Above: Gottheimer hosting a virtual town hall with North Jersey retirees and seniors in long-term care facilities this week.

GLEN ROCK, NJ – On October 16, 2020, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a senior resident town hall with long-term care residents across the Fifth District to discuss the impacts of COVID-19 on North Jersey, ongoing work to ensure long-term care facilities are prepared for a second wave, and action to protect residents from financial scams and to support Social Security and Medicare.

“During this crisis, we need to be constantly working to fully protect all of our seniors, and those who are most at risk, as well as working to ensure staff in our long-term care facilities stay healthy and that they have the equipment they need,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “In Congress, I’m also working to make sure seniors and veterans can save their hard-earned money for retirement, that they’re safeguarded from financial scams with the help of my bipartisan senior scam legislation, and that we protect Social Security and Medicare, so they can afford to stay here and enjoy their lives and time with family here in New Jersey.”

Gottheimer was joined by residents from Care One at the Cupola in Paramus and from Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, among other facilities. Gottheimer was also joined by Deborah Visconi, CEO of Bergen New Bridge Medical Center.

In Congress and in the Fifth District, Gottheimer is helping lead several initiatives to support and protect North Jersey seniors, including:

• Ensuring long-term care facilities are prepared for a second COVID-19 wave: Gottheimer has introduced bipartisan legislation — the Nursing Home Pandemic Protection Act — cosponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (NJ-4), which will require that nursing homes report communicable diseases, infections, and potential outbreaks in real time to the CDC; it will require that facilities keep you  and your families be informed of infections inside the facilities; it mandates that facilities have a crisis plan in place to manage an outbreak; and that they have a stockpile of PPE on hand.

• Safeguarding seniors from financial scams: Gottheimer introduced bipartisan legislation — the Senior Security Act — to create an interdivisional task force at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strengthen protections and safeguards for seniors from financial crimes and scammers. Gottheimer’s bipartisan bill has passed the House and is currently making its way through the Senate.

• Getting North Jersey seniors & veterans the benefits they deserve: Gottheimer has helped 110 Fifth District seniors access their Social Security checks and 52 veterans get access to their VA benefits.

• Protecting Social Security: Gottheimer has cosponsored the Social Security Fairness Act, which eliminates two titles of the Social Security Act that unfairly reduce or eliminate Social Security benefits for millions of Americans who’ve devoted much of their careers to public service.

• Protecting Medicare: For his efforts to safeguard Medicare, Gottheimer has been named a Medicare Advantage Congressional Champion by the Better Medicare Alliance.

###