congress Frank Pallone, Jr. Contact information

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Frank Pallone has been fighting for New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District since his first day in Congress. The 6th District includes most of Middlesex County and the Bayshore and oceanfront areas of Monmouth County.

During his time in Congress, Frank has fought to protect New Jersey’s coast from dangerous offshore oil and gas drilling, make health care affordable and accessible, and help hardworking New Jerseyans.

Frank serves as the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. As Chairman, he champions legislation to keep health care and prescription drug costs low for all Americans, combat the climate crisis, and protect consumer rights and safety.

In the current Congress, Frank serves as a leader on critical environmental issues. This year, he announced a comprehensive plan to combat the climate crisis. The CLEAN Futures Act is a bold plan that will decarbonize each sector of the economy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. This plan is consistent with the global scientific community’s consensus that we must achieve this goal to avoid the worst effects of the climate crisis.

He also introduced the COAST Act that would ban offshore oil and gas drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Frank knows how important the Jersey Shore is to New Jersey’s tourism and fishing industry and will continue to protect it from reckless plans to drill off our shorelines.

Frank has fought for affordable health insurance and lower prescription drug costs for all Americans. He knows it’s unacceptable that too many New Jerseyans have to choose between putting food on the table and paying for lifesaving care. This Congress, he led the passage of his bill, the Lower Drug Costs Now Act, in the House of Representatives. This bill would allow the federal government to negotiate the prices for certain prescription drugs. It also places a $2,000 out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries.

Frank also led the passage of the Affordable Care Act. Since President Obama signed this historic legislation into law, 32 million Americans now have access to health insurance and insurance companies cannot deny anyone health coverage because of a pre-existing condition. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, 105 million Americans no longer have a lifetime limit on their coverage and over 5 million seniors have saved over $3 billion on prescription drug costs.

Frank continues to oppose the Trump Administration’s callous attempts to roll back the ACA’s protections and undermine a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. He continues to fight for the heroes who responded to the attacks in New York City on September 11, 2001. He helped pass the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act that provided first responders with the medical coverage they desperately deserved and will continue to advocate for funding on their behalf.

Frank has authored bipartisan legislation to protect Americans from bad robocalls. The TRACED Act was signed into law in December and finally gives the federal government the authority to crack down on illegal robocalls. Frank knows that these calls aren’t just annoying interruptions. They also destroy trust in the phone system and put consumers’ safety at risk. No one should have to worry about picking up the phone when it rings.

Frank has served as a key leader in the effort to protect Americans from toxic chemicals and waste. This Congress, he championed legislation that bans the production and use of asbestos. He also led the House passage of legislation to protect communities from PFAS contamination in drinking water, and he has introduced legislation that would force corporate polluters to clean up Superfund sites. He co-sponsored and negotiated the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which modernized safety standards to protect consumers from potentially harmful chemicals.

Frank is committed to the ongoing fight for equal representation and equality for all Americans. He stood up his own party in opposing the Defense of Marriage Act and continues to be a leader in the fight for true equality for LGBTQ Americans. He is a strong supporter of the Equality Act, a bill that would make discimatination based on gender or sexual identity illegal. Frank believes that no one should be fired from a job or denied housing based on who someone loves or gender identity. Frank also believes that the right to vote is the foundation of our democracy. That’s why he has supported legislation that would combat voter suppression and restore the power of the Voting Rights Act.

Frank continues to represent the interests of hardworking New Jerseyans. He opposed the passage of the GOP tax scam that gave the ultra-wealthy a tax cut, and he continues to fight the repeal of the SALT deduction cap that hurts states like New Jersey. He believes that everyone must pay their fair share. He also knows that we must continue to honor our commitment to seniors who depend on Medicare and Social Security.

The son of a policeman, Frank was born in Long Branch, attended local public schools, and earned an academic scholarship to Middlebury College. After graduating from Middlebury, he received a master’s degree in international relations at the Fletcher School and earned his law degree at Rutgers University. Frank began his career in public service in Long Branch where he was elected to City Council and later to the State Senate.

Frank and his wife Sarah reside in Long Branch. They have three children, daughters Rose and Celeste, and a son, Frank.

Civil Rights

Everyone in the United States should be treated fairly under the law, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

Congressman Pallone strongly believes that Congress has a moral obligation to act to end end racial injustice and ensure that the United States lives up to its ideals. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, Americans across the country have stood up to say enough is enough. It is past time to reform the criminal justice system and ensure it operates fairly for all Americans.

Congressman Pallone supports legislation that will help combat the pattern of violence and inequality and is working to ensure that we end the health disparities too many communities of color have experienced during the coronavirus pandemic.

Congressman Pallone is an original co-sponsor of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 that would address police abuse, hold law enforcement accountable, improve transparency, and create structural change that safeguards every American’s right to justice.

The Justice in Policing Act of 2020:

• Prohibits federal, state, and local law enforcement from racial, religious and discriminatory profiling, and mandates training on racial, religious, and discriminatory profiling for all law enforcement.
• Bans chokeholds, carotid holds and no-knock warrants at the federal level and limits the transfer of military equipment to state and local law enforcement.
• Mandates the use of dashboard cameras and body cameras for federal officers and requires state and local law enforcement to use existing federal funds to ensure the use of police body cameras.
• Establishes a National Police Misconduct Registry to prevent problematic officers who are fired or leave an agency from moving to another jurisdiction without any accountability.
• Amends federal criminal statute from “willfulness” to a “recklessness” standard to successfully identify and prosecute police misconduct.
• Reforms qualified immunity so that individuals are not barred from recovering damages when police violate their constitutional rights.
• Establishes public safety innovation grants for community-based organizations to create local commissions and task forces to help communities re-imagine and develop concrete, just and equitable public safety approaches.
• Creates law enforcement development and training programs to develop best practices and requires the creation of law enforcement accreditation standard recommendations based on President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing.
• Requires state and local law enforcement agencies to report use of force data, disaggregated by race, sex, disability, religion, age.
• Improves the use of pattern and practice investigations at the federal level by granting the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division subpoena power and creates a grant program for state attorneys general to develop authority to conduct independent investigations into problematic police departments.
• Establishes a Department of Justice task force to coordinate the investigation, prosecution and enforcement efforts of federal, state and local governments in cases related to law enforcement misconduct.

In addition to this bill, Congressman Pallone has supported legislation that would reform the criminal justice system and help prepare people to return to society after they have served their time.

In 2018, Congress passed the First Step Act that was signed into law. As its name suggests, this legislation was a first step toward the comprehensive overhaul that is needed to ensure that law enforcement embrace community engagement and compassion. The bill shortened mandatory minimum sentences for nonviolent drug offenses and released prisoners convicted for minor drug crimes.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an especially devastating impact on vulnerable populations, including communities of color. As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Pallone has been working to address these health disparities. Where you live or what you look like should not determine anyone’s quality of life or whether someone has access to good health care.

The Health Care Enhancement Act that Congressman Pallone helped pass and that was signed into law mandates the Trump Administration send Congress a report on COVID-19 health disparities. Congress mandated this report in order to better understand how the coronavirus impacts different demographic groups with the intention of using that information to provide resources and support to help close gaps in COVID-19 health outcomes. Unfortunately, the report Congress received from the Trump Administration fails to meet the basic requirements of the law and leaves both Congress and the American people in the dark. Congressman Pallone will keep pushing the Trump Administration to take these discrepancies seriously.

Congressman Pallone also taken steps to ensure that inmates who complete their sentences have access to health care when they are released. In the Heroes Act, he included legislation that would allow inmates to be enrolled in Medicaid 30 days prior to release, providing a smoother transition as they finish their time.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Congressman Pallone called on the Department of Homeland Security to give people in the Department’s custody increased access to phones so they can communicate with their families and legal representatives. He believes we must not allow this national emergency to interfere with the rights of detainees to speak with family members or their lawyers.

Congressman Pallone’s support of the Justice in Policing Act of 2020 and his work to end health racial health disparities builds on his long record of fighting for policies that reflect our American ideals of equality, fairness and justice. During his time in Congress, he has worked to ensure all Americans, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, are entitled to the same protections under the law.

• Congressman Pallone was one of 67 Members to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) when it was first considered in 1996. He praised the Obergefell v. Hodges decision by the Supreme Court that declared all state-level bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

• Congressman Pallone led a bicameral letter along with 70 Members of Congress urging the Department of Justice to reverse its position in the case of Zarda v. Altitude Express, in which it argued that the Civil Rights Act does not protect against employment discrimination of LGBTQ+ individuals.

• Congressman Pallone is an original cosponsor of the Equality Act, which extends comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ Americans by amending the Civil Rights Act, the Fair Housing Act, the Government Employees Rights Act, the Civil Service Reform Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, and the Jury Selection and Service act to include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes.

• Congressman Pallone has led several letters urging the Trump Administration to publicly speak out and take action against ongoing abuses directed at LGBTQ+ individuals around the world. He believes that we must ensure that the U.S. remains committed to working with countries to protect all of their citizens, no matter whom they are or whom they love.

• Congressman Pallone has consistently supported legislation that protects the right to vote for all Americans, regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic background. This includes a bill introduced by Congressman John Lewis, the Voter Empowerment Act, which would make voter registration automatic and available online, ensure the equitable allocation of polling place resources, and allow same-day voter registration and no-excuse absentee voting nationwide. These important changes would help to protect and ensure that all Americans are able to use their constitutionally protected right to vote.

• Congressman Pallone strongly believes in the free exercise of religion. He does not believe any group of individuals should be singled out for extra scrutiny based upon their religious beliefs. He has consistently spoken out against attempts by this Administration to prevent refugees and immigrants from Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States, despite clear evidence that they do not pose a security threat to our country.

Economy and Jobs

Congressman Pallone believes we can grow the American economy and restore the American dream for all by raising wages, strengthening workplace protections, and investing in our national infrastructure.

Tax System:

Congressman Pallone opposed the partisan Republican tax plan, and voted no when it was considered by the House of Representatives. The newly enacted law disproportionately benefits the wealthy and sets caps on state and local tax deductions and reduces the mortgage interest deduction – changes that negatively affect New Jerseyans. The tax scam raises the national deficit by $1.5 trillion.

Congressman Pallone believes the American tax system should serve all Americans by growing our economy and supporting the middle class and those who aspire to reach it. He also believes that we should end unfair tax breaks that shield the wealthiest Americans from paying their fair share.

Investing in American Infrastructure:

Congressman Pallone advocates for strong federal investment to address our nation’s ailing infrastructure. He understands that it’s time to make real and significant investments for the future.

To that end, Congressman Pallone introduced The Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America Act, or LIFT America Act, which sets out five years of funding for essential infrastructure improvements, job growth, and greater protections for public health and the environment. The legislation would appropriate:

• Over $33 billion for clean energy, including $4 billion to upgrade the U.S. electric grid to accommodate more renewable energy and make it more resilient
• $2.25 billion for new grant programs for distributed energy systems and solar installations
• More than $21 billion to protect Americans’ drinking water, including $2.5 billion to establish a new grant program allowing PFAS-affected communities to filter the toxic chemicals out of their water supplies
• $2.7 billion for Brownfields redevelopment to revitalize communities and create jobs by returning valuable land to productive use.
• $40 billion to deploy secure broadband access in underserved areas nationwide
• $4 billion for electric grid infrastructure modernization
• $2.7 billion for EPA’s Brownfields redevelopment grants
• $2 billion in funding to reauthorize the Hill-Burton hospital infrastructure program, including targeted assistance to support cybersecurity in the health system

Education

In order to compete in a global economy, young people must be able to acquire the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the 21st century. To achieve this, Congressman Pallone believes local schools and teachers must be provided with adequate resources and compensation, and a strong emphasis must be placed on hiring and retaining highly trained and talented teaching professionals.

Expanding access to higher education is an investment in the nation’s future and economic strength. Congressman Pallone represents world-class universities in the sixth district, and college affordability remains a priority of his in Congress. He is committed to increasing Pell Grants for students and has supported legislation to keep student loan interest rates low and outlaw predatory student loan practices.

• Congressman Pallone is the cosponsor of H.R. 1880 – College for All Act (Jayapal) which would make public colleges and universities tuition-free for working families and significantly reduce student debt by reducing student loan interest rates for new borrowers in half and enabling existing borrowers to refinance their loans.
• Congressman Pallone is the cosponsor of H.R. 2451 - Pell Grant Preservation and Expansion Act (Davis) which expands and permanently safeguards the Pell Grant program; improves the purchasing power of Pell Grants, permanently indexes the maximum grant to inflation, shift the Pells Grant program to fully mandatory funding, restores eligibility for defrauded students, and expands eligibility to DREAMers.

Energy

Congressman Pallone advocates a forward looking energy policy that encourages innovation to power America. A critical aspect of this agenda is incentivizing clean, renewable energy such as solar and wind with mechanisms manufactured here in America. Congressman Pallone uses his position as Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee to advocate for these priorities.

Congressman Pallone has supported efforts to allow offshore wind development to supply clean energy to New Jersey. He also strongly supports the United States remaining in the Paris Agreement as a crucial means of combatting climate change.

As Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he introduced the LIFT America Act which would make comprehensive investments in New Jersey and the nation’s infrastructure. The bill would authorize billions of dollars to update our electric grid.

Environment

Congressman Pallone was inspired to come to Congress in order to put a stop to ocean dumping off the Jersey Shore and clean up New Jersey’s toxic waste sites. A clean environment helps create jobs and fosters an environment that will help local economies grow and expand. It has always been a top priority of Congressman Pallone’s to protect the water and air and clean up both Superfund and Brownfields sites so New Jersey residents can lead healthy lives in the communities where they live and work.

Congressman Pallone has also been a tireless leader in protecting our oceans, and strongly opposes offshore drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. An oil spill would have devastating effects on New Jersey’s coastal economy and environment. He has introduced the COAST Anti-Drilling Act, which would permanently ban offshore drilling in the Atlantic. He also has introduced the BEACH Act, which would impose new water quality testing and public notification standards so beachgoers are better protected and informed about the safety of their beaches.

As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Pallone has introduced and supported legislation to ensure safe drinking water for New Jersey communities, and the regulation of toxic chemicals. He is also a leader in the fight to combat the climate crisis. In 2020, he announced the CLEAN Future Act, a comprehensive proposal of sector-specific and economy-wide solutions to address the climate crisis. The CLEAN Future Act formally adopts the goal of achieving of a 100 percent clean economy by 2050. The draft bill incorporates both proven and novel concepts, presenting a set of policy proposals that will put the U.S. on the path to a clean and prosperous economy.

Fisheries

Congressman Pallone has been a longtime advocate for New Jersey’s recreational and commercial fishing industry. He has called for flexibility in the timeline of rebuilding fisheries, and pushed for NOAA to use better data and increase transparency when determining fishing quotas. In 2016 and 2017, he successfully helped lead efforts to increase New Jersey’s summer flounder quotas. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he fought for federal funding to support the state’s commerical and recreational fishing industry, delivering millions of dollars in aid to New Jersey.

Foreign Affairs and Defense

Keeping the country safe is of the utmost importance to Congressman Pallone. He takes seriously his job to protect and defend our nation, and to ensure that our men and women in uniform have the resources and support they deserve.

He is a strong advocate in Congress for strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and supporting the Armenian people. Congressman Pallone also founded and continues to serve as co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Issues Caucus. He also founded the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans and continues to to be an active member. He is also deeply involved with affairs related to Greece, Cyprus and Ireland.

Israel

Congressman Pallone is a life-long supporter of the state of Israel as it stands as a beacon of democracy in the Middle East. He continues to vote for military and economic assistance for Israel and believe it has the right and responsibility to respond to threats in self-defense.

He has voted to impose tougher sanctions on Iran to halt the movement of Iranian forces against Israel and to prevent the spread of Iranian governmental support of extremist groups like Hezbollah. Congressman Pallone has consistently stressed the need for progress on a negotiated peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, which will leave both peoples and the region more secure and prosperous.

Armenia

For more than 25 years Congressman Pallone has acted as a strong and active voice for Armenia and the Armenian-American community in Congress. It remains a priority of his to achieve Congressional recognition of the Armenian genocide.

• Congressman Pallone continues to fight for foreign assistance to the Republics of Artsakh and Armenia and for formal recognition of Artsakh by the U.S. government.
• Congressman Pallone recently introduced H.Res.697, a resolution expressing support for visits and communications between the United States and Artsakh at all levels of civil society and government. He has also consistently led the Caucus letter urging current presidents to recognize and commemorate the Armenian Genocide.

India

India is a great friend and economic partner to the United States. Congressman Pallone was involved in the formation of the U.S.–India nuclear deal which facilitates nuclear cooperation between our countries and expands cooperation in energy and satellite technologies.

Congressman Pallone believes that India, which is the largest democracy, the second most populous country, and has the third largest standing army in the world, is an obvious choice for permanent membership in the Security Council. That is why he recently introduced H.Res.535, a resolution expressing support for the Republic of India to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

Greece and Cyprus

Congressman Pallone is a strong supporter of the Hellenic community. As a member of the Congressional Hellenic Caucus and the Congressional Hellenic-Israel Alliance (CHIA) Caucus, Congressman Pallone has worked to ensure strong American support of Greece and Cyprus as the two countries continue to recover from the economic crisis of 2012. He also believes that we must continue to do everything in our power to ensure a peaceful and lasting reunification of Cyprus.

Ireland

Congressman Pallone has been a leading voice in Congress and has made U.S. support for a peaceful resolution to conflict in Northern Ireland a priority. He supported the 1998 Good Friday agreement and the peaceful and democratic process which it established.

Congressman Pallone is a member of the Friends of Ireland Caucus in the U.S. House of Representatives where he and his colleagues work on developing a stronger U.S. – Ireland relationship and advocate on behalf of issues important to Irish-Americans. Congressman Pallone has also met with members the Irish Parliament and the Northern Ireland Assembly during their visits to the U.S. Congress.

Gun Violence Prevention

The seemingly endless list of mass shootings and the stunning number of daily gun deaths in the United States should warrant immediate action by our government including instituting universal background checks, an assault weapons ban and limiting high capacity magazines.

• Congressman Pallone has cosponsored measures in Congress that would increase spending for the National Instant Criminal Background System, establish a Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention, and prevent the sale of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.

• Congressman Pallone has cosponsored the Public Safety and Second Amendment Rights Protection Act, which would expand the existing background check system to cover all commercial firearm sales, including those at gun shows, over the internet or in classified ads while providing reasonable exceptions for family and friend transfers.

Health Care

As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Congressman Pallone believes that all Americans should have access to high-quality, affordable healthcare and advocates for legislation that will help achieve these goals.

The Affordable Care Act was a major step towards expanding coverage, lowering healthcare costs and protecting patients from insurance company abuses. He continues to be its ardent defender in the face of numerous Congressional “repeal and replace” attempts.

In addition, Congressman Pallone uses his leadership role on the Committee to protect the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs, bring drugs to market faster, make our food system safer, and support work that will advance public health. He is particularly passionate about efforts to improve health outcomes for children, women, and the underserved.

Affordable Care Act

As the Chairman of the Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee during the 111th Congress, Congressman Pallone played a key role in writing the health reform bill and helping to guide it through the House and eventually into law. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act makes significant investments in the health of our nation while controlling costs.

The law includes critical consumer protections and ends the control of insurance companies over consumers. Insurance companies are not allowed to drop coverage when people get sick and cannot impose lifetime caps on coverage. It stops unjustified premium hikes by insurance companies and ensures that no one with pre-existing conditions will be denied coverage. It makes it easier to access preventive care, by eliminating co-pays for many preventative services. Young adults may now stay on their parents’ health coverage through 26.

Community Health Centers

Community Health Centers provide vital health services to the local community, particularly to those who may not access health care otherwise. In New Jersey, there are 24 federally-funded Health Center organizations that served 561,965 patients and provided over 2 million patient visits in 2018.

Congressman Pallone is proud to support community health centers so they may grow and expand. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, community health centers in Congressman Pallone’s district leveraged $7,245,311 in federal investments and served approximately 63,135 patients in 2016.

FDA User Fee Reauthorization

Congressman Pallone introduced bipartisan legislation in 2017 to provide the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) with additional resources through fees on pharmecutical companies to upgrade the safety review of prescription drugs.

The bill, which was passed by Congress and signed into law by the President, reauthorizes the drug and medical device user fee programs, which will ensure that FDA gives patients access to therapies at the earliest possible time. It also includes a generic drug and biosimilar user fee agreements which will speed the delivery of low-cost generic drugs to patients.

The law will also enable FDA to better incorporate the patient perspective in the regulatory process, advance regulatory science and support the modernization of the clinical trial and review process.

Lowering Prescription Drug Costs

Congressman Pallone knows that lower prescription drug costs are a top priority for many Americans. That’s why he led the House passage of H.R.3, the Lower Prescription Drug Costs Now Act, which empowers the federal government to negotiate directly with drug companies on 250 of the most expensive drugs and makes those prices.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office anticipates that H.R. 3 will save the federal government about $500 billion over ten years. H.R. 3 reinvests those savings back into the American people by creating the most transformational improvement to Medicare since its creation – delivering vision, dental and hearing benefits – and turbocharging the search for new cures and treatments.

Immigration

We owe it to our families, we owe it to our economy, and we owe it to the founding ideals of our country to ensure that those who have come here as children, those who have fled violence and oppression, and those who have made countless contributions to our communities are able to call America home.

• Congressman Pallone supports legislation that provides a pathway to citizenship for the undocumented who have been here for a period of time, paid their taxes, and not gotten in trouble with the law.

• Congressman Pallone is a strong supporter of the Dream Act, which would provide a pathway to citizenship for the roughly 800,000 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) program recipients in the United States and the 20,000 in New Jersey. This bill would ensure that these undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children would continue to be able to work and live in the only country most of them have ever called home.

• Congressman Pallone has spoken out against the targeted harassment of immigrants in New Jersey’s Sixth District. He joined his colleague from New York, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, in reintroducing the Indonesian Family Refugee Protection Act, which would allow certain Indonesians who fled persecution in the late 1990s to reopen their asylum cases – thus allowing them the opportunity to seek the asylum they should receive.

Infrastructure

Congressman Pallone understands that investing in all forms of infrastructure is necessary to ensuring a strong economy. That is why as Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, he introduced the LIFT America Act which would make comprehensive investments in New Jersey and the nation’s infrastructure. The bill would authorize over $80 billion to expand access to broadband, improve drinking water infrastructure, update our electric grid, cleanup and redevelop contaminated brownfield sites, and invest in hospital infrastructure. He also has announced a $760 billion plan to address some of the country’s most urgent infrastructure needs, from the massive maintenance backlog and designing safer streets to combating climate change by reducing carbon emissions and moving us toward a clean energy future. It also outlines major investments in surface transportation, rail and transit systems, airports, ports and harbors, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, brownfields, and broadband.

Labor

Congressman Pallone stands with New Jerseyans who are working to fight for better wages, benefits and conditions at their places of employment. Congressman Pallone supports policies that would significantly raise the minimum wage, implement equal work for equal pay and paid family leave. Congressman Pallone has consistently voted against bad trade deals, including the original North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS), and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Seniors

Congressman Pallone is committed to protecting the programs that seniors rely on, like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, while also making them stronger and more secure.

Medicare

Congressman Pallone opposes Republican efforts to end the Medicare guarantee and provide vouchers to seniors. Turning Medicare seniors over to private insurance companies would break the underlying promise of the system and ultimately end up costing seniors more.

Medicaid

He also opposed block granting Medicaid funding to states because of the impact on nursing homes and home health care.Medicaid is the financing mechanism for most nursing home patients and the quality of nursing home care would severely suffer.

Social Security

Congress created Social Security as a promise to Americans that they or their loved ones would have a source of income when they retired, were widowed, or disabled. For the past 75 years, it has lived up to this promise. Congressman Pallone opposes all efforts to privatize Social Security

Congressman Pallone is a cosponsor of H.R. 1902 – Social Security 2100 Act (Larsen, D-CT) which would provide a modest across the board benefit increase andadjust for a more robust cost of living formula.. He also supports H.R. 1205 – Social Security Fairness Act, which would repeal the government pension offset and windfall elimination provisions from social security benefits.

Small Business

The success of small businesses is a crucial part of making New Jersey’s economy strong. Congressman Pallone advocates for programs to assist small business owners and entrepreneurs, and to encourage business development in the state. This includes supporting efforts to redevelop Fort Monmouth in New Jersey, as well as pushing for net neutrality to ensure that small businesses have equal access to customers and markets via the internet.

Transportation

The Gateway Tunnel Project is essential to the economic vitality of the United States, in particular the New Jersey and New York region where 17% of the nation’s population lives and 20% of the nation’s GDP is produced.

Congressman Pallone supports the rehabilitation and modernizing of the Gateway Tunnel Project, which would improve rail infrastructure from Newark to Penn Station NYC and add additional Hudson River tunnels. Congressman Pallone, along with his Congressional New Jersey and New York colleagues, has kept pressure on the Trump Administration to uphold their financial obligations to the project.

Last Congress, Congressman Pallone voted for a two-year comprehensive transportation reauthorization bill (Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act) to upgrade America’s infrastructure and put Americans back to work. The transportation jobs bill enables mass transit and bridge-and-road construction projects, including 54,000 jobs in New Jersey. It was signed into law by President Obama.

Veterans

It is simply our duty as a nation, when we put our men and women in harm’s way, to care for them when they return. Congressman Pallone supports adequate funding for veterans programs to provide the men and women who fought for our country the support they need to stay healthy, get an education and find a good job.

Congressman Pallone supports policies that would improve health services, increase job opportunities, and expand educational opportunities for veterans.