective Abortions Despite Hyde Amendment Restrictions, GAO Finds' | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Kamden Mulder Published September 15, 2026 5:42 PM Twenty-six percent of Obamacare exchange plans cover elective abortions, even as the Hyde Amendment prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for such procedures, according to a new Government Accountability Office report. The Hyde Amendment only allows federal money to be used to pay for abortions under limited circumstances: when the life of the mother is at risk, or when the pregnancy is the product of rape or incest. But the GAO report found one in four Affordable Care Act plans cover “non-excepted abortion services.” Of the 6,655 Obamacare plans on the market, 1,719 cover abortions outside of the federal exceptions. Pro-life advocates have long voiced concerns about how the Hyde Amendment applies to Obamacare insurance plans and how effectively it prohibits taxpayer-subsidized insurance coverage from including abortion. Affordable Care Act forms in 2013(Jonathan Bachman/Reuters) “Obamacare was the largest expansion of taxpayer-funded abortion in American history after Roe v. Wade. Tax dollars have paid for the violent deaths of countless babies, in an end run around the longstanding protections of the Hyde Amendment. Democrats’ gaslighting is inexcusable,” SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement. “While the Hyde Amendment has saved nearly 2.7 million lives in its 50-year existence, Obamacare is a glaring exception.” Representatives Chris Smith (R., N.J.) and Robert Aderholt (R., Ala.) similarly said the report “confirms the very concerns that Republicans have raised for over fifteen years: the ACA fails to apply the longstanding and bipartisan Hyde Amendment law, which protects taxpayer dollars from funding abortion, both directly and through federal health plans.” “The ACA allows premium tax credits to be directed towards health insurance coverage that includes elective abortion,” the pair added in a joint statement. “Federal taxpayer dollars—even from individuals living in pro-life states—are subsidizing pla… | 1 | 2026-09-17T09:52:05Z | 2026-09-17T09:53:00Z |
| https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases/mciver-introduces-bill-to-support-veteran-owned-small-businesses-mciver-introduces-bill-to-support-veteran-owned-small-businesses | McIver Introduces Bill To Support Veteran-Owned Small Businesses | 2026-09-15 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | LaMonica McIver | M001229 | mciver.house.gov | mciver | https://mciver.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (NJ-10) introduced the Ensuring SBA Implementation of GAO Recommendations Act of 2026. This bill would require the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Veteran Business Development (OVBD) to establish procedures to comply with existing reporting requirements on veteran-owned small businesses. The bill would strengthen SBA support for veteran entrepreneurs by requiring the SBA to report on ways to improve veteran-owned small businesses' access in areas such as federal contracting and programing. “This bill does the important work of supporting veteran entrepreneurs in creating, maintaining, and growing their businesses,” said McIver. “Veterans are essential members of our communities and their work deserves to be lifted. Making sure the proper procedures are in place to support them allows for our small businesses and communities to thrive.” Currently, the SBA provides entrepreneurial training and education through Veterans Business Outreach Centers (VBOCs). However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the SBA lacked procedures for submitting the required annual report on veteran-owned small businesses and had not complied in recent years. By developing procedures to ensure compliance with reporting requirements, the SBA and Congress will have better information to serve America’s hardworking veteran-owned businesses. The full text of the Ensuring SBA Implementation of GAO Recommendations Act of 2026 can be found here. ### | 1 | 2026-09-19T09:11:33Z | 2026-09-19T09:12:45Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/icymi-as-ai-advances-gottheimer-leads-bipartisan-charge-to-put-up-immediate-guardrails | ICYMI: As AI Advances, Gottheimer Leads Bipartisan Charge to Put Up Immediate Guardrails | 2026-09-14 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Led an Extensive Series of AI Bipartisan Bills Calls on Republican Leadership to Stop Delaying & Take Real Action WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the House AI Commission, has led an extensive series of bipartisan bills this Congress to put up immediate guardrails to keep pace with the rapid rise of AI. Teaming up with Republican and Democratic colleagues alike, Gottheimer’s bills tackle current issues from rogue AI agents and cybersecurity to commonsense consumer and child protections to AI digital literacy. Unfortunately, Republican leadership has refused to directly bring any of these critical pieces of legislation to the floor for a vote. “AI is moving lightning fast, and Washington needs to keep up. This isn’t about losing this race to our adversaries. It’s about winning the right way, in a way that protects our children, families, and country. We need mandatory, commonsense guardrails and clear rules of the road, so that we innovate safely,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Over the last year, we have introduced a series of bipartisan bills that will both protect our families and national security, and ensure we can seize upon the opportunities ahead of us. I’m calling on Republican leadership to immediately bring these critical, bipartisan bills to the floor. We should not go home until we take action.” Gottheimer’s Bipartisan AI Bills | 1 | 2026-09-15T09:50:21Z | 2026-09-15T09:52:05Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-following-labor-day-gottheimer-hosts-roundtable-with-local-labor-leaders | PHOTO RELEASE: Following Labor Day, Gottheimer Hosts Roundtable with Local Labor Leaders | 2026-09-14 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer meeting with North Jersey labor leaders. PARAMUS, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a roundtable with North Jersey labor leaders to discuss his ongoing work to help create jobs, lower costs, and support the hard-working men and women of labor. The roundtable was held at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 164. Gottheimer and North Jersey labor leaders discussed affordability, future of AI, next generation of workers, health care costs, rising taxes, and Gottheimer’s continued work in Washington to support Jersey families. Watch video from his event here. “I’m proud to stand with North Jersey and our hardworking families,” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Labor unions helped build this state, this country, and create the most competitive workforce in the world. I’ll keep fighting in Washington for better wages, safer working conditions, more job opportunities, and the dignity and respect every worker has earned.” Gottheimer fighting to support Jersey’s workforce: Gottheimer helped write, negotiate, and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, delivering more than $10 billion to fix Jersey’s crumbling roads and bridges and creating hundreds of thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs — all without increasing the tax burden on our families. Gottheimer also fought hard for strong Davis-Bacon protections in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, ensuring that unions can compete for infrastructure contracts and that workers are well-paid. Gottheimer voted against the One Big Beautiful Bill to protect tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs. As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Law Enforcement Caucus, Gottheimer introduced and is fighting to pass the Invest to Protect Act, which makes critical, targeted investments in our local police departments. Gottheimer has announced the Fight Fires and Fight Cancer Act to stop extremists from recklessly slashing programs that support firefighters’ safety, training, and health care. Gottheimer introduc… | 1 | 2026-09-15T09:50:21Z | 2026-09-15T09:52:05Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/kean-visits-somerville-highlight-1942000-secured-federal-funding-0 | Kean Visits Somerville to Highlight $1,942,000 Secured in Federal Funding | 2026-09-14 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (September 14, 2026) SOMERVILLE, NJ – Last week, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) visited downtown Somerville with Mayor Brian Gallagher to highlight the $1,942,000 he secured in a House funding bill through the Community Project Funding process. The funding will be used for two complementary capital improvement projects: the Division Street Arts Plaza and the Giardina Walk Improvements. Together, these projects will transform two heavily traveled public corridors into vibrant, safe, and fully accessible pedestrian spaces that anchor Downtown Somerville’s arts and cultural identity. “Downtown Somerville is truly the heart of Somerset County, and this investment will help make it an even better place to live, work, shop, and dine,” said Congressman Kean. “I fought for this funding because Somerville deserves a downtown that reflects the energy, character, and pride of this special community. This project will be transformational in supporting local businesses, improving the downtown experience for residents and visitors alike.” "I'm grateful to Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. for securing nearly $1.94 million in federal funding for the Division Street Arts Plaza and Giardina Walk improvements,” said Mayor Brian Gallagher. “This investment will make our downtown safer and more accessible, strengthen Main Street as a regional destination, and benefit the entire community. Congressman Kean's persistence in advancing this funding through Washington reflects his genuine commitment to Somerville and the region, and we're thankful for his leadership and partnership." “The Division Street and Giardina Walkway improvements are an investment in the future and economic vitality of Downtown Somerville, the county seat,” said Dana Kessel, Executive Director of the Downtown Somerville Alliance. “This project demonstrates what is possible when a community, its businesses, municipal partners, and a strong Main Street organization work together toward a shared vision. By creating inviting places to gather, shop, dine, and experienc… | 1 | 2026-09-15T09:50:21Z | 2026-09-15T09:52:05Z |
| https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresswoman-pou-calls-united-save-nonstop-newark-lima-flights | Congresswoman Pou Calls on United to Save Nonstop Newark→Lima Flights | 2026-09-14 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Nellie Pou | P000621 | pou.house.gov | pou | https://pou.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | PATERSON, NJ – Congressmember Nellie Pou (D-NJ-09), the Vice Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Aviation, today called on United Airlines to reconsider its plan to eliminate a popular direct route between Newark Liberty International Airport and Lima, Peru, long relied on by New Jersey’s large Peruvian-American community. “I write to express my concern about United Airlines’ recent decision to eliminate nonstop service between Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Lima, Peru. Ending this longstanding route would have a serious impact on New Jersey communities that rely on direct service to Peru, while potentially leaving travelers with fewer choices and higher costs,” Congresswoman Pou writes United CEO Scott Kirby. United announced earlier this month that it will end nonstop service between Newark and Lima on March 27, 2027, ending a route that has operated since 1996, first under Continental Airlines and later United following its merger. United plans to double its Houston-Lima service to two daily flights when the Newark route ends. “Given the impact this decision would have for New Jersey’s Peruvian community and for travelers across the Tristate area, I am asking United Airlines to pause its plan to eliminate the Newark–Lima route and consider alternatives that could preserve direct service, including operating the route on a reduced schedule,” Pou concludes in her call to United’s CEO. According to Census data, New Jersey has roughly 95,000 people of Peruvian origin living in the state. New Jersey’s Ninth District is home to one of the largest Peruvian communities in the United States. At the heart of this community is Paterson’s “Little Lima,” which is full of Peruvian bakeries, salons, restaurants, and other small businesses. Congresswoman Pou is the lead sponsor of the PERU Act (H.R. 5335) which seeks to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Peru by adding Peru to the list of countries eligible to obtain E1 and E2 visas, so long as the Per… | 1 | 2026-09-15T09:50:21Z | 2026-09-15T09:52:05Z |
| https://vandrew.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=2090 | Congressman Van Drew Condemns Immigration Failure After Attack on Six-Year-Old Girl in NJ | 2026-09-12 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Jefferson Van Drew | V000133 | vandrew.house.gov | vandrew | https://vandrew.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement after an illegal immigrant who had previously been in ICE custody was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in New Jersey. "There are no words for what this little girl and her parents are going through," said Congressman Van Drew. "Nothing we say can make this right. There is only one thing we can do, and that is to make sure this never happens again. This man should have been deported in 2024. He was already in ICE custody, but instead he was released back into our communities. And while this is happening, taxpayers should certainly not be funding legal defense programs for illegal immigrants fighting deportation. This little girl deserved to be protected. She was failed. We cannot allow that to happen again." | 1 | 2026-09-15T09:50:21Z | 2026-09-15T09:52:05Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-on-25th-anniversary-of-9-11-attacks-gottheimer-honors-the-fallen-of-north-jersey | RELEASE: On 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks, Gottheimer Honors the Fallen of North Jersey | 2026-09-11 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer commemorates the 25th anniversary of the horrific September 11th attacks. NEW JERSEY — Today, Friday, September 11, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) took part in the 25th anniversary of 9/11 remembrance ceremonies in Mahwah and Hackensack to honor North Jersey community members and first responders who lost their lives in the horrific attacks, commemorating those lost since, and recommitting to protecting America from extremism and terror. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, including more than 400 firefighters, police, and other first responders. New Jersey lost nearly 750 residents, and Bergen County alone lost 147 residents. Since then, more than 9,000 first responders and others who were in and around the World Trade Center have died as a result of toxic exposure. See Gottheimer’s full remarks here. “Out of the worst morning in this country’s history, we decided to be loud, united, and unafraid. That’s the Jersey I know, and the America I strive for,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “A place where our memory and our pride outlast our fear. A place where every one of the neighbors we lost that day will never, ever be forgotten. We will never forget.” Gottheimer was joined by Mayor Caseen Gaines, Deputy Mayor Agatha Toomey, Councilman Roberto Diaz, Councilwoman Sonya Clark-Collins, Councilman Philip Carroll, City Manager Thomas Freeman, Fire Chief Keith Rosazza, Police Chief Michael Antist. Over the past year, Gottheimer served as co-chair of the bipartisan House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence review of the 9/11 Commission Report. Last week, the committee released its bipartisan 9/11 Review Task Force Report, that lays out twenty bipartisan recommendations for the Intelligence Community to protect against the new and emerging threats — including faster information sharing between agencies, adopting AI to stay ahead of our enemies, and deeper partnerships with our state, local, and private-sector partners to fight terror. Gottheimer also… | 1 | 2026-09-12T09:02:30Z | 2026-09-12T09:03:27Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415826 | Remembering the Victims of 9/11 | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | The following are excerpts of remarks prepared by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) for Monmouth County’s September 11th Memorial Ceremony in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey: “Twenty-five years later, we solemnly remember those who lost their lives and the pain suffered by the nearly 3,000 individuals—including 147 Monmouth County residents— who were murdered by radical jihadists and the anguish endured by their families and friends, both then and now. “We remember and honor the courageous first responders running up the stairs of the burning buildings—with total disregard for their own safety—attempting to save others at the expense of their own lives. “We honor the heroic firefighters, police officers, paramedics and civilian support staff members, who have suffered and died from illnesses related to the rescue and recovery efforts in the aftermath of one of the darkest days in U.S. history. “According to the World Trade Center Health Program, an estimated 400,000 people were exposed to toxic contaminants in New York, at the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Over 96,000 people have been diagnosed with physical and mental health conditions as a result of exposure to the dust, smoke, debris and traumatic events of 9/11, and more than 9,000 people have died from illnesses directly linked to the attack. “It is widely believed that Flight 93 was headed to Washington, D.C. to attack the Capitol or the White House when it was brought down in Shanksville, thanks in large part to N.J. hero Todd Beamer and his call to fellow passengers: ‘Let’s roll!’ “A member of my staff since 2006, Kathy Wisniewski—then a Howell resident—lost her beloved husband, Alan, on 9/11. “Alan was associate director for Sandler O’Neill Investment, and his office was on the 104th floor of the South Tower. His last phone call before his tower fell was to say: ‘I’m OK.’ Then United Airlines flight 175 crashed into his building. “Through Kathy, and their three children—as well from the other survivors, like the ‘Jersey Girls’—we’ve all gotten… | 1 | 2026-09-11T09:25:29Z | 2026-09-11T09:27:08Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415827 | Wed., Sept. 16: Rep. Chris Smith to chair CECC hearing“A Son and Daughter’s Appeal to Xi Jinping to Release Their Dad, Jimmy Lai” | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | On Wednesday, September 16th, Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), will chair a congressional hearing examining the imprisonment of Hong Kong media entrepreneur and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai and what his case reveals about the continued erosion of freedom of the press, judicial independence, and the rule of law in Hong Kong. Given the planned summit between President Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping, the hearing will underscore the appeal from Jimmy Lai’s children to Xi Jinping for their father’s immediate release and examine the broader implications of Lai’s continued imprisonment. WHAT: Congressional hearing on the unjust, politically motivated imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, as well as what additional steps Congress, the Administration, and international partners can take to secure his release and hold accountable the officials responsible for undermining internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms. WHEN: Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 9:30 AM WITNESSES: (Partial list) Sebastien Lai, Son of Jimmy Lai; Leader, #FreeJimmyLai Campaign Steve Yates, Senior Research Fellow for China and National Security and Chung Ju Yung Fellow, The Heritage Foundation Mark L. Clifford, President, Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation; Author of The Troublemaker, a biography of Jimmy Lai WHERE: 2255 Rayburn House Office Building and livestreamed here WHO: Co-Chairman Chris Smith (R-NJ), Chairman Dan Sullivan (R-AK), other members of the CECC, and witnesses ### | 1 | 2026-09-11T09:25:29Z | 2026-09-11T09:27:08Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-claws-back-more-than-1-7-million-in-federal-security-funding-for-nj-houses-of-worship | RELEASE: Gottheimer Claws Back More than $1.7 Million in Federal Security Funding for NJ Houses of Worship | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer visits Bris Avrohom of Fair Lawn ahead of the High Holidays. NORTH JERSEY — Today, September 10, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced $1.7 million clawed-back for eight nonprofit organizations across North Jersey for Fiscal Year 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) funding, delivering critical resources to help churches, synagogues, temples, and faith-based schools in the Fifth District protect their communities from the growing threat of hate and violence. Gottheimer also announced the funding at Bris Avrohom of Fair Lawn and visited Rabbi Mendel Zaltzman and Rabbi Mordechai Kanelsky ahead of the High Holidays. See video of Gottheimer’s visit here. Gottheimer also hosted a briefing with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) and Jewish faith leaders from across North Jersey to address the security threats facing the Jewish community as they prepare for the High Holidays. The meeting brought together NJOHSP Director Hauck, state leadership, and Jewish faith leaders to discuss the current threat landscape, coordination between law enforcement and religious institutions, and the urgent need to deliver federal security resources to houses of worship — the very resources this NSGP funding provides. Gottheimer has been pushing for the long-delayed resources, passed in 2024, to be distributed after clawing it back for the district. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), administered by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), provides funding to nonprofits at high risk of terrorist attacks or hate-related incidents, with a particular focus on houses of worship and other faith-based institutions like schools and community centers. The funding allows organizations to invest in physical security upgrades like cameras, gates, bollards, and blast-resistant film, and to provide training that helps staff and congregants recognize and respond to threats. Anti-Jewish hate crimes account for nearly two-thirds of all religion-based hate c… | 1 | 2026-09-11T09:25:29Z | 2026-09-11T09:27:08Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-celebrates-grand-opening-of-revitalized-reading-center-for-trenton-community | Rep. Watson Coleman Celebrates Grand Opening of Revitalized Reading Center for Trenton Community | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | W000822 | watsoncoleman.house.gov | watsoncoleman | https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases | scraper | Today, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) attended a ribbon cutting celebrating the grand reopening of the renovated Reading Senior Center in Trenton, New Jersey and gave the following remarks: When the senior center closed years ago, it was a tremendous loss to the Trenton senior community. The road to bring it back was a long one – and not without bumps along the way. But Mayor Reed, the City Council, and Mercer County were committed to serving the community and to getting this center back up and running… and better than it was before. The city secured $600,000 in federal American Rescue Plan money, which I was proud to vote for, and it was signed by President Biden. In addition, the county secured matching Community Development Block Grants that I fought to protect from cuts in the Appropriations Committee. The Reading Senior Center is a shining example of what can be accomplished when city, county, and federal officials work together, with one vision, to deliver for the seniors who have given so much to our city. People have asked me, “What has been the most rewarding part of your time in Congress?” It’s days like this, when we can deliver results and give back to people who have put their hearts and souls into their communities. The 11,000 square-foot facility will open its doors for the first time in over eight years, with its new operations and programs beginning Tuesday, September 15th. The Reading Senior Center will also become the new home of the City of Trenton Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Community Relations and Social Services, beginning Wednesday, September 16, providing seniors with convenient access to City programs and assistance. | 1 | 2026-09-11T09:25:29Z | 2026-09-11T09:27:08Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-statement-on-lt-gov-investigation | Rep. Watson Coleman Statement on Lt. Gov. Investigation | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | 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) made the following statement regarding the reported investigation into Lt. Governor Dale Caldwell: For more than three decades, I have known Lt. Gov. Caldwell to be a good and decent man. I also take any allegation of improper actions very seriously. I have full confidence in the investigatory process the Governor has established. | 1 | 2026-09-11T09:25:29Z | 2026-09-11T09:27:08Z |
| https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases/remembering-911-kean-commemorates-25th-anniversary-september-11th-terrorist | Remembering 9/11: Kean Commemorates the 25th Anniversary of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Thomas H. Kean, Jr. | K000398 | kean.house.gov | kean | https://kean.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | (SEPTEMBER 10, 2026) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Kean, Jr. (NJ-07) introduced two pieces of legislation to honor the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Congressman Kean said: “September 11th is deeply personal to New Jersey. For families across our state, that day still has a name, a face, an empty chair at the table. Hundreds of our neighbors left home that morning and never came back. Twenty-five years later, we carry their memory with us, along with the courage of the first responders who ran toward danger and the service members who answered the call to defend our country. “The truth of September 11th is clear. Innocent Americans were murdered in an act of evil against our country and our way of life. Our responsibility is to tell that story with honesty, to honor the people we lost, to stand with the families who still carry that loss, and to make sure every generation understands what happened that day and what followed. “This package is about fulfilling that responsibility to preserve the firsthand voices of September 11th, honoring the Americans who brought justice to the terrorists responsible in the years that followed, and supporting the victims and families. A quarter-century has passed, but our promise remains the same. We remember them. We honor them. America will never forget.” The 9/11 Legacy Preservation Act of 2026: The 9/11 Legacy Preservation Act that Congressman Kean introduced with Representative Don Beyer (VA-08), would direct the Director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish an oral history program to collect video and audio recordings of personal histories from survivors of September 11, 2001. Read the text of the bill HERE. The Seal Team Six Congressional Gold Medal Act: The Seal Team Six Congressional Gold Medal Act would award a Congressional Gold Medal to SEAL Team Six in recognition of their critical role in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice. Congressman Kean introduced the bill with Representatives Mad… | 1 | 2026-09-12T09:02:30Z | 2026-09-12T09:03:27Z |
| https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/rep-watson-coleman-addresses-housing-affordability-and-equity-at-panel-event-in-trenton | Rep. Watson Coleman Addresses Housing Affordability and Equity at Panel Event in Trenton | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Bonnie Watson Coleman | W000822 | watsoncoleman.house.gov | watsoncoleman | https://watsoncoleman.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases | scraper | Today, Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) spoke to the Capital Region Minority Chamber of Commerce (CRMCC) about housing affordability. Joined by CRMCC President Herb Ames and industry experts, the Congresswoman highlighted the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a comprehensive bipartisan package passed earlier this year that addresses many dimensions of housing policy. Over the past few years, Americans have dealt with rising housing costs, putting a strain on millions of families looking to pay their bills and in 2023, the Brookings Institute estimated that there is a shortage of about 4.9 million housing units. This highlights the importance of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which is the largest bipartisan housing law in a generation. President Trump did not sign it into law, however, calling it “a big yawn.” Per the United States Constitution, the bill eventually became law on July 11th, 2026 after the President failed to sign it or veto it within the 10 days following its delivery by Congress. Based on track-record, there is reason to be concerned that the Trump Administration may ignore the law. The Congresswoman gave the following remarks: It's been over 50 years since the New Jersey Supreme Court handed down the Mount Laurel Doctrine that said exclusionary zoning practices that prevent low- and moderate-income families from living in a town are unconstitutional. Yet today, safe, affordable housing remains out of reach for so many. Fewer than four in ten non-homeowning families can afford a typical starter home. It is not enough to remove legal barriers to the middle class while leaving socioeconomic barriers in place. Economic predators have filled the vacuum left behind by the law. Money is like water; it'll find the cracks. The result is that young people and Black people suffer. The homeownership rate for Black households is barely half that of white households, at about 41%. Meanwhile, over 4.2 million young people experience homelessness each year. This astonishing number consist… | 1 | 2026-09-12T09:02:30Z | 2026-09-12T09:03:27Z |
| https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases?ID=49B0E3DF-BC2D-415A-8D9C-FDAB739A37D8 | Norcross, Pallone, Camden leaders meet to discuss nationwide lithium battery fires | 2026-09-10 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Donald Norcross | N000188 | norcross.house.gov | norcross | https://norcross.house.gov/press-releases | page_html | September 10, 2026: EMR USA CEO Joe Balzano (second from left) gives tour of Camden recycling plant to Rep. Norcross, Rep. Pallone, and Mayor Carstarphen (left to right) CAMDEN — Congressmen Donald Norcross (NJ-01) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today met with representatives from EMR’s Camden recycling plant and local elected officials to discuss the nationwide issue of lithium battery fires. Lithium batteries contain more power and charge faster than other batteries, but those efficiencies can also create a fire hazard if exposed to physical damage or excess heat. While these risks require special disposal processes, many consumers are unaware when they are disposing lithium batteries and recycling facilities are often underequipped to identify them in the waste stream. As such, there are an estimated 5,000 fires at recycling plants in the United States each year, with most being ignited by improperly disposed lithium batteries. Without action the problem will only continue to grow: Lithium batteries are used in a large amount of modern products such as handheld electronics, e-cigarettes, medical devices, and the total amount of lithium consumption nearly quadrupled between just 2010 and 2021. Municipalities from coast to coast, including Camden, are increasingly being forced to respond to large battery fires. “Lithium batteries aren’t going away, and communities are struggling to safely recycle them across the world. Reducing these fires will take a team effort, and the producers of these batteries need to play a more active role – especially since they know what happens to these batteries at the end of their lifecycle,” Norcross said. “There’s no one silver bullet solution, but my visit with Congressman Pallone and folks on the frontlines here in Camden certainly helps me feel that more people are taking this issue seriously.” “Lithium-ion batteries shouldn’t be turning recycling facilities into fire hazards. When these batteries end up where they don’t belong, they can put entire communities at risk. I … | 1 | 2026-09-18T09:27:43Z | 2026-09-18T09:29:09Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-stefanik-discuss-combating-antisemitism-on-college-campuses-at-vanderbilt-university-launch-new-bipartisan-caucus-on-campus-antisemitism | RELEASE: Gottheimer, Stefanik Discuss Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses at Vanderbilt University, Launch New Bipartisan Caucus on Campus Antisemitism | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer announces Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus at Vanderbilt University. NASHVILLE, TN — Today, Tuesday, September 8, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY-21) announced the launch of the new bipartisan Combating Antisemitism on College Campuses Caucus while visiting Vanderbilt University. The caucus aims to hold colleges and universities accountable for protecting Jewish students, faculty, and staff. The Representatives announced the formation of the caucus during a conversation at Vanderbilt University featuring Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier and five visiting university leaders from across the country, including leaders from The University of Kentucky, The University of Texas at Austin, Dartmouth College, The University of Alabama, and Washington University in St. Louis. The panel discussed how their campuses are working to combat antisemitism while protecting free expression. “Since October 7th, Jewish students on too many campuses have been harassed, intimidated, and made to feel like strangers in their own school,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That’s why Elise and I are teaming up to launch this caucus to hold universities accountable, back up the schools getting it right, like Vanderbilt, and make sure every Jewish kid can have a college experience without fear of discrimination or violence.” “From asking questions at the most watched hearing in Congressional history with university presidents that led to an earthquake in higher education to passing key legislation, I have been proud to be the leader in Congress on combatting antisemitism and anti-Americanism at our colleges and universities,” said Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (NY- 21). “I am proud to launch this bipartisan Congressional Caucus with my friend and colleague Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) who has been a leading partner and legislator with whom I have worked on this critical issue. We are committed to saving American higher education for the… | 1 | 2026-09-09T09:27:09Z | 2026-09-09T09:29:04Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-ahead-of-the-25th-anniversary-of-9-11-gottheimer-announces-more-than-5-million-in-federal-funds-to-combat-terrorism | RELEASE: Ahead of the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, Gottheimer Announces More Than $5 Million in Federal Funds to Combat Terrorism | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer unveils 9/11 legislation package. NEW MILFORD, NJ — Today, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) announced several concrete actions including more than $5 million clawed back from Washington to Jersey for local law enforcement in North Jersey to combat terrorism. Watch Gottheimer’s remarks here. The new funding will go toward expanding and modernizing intelligence and coordination, officer training, and additional resources to protect Jersey families. The resources include: More than $5 million in counterterrorism funding clawed back for local law enforcement across Bergen, Sussex, and Passaic Counties. Every single town — all 65 in the Fifth Congressional District — in Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties — will receive $50,000 to be utilized for counter-terrorism training. $1.5 million dollars for Bergen County to expand and modernize the Bergen County Real-Time Intelligence Center. Newton in Sussex County will receive $200,000 in funding to be able to purchase a real-time intelligence platform to enhance its capabilities. Bloomingdale will receive $100,000 to purchase a response drone and active-threat gear — ballistic shields, armor, breaching kits. Vernon will receive $30,000 in funding for a thermal search-and-overwatch drone for fast response at any time of day or conditions. Highlighted the bipartisan 9/11 Review Task Force Report that lays out twenty bipartisan recommendations for the Intelligence Community to protect against the new and emerging threats — including faster information sharing between agencies, adopting AI to stay ahead of our enemies, and deeper partnerships with our state, local, and private-sector partners to fight terror. Sent a letter pressing the FAA and Secretary Duffy to fully implement secondary flight deck barriers on all commercial aircraft — the only 9/11 Commission recommendation still not fully implemented 25 years later — to require the barriers on ever… | 1 | 2026-09-10T09:25:58Z | 2026-09-10T09:27:09Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-introduces-bipartisan-bill-to-stop-rogue-ai-agents-and-keep-people-in-control | RELEASE: Gottheimer Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Stop Rogue AI Agents and Keep People in Control | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Wednesday, September 9, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) introduced the bipartisan Stop Rogue AI Act to ensure businesses and federal agencies have the ability to see rogue and dangerous AI agents operating inside their own networks, and stop them before they cause real damage. Right now, most organizations have no reliable way to know how many unauthorized AI agents are running in their systems, who built them, or what they have access to. AI agents can be activated by employees, embedded in third-party software, or deployed by vendors — often with little to no visibility for the organization whose networks they’re operating on to know that they are there. That blind spot is becoming more dangerous by the day. The recent Hugging Face incident and other autonomous cyberattacks have shown AI systems are being used to hack organizations at scale, without a person ever watching or stepping in. “Right now, AI agents are running loose in our networks, and nobody can see them or verify who built them — making it increasingly hard to stop them,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That’s a five-alarm security risk. We’ve already seen AI systems hack organizations on autopilot, with no person at the wheel. My bipartisan bill with Congressman Lawler puts humans back in the driver’s seat so we can find agents and know exactly who’s behind them so that organizations can effectively protect their systems.” “AI agents are becoming more capable and more deeply integrated into our government and economy. We need to make sure we know what these systems are, what they can access, and who is responsible for them. We can harness the benefits of AI while making sure these systems don’t operate in the shadows of the networks they have access to,” said Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17). The Stop Rogue AI Act would direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to develop national standards, guidelines, and best practices for discoveri… | 1 | 2026-09-10T09:25:58Z | 2026-09-10T09:27:09Z |
| https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases/reps-mejia-menendez-and-espaillat-conduct-oversight-visit-at-delaney-hall-following-reports-of-negligent-conditions | Reps. Mejia, Menendez, and Espaillat Conduct Oversight Visit at Delaney Hall Following Reports of Negligent Conditions | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Analilia Mejia | M001246 | mejia.house.gov | mejia | https://mejia.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | For Immediate Release: September 9, 2026 Contact: Beth Wiesinger | Beth.Wiesinger@mail.house.gov NEWARK, NJ — U.S. Representatives Analilia Mejia (NJ-11), Rob Menendez (NJ-08), and Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) today conducted an oversight visit at Delaney Hall, operated by GEO Group, following repeated complaints regarding conditions inside the detention facility, including reports of spoiled food, inadequate or non-functioning air conditioning, and grave concerns about access to timely and appropriate medical care. Following the visit, the members issued the following joint statement: "ICE and GEO Group have a responsibility to the people they are holding in federal custody. What we heard and observed today makes clear that those held in Delaney Hall are dangerously neglected. We met with individuals who detailed medical care being delayed or denied when people are sick or in pain, spoiled and unsafe food being served, and inadequate air conditioning leaving people to endure dangerous conditions. This is a federally funded failure of care and oversight. We will continue to demand clear answers about what is happening inside this facility, including the deaths of individuals held at Delaney, what DHS is doing to address these conditions, and why people in federal custody have been forced to endure them in the first place." The members will continue to review information gathered during today's visit and pursue additional oversight as warranted, including seeking answers from federal officials and facility operators regarding the conditions reported at Delaney Hall. CLICK HERE TO WATCH remarks from the Representatives. ### | 1 | 2026-09-10T09:25:58Z | 2026-09-10T09:27:09Z |
| https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/los-reps-menendez-espaillat-y-mejia-realizan-visita-de-supervision-en-delaney-hall-tras-reportes-de-condiciones-negligentes | Los Reps. Menendez, Espaillat y Mejia realizan visita de supervisión en Delaney Hall tras reportes de condiciones negligentes | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Robert Menendez | M001226 | menendez.house.gov | menendez | https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | JERSEY CITY, NJ – El miércoles, los Representantes Rob Menendez (NJ-08), el Presidente del Caucus Hispano del Congreso, Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) y Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) realizaron una visita de supervisión en Delaney Hall, operado por GEO Group, tras las repetidas denuncias sobre las condiciones dentro del centro de detención, incluyendo reportes de comida en mal estado, aire acondicionado inadecuado o no funcional y graves preocupaciones sobre el acceso a atención médica oportuna y adecuada. Tras la visita, los miembros emitieron la siguiente declaración conjunta: "El ICE y GEO Group tienen una responsabilidad con las personas que mantienen bajo custodia federal. Lo que escuchamos y observamos hoy deja en claro que quienes se encuentran en Delaney Hall continúan siendo peligrosamente desatendidos. Nos reunimos con personas que detallaron la demora o negación de atención médica cuando las personas están enfermas o con dolor, la entrega de alimentos en mal estado e inseguros, y un aire acondicionado inadecuado que obliga a las personas a soportar condiciones peligrosas. Esto es un fracaso de atención y supervisión financiado con fondos federales. Seguiremos exigiendo respuestas claras sobre lo que está ocurriendo dentro de esta instalación, incluyendo las muertes de personas detenidas en Delaney, qué está haciendo el DHS para abordar estas condiciones y por qué las personas bajo custodia federal se han visto obligadas a soportarlas en primer lugar." Los miembros continuarán revisando la información recopilada durante la visita de hoy y llevarán a cabo una supervisión adicional según sea necesario, incluyendo la búsqueda de respuestas de los funcionarios federales y los operadores de la instalación con respecto a las condiciones reportadas en Delaney Hall. | 1 | 2026-09-10T09:25:58Z | 2026-09-10T09:27:09Z |
| https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases/menendez-espaillat-and-mejia-conduct-oversight-visit-at-delaney-hall-following-reports-of-negligent-conditions | Menendez, Espaillat, and Mejia Conduct Oversight Visit at Delaney Hall Following Reports of Negligent Conditions | 2026-09-09 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Robert Menendez | M001226 | menendez.house.gov | menendez | https://menendez.house.gov/media/press-releases | scraper | JERSEY CITY, NJ – Congressional Hispanic Caucus ("CHC") Vice Chair of Policy Rob Menendez (NJ-08), CHC Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and U.S. Representative Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) today conducted an oversight visit at Delaney Hall, operated by GEO Group, following repeated complaints regarding conditions inside the detention facility, including reports of spoiled food, inadequate or non-functioning air conditioning, and grave concerns about access to timely and appropriate medical care. Following the visit, the members issued the following joint statement: “ICE and GEO Group have a responsibility to the people they are holding in federal custody. What we heard and observed today makes clear that those held in Delaney Hall continue to be dangerously neglected. We met with individuals who detailed medical care being delayed or denied when people are sick or in pain, spoiled and unsafe food being served, and inadequate air conditioning leaving people to endure dangerous conditions. This is a federally funded failure of care and oversight. We will continue to demand clear answers about what is happening inside this facility, including the deaths of individuals held at Delaney, what DHS is doing to address these conditions, and why people in federal custody have been forced to endure them in the first place.” The members will continue to review information gathered during today’s visit and pursue additional oversight as warranted, including seeking answers from federal officials and facility operators regarding the conditions reported at Delaney Hall. | 1 | 2026-09-10T09:25:58Z | 2026-09-10T09:27:09Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/photo-release-gottheimer-attends-unveiling-of-joans-joy-legacy-lane-in-honor-of-joan-dalessandro | PHOTO RELEASE: Gottheimer Attends Unveiling of “Joan’s Joy Legacy Lane” in Honor of Joan D’Alessandro | 2026-09-08 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | Above: Gottheimer Helps Unveil “Joan’s Joy Legacy Lane” HILLSDALE, NJ — Yesterday, Monday, September 7, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17), Mayor Michael Sheinfield, the Hillsdale community, Rosemarie D’Alessandro, and the D’Alessandro family to unveil “Joan’s Joy Legacy Lane,” a new street sign honoring the memory of Joan D’Alessandro and her mother’s decades-long fight for stronger child protection laws. “Joan’s joy is still here. It’s on this street sign. It’s in the law that bears her name. And it’s in every child who is a little safer because you refused to let her story end in silence,” said Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5). Joan D’Alessandro was a seven-year-old Girl Scout who was murdered on April 19, 1973, while delivering cookies to a neighbor’s house in Hillsdale. Her mother, Rosemarie D’Alessandro, turned her grief into advocacy, championing the passage of “Joan’s Law” in New Jersey in 1997 under Governor Christie Whitman, and its federal counterpart, signed by President Bill Clinton in 1998, ensuring that anyone who murders and sexually assaults a child under fourteen is never eligible for parole. The legislation has been updated in New Jersey to apply to any child under eighteen. Gottheimer is a cosponsor of the Paula Bohovesky and Joan D’Alessandro Act, to raise the age for prohibition on parole to cover all minors eighteen and under who were murdered and sexually assaulted. Below: Gottheimer Helps Unveil “Joan’s Joy Legacy Lane” ### | 1 | 2026-09-09T09:27:09Z | 2026-09-09T09:29:04Z |
| https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415824 | New York Post article featuring Smith commentary'Unlicensed, illegal migrant drove car that killed baby in NJ parking lot: officials' | 2026-09-05 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Republican | House | NJ | Christopher H. Smith | S000522 | chrissmith.house.gov | chrissmith | https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx | scraper | By Adry Torres Published September 5, 2026 at 12:06 p.m. ET The unlicensed driver who crashed into a New Jersey family in a grocery store parking lot — killing a 9-month-old boy and injuring his mother and sister — and the car’s owner are both illegal immigrants who ICE is now seeking to deport, officials said. María Cobon-Guzmán, 20, a Guatemalan national living in Trenton, was charged Tuesday with five counts including manslaughter after she struck and killed Yitzchok Rosenberg on Aug. 28, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. She has never held a driver’s license, investigators said. Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, 22, a Mexican national living in Toms River, was charged with knowingly creating a substantial risk of death for letting Cobon-Guzmán drive. Ocean County Jail records show US Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainers filed against both women. Judge Kimarie Rahill denied them both bail. ICE seeks the custody of María Cobon-Guzmán, who was operating a car without a license at a supermarket parking lot in Jackson, New Jersey on Aug. 28 when she struck and killed a nine-month-old and injured his mother and sister. Ocean County Jail Cobon-Guzmán was behind the wheel of a Ford Fusion when she slammed into Golda Chana, who was pushing Yitzchok in a stroller, and her 5-year-old daughter, according to VIN News. All three victims were transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where Yitzchok died. A Department of Homeland Security official told Fox News Digital that Cobon-Guzmán and Lazaro-Flores crossed the US-Mexico border illegally during the Biden administration. Lazaro-Flores did so on five occasions in October 2023 and was removed from the country each time. The DHS official said that Cobon-Guzmán entered the US once and was released, but an immigration judge approved a deportation order July 31. ICE is seeking the deportation of Ariadna Lazaro-Flores, an undocumented immigrant from Mexico, in connection to the death of a nine-month-old boy who was struck by a vehicle dri… | 1 | 2026-09-09T09:27:09Z | 2026-09-09T09:29:04Z |
| https://gottheimer.house.gov/posts/release-gottheimer-unveils-bipartisan-back-to-school-agenda-for-ai-in-k-12-education | RELEASE: Gottheimer Unveils Bipartisan Back-to-School Agenda for AI in K-12 Education | 2026-09-04 | 2026 | 2026-09 | Democrat | House | NJ | Josh Gottheimer | G000583 | gottheimer.house.gov | gottheimer | https://gottheimer.house.gov/press | scraper | AI is a Tool, Not a Replacement for Critical Thinking New Bipartisan Legislation will Help K-12 Schools Build AI Labs, Train Teachers, Keep Jersey Students Ahead of Curve Emphasizes Importance of Screen Time Limits In School Above: Gottheimer announces Bipartisan Back-to-School Agenda on AI and Screen Time in K-12 Education. RIDGEWOOD, N.J. — Today, September 4, 2026, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the House Commission on Artificial Intelligence and the Innovation Economy, unveiled a comprehensive, bipartisan back-to-school agenda to make sure students in the Fifth District and across the country are prepared for a world increasingly shaped by AI. Speaking at George Washington Middle School, Gottheimer announced his new bipartisan AI LABS Act, co-led by Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23), to help K-12 schools build dedicated AI labs and train teachers — and paired it with a broader push to keep phones out of the classroom, protect New Jersey’s phone-free schools resources, boost AI literacy in the classroom, and close the digital divide so no community gets left offline. Watch full remarks here. “We’re not going to pretend AI doesn’t exist, and we’re not going to ban it and hope it goes away. So, here in Jersey, we need to do this differently,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “AI can be a powerful tool, but it can never replace the fundamentals. Give our schools the tools. Give our teachers the training. And give our children a real head start, instead of a false choice between banning technology outright and drowning in it.” AI is already reshaping how students study, how teachers plan, and how employers hire, but K-12 schools have unequal access to the tools and curricula students need to learn how to use it responsibly. The bipartisan AI LABS Act tackles that gap head-on. This legislation directs the Department of Education to create a new federal grant program or make resources from existing grant programs available to help K-12 schools establish dedicated AI labs, much l… | 1 | 2026-09-05T08:49:07Z | 2026-09-05T08:50:44Z |
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