Speeches

I’m glad to have this opportunity to speak out against the so-called health care bill that is snakebiting its way through Congress. You know, as you just heard from Senators Booker and Menendez, there’s a reason why they, along with many Senate Republicans, including Susan Collins and Dean Heller, won’t vote for this bill. There’s a reason why doctors and nurses, insurance companies, hospitals and patients and advocates have all come out against it. There’s a reason Democrats and Republicans in ... Read more

It’s good to be here in Ridgewood as we conclude Pride Month and celebrate the second anniversary of marriage equality becoming the law of the land. I’m proud to see this flag behind me flying here this morning--it’s an important symbol that hate and intolerance have no place in our communities. I know that other towns in our area, including Westwood, Glen Rock, and Rochelle Park, have similarly sent the welcome signal to the LGBT community. That’s progress we should all be proud of. Those are t... Read more

“We’ve all seen the scary headlines: ‘High Lead Levels Close School Water Fountains,’ ‘Lead found in water at schools,’ ‘Elevated lead found in water in public schools,’ and more across our region and state in recent months. So, I’m proud to be taking action to keep our children safe and help give parents peace of mind that their children aren’t being poisoned where they’re supposed to be educated. My Lead-Free Schools Act will help schools test and improve their drinking water infrastructure and make sure that parents and communities know the status of the water in their kids’ schools while improving our local return on investment by deploying tax dollars we already send to Washington to protect our kids,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer. Read more

Thank you very much Senator Loretta Weinberg and Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin. Thank you finally to Larry Bauer of the Teaneck Chamber and Rick Sabato. Who has done an incredible job with the Trades. I don’t like to stand next to him; I make him look short. We see labor and business coming together to drive the economy with some of our great legislative leaders and mayors is the kind of event we should be doing to shine a light on important issues in our District. . Business and labor together are... Read more

I’m proposing a Five Point Economic Growth Plan to help make a difference to your bottom line – and benefit New Jersey taxpayers at the same time. Read more

We are here today to discuss steps we can take to address the lead water in many of our schools and how we can deploy the tax dollars we already send to Washington to address this problem. Like most parents, when I first read the news out of Flint, Michigan back in 2014, I was heartbroken. Images of brown water pouring out of faucets with public officials turning a blind eye. I was not only devastated by the impact that the lead found in Flint’s water would have on countless children – from stun... Read more

Mr. Speaker I rise today to speak out against the health care bill that is currently making its way through the House. It is an attack on Seniors that will raise New Jersey taxes, and I refuse to sit idly by. First, it includes a premium "Senior Tax" that would make older Americans pay five times more for their health care. Second, the plan before Congress takes aim at long-term care to support the elderly and disabled and could ultimately throw seniors out of nursing homes. Three out of five nu... Read more

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Veterans Affairs’ Committee and Representative Wenstrup for their work on this important bill. This legislation empowers the Secretary of Veterans Affairs with the authority to hire the best and brightest employees. We can all agree that you can’t have a top-notch VA without employing young veterans who want to continue serving their country after they return from the front lines. Each and every day, our brave men and women in ... Read more

It’s good to be here at Jewish Home Assisted Living. The Jewish Home Family has been serving our region for more than 100 years, providing quality services and health care to so many people in the community. This facility opened ten years ago and it’s the only Kosher assisted living facility in the area. It’s centers like this one that not only act as a place for family and friendship, but also medical care. There’s a lot of talk in Washington these days, as you know, about reforming our health ... Read more

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak out against the rising wave of desecration, threats and harassment targeting Jewish cemeteries, Jewish Community Centers, and religious institutions in northern New Jersey and across our country. JCC’s and synagogues are bedrocks of religious and civic life for Jewish communities, housing preschools for children and a range of religious, educational, and social programs for families and seniors. Yet, the safety and well-being of these communal spaces are in the... Read more