RELEASE: Gottheimer Applauds President Biden’s Key, Bipartisan Priorities in State of the Union Address

Above: Gottheimer at the State of the Union address.

Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) applauded key priorities outlined by President Biden during the State of the Union address.

In his address, the President highlighted the need to reduce the cost of everyday expenses for hard-working families and small businesses, to support veterans, to invest in law enforcement training, to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce our reliance on foreign countries like China, to continue improving our infrastructure, and to invest in cancer research.

Gottheimer’s guest to the State of the Union address was metastatic breast cancer patient, mother of two, a leader in funding life-saving research, and long-time family friend, Jennifer Feinberg.

In 2020, Jen was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. In recent years, Jen has focused her energy in funding life-saving cancer research. She has set up grants through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, which devotes 40% of its research on metastasis. In recent years, she has raised more than $800,000, funding two full research grants. She is currently working on raising enough money for a third. Read more of Jen’s story here.

“I was very pleased to hear President Biden talk about how we need to take a commonsense and bipartisan approach to governing — especially in a narrowly divided Congress. Last Congress, working alongside the President, I fought for and successfully helped get signed into law the once-in-a-generation Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs and insulin, historic bipartisan gun safety legislation, the CHIPS and Science Act to stand up to China and boost domestic manufacturing, and the PACT Act to get the backs of our veterans,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. “There are many bipartisan issues where both Democrats and Republicans can work together, including addressing opioid addiction and the mental health crisis, lowering taxes investing in cancer research and fighting to help end cancer, continuing to boost domestic manufacturing, and competing with China by building on the bipartisan CHIPS bill we got signed into law.”

In Congress Gottheimer is fighting for key efforts to help New Jersey families, small businesses, and local communities:

Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill: Gottheimer helped shape and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill which will invest in our ports, roads, rails, and bridges, help build the Gateway Tunnel, address supply chain issues, create jobs, and boost our local economy.

CHIPS and Science Act: Gottheimer helped pass the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act which will invest in American competitiveness and address major supply chain issues. This bipartisan bill will boost domestic manufacturing, accelerate U.S. production of semiconductor chips and related equipment, reduce our reliance on foreign countries like China, and help lower costs for New Jersey families and small businesses, all while creating new jobs here in the U.S.

Restoring SALT Deduction: After the far-right and Red States gutted SALT — raising taxes on Jersey families — Gottheimer has helped pass three bills out of the House to restore the deduction and cut taxes. But all three times, Red State Senators blocked the legislation. Most recently, when a group in the Senate tried to further pillage the SALT deduction, Gottheimer helped fight back and win. Gottheimer will never stop fighting to restore SALT in the face of strong headwinds from the far-right.

PACT Act: Gottheimer helped pass the bipartisan PACT Act to expand access to care and benefits for our brave veterans exposed to burn pits and toxic substances. The President signed into law a key bipartisan provision authored by Gottheimer to address the mental health impacts of toxic exposure for veterans.

Inflation Reduction Act: Gottheimer helped pass the Inflation Reduction Act to cap the cost of insulin at $35-per-month for Medicare, cut costs for prescription drugs, health care, and energy, and pay down the debt — without raising taxes one penny on families and small businesses in New Jersey. It will also make a historic climate investment, create jobs, and boost U.S. manufacturing.

Invest to Protect: Last Congress, Gottheimer’s bipartisan, bicameral Invest to Protect Act — to make critical, targeted investments in local law enforcement — passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. 153 Republicans and 207 Democrats voted for Gottheimer’s bill. The Invest to Protect Act will ensure that local departments have what they need to recruit and retain the finest officers, to provide necessary training, and to invest in mental health resources for officers.

The Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act: Gottheimer is helping lead the bipartisan Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act, which will increase access to support and medical care by waiving Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) waiting periods for those with metastatic breast cancer.

Cameron’s Law: Gottheimer has introduced bipartisan legislation — Cameron’s Law — to fully restore the Orphan Disease Research Tax Credit, following the 2017 Tax Hike Bill cutting the Tax Credit in half and making treatment for rare diseases even rarer. Cameron’s Law — named after Cameron Hyman from Wyckoff, NJ, who is diagnosed with the rare disease Sanfilippo Syndrome — will help New Jersey’s life sciences leaders invest more in research and development for cures for rare diseases. An orphan disease is a disease that impacts a small percentage of the population, oftentimes with no FDA-approved treatment.

The Fairness to Kids with Cancer Act: Gottheimer has helped lead the bipartisan Fairness to Kids with Cancer Act, which will increase federal investment in pediatric cancer research — so that we can invest in more clinical trials and save more children’s lives. In recent years, only 4% of federal cancer research investment has been allocated to pediatric cancer. The Fairness to Kids with Cancer Act will adjust federal investment in pediatric cancer research to match the percentage of American citizens under the age of 18.

Investing in the Breast Cancer Research Program: Gottheimer helped get bipartisan legislation successfully signed into law that invests in the Breast Cancer Research Program.

The Orphan Drug COVID-19 Mitigation Act: Gottheimer has introduced the bipartisan Orphan Drug COVID-19 Mitigation Act to allow a life sciences company that resumes a trial for a new or existing orphan indication (drugs which show promise in the treatment, prevention, or diagnosis of rare diseases or conditions) that was halted during the public health emergency declaration to be granted a claw-back of an additional six months of exclusivity on the specific product under consideration when it comes to market.

The KO Cancer Act: Gottheimer has helped lead the bipartisan KO Cancer Act, which will boost investment for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for cancer research.

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