Above: Gottheimer with Bergen County seniors.

PARAMUS, NJ — Today, September 12, 2023, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Bergen County’s Annual Senior Citizens Festival. Gottheimer 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.

“Bergen County’s Annual Senior Citizens Festival is a fantastic North Jersey tradition and I’m thrilled to be able to spend time with so many Fifth District seniors today. There is no greater responsibility than that we owe to those who have given so much to us — the Greatest Generation,” 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: To support North Jersey’s seniors, Gottheimer helped pass legislation to lower prescription drug costs by capping the cost of insulin under Medicare at $35 per month for thousands 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 starting in 2025 under Medicare.

Making life more affordable for Jersey families 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. For 2021 alone, the federal tax dollars clawed back amount to an average savings of more than $750 for each household in the Fifth District.

Protecting Social Security and helping North Jersey seniors access their benefits: Gottheimer has helped more than 850 seniors access their earned Social Security checks since taking office and is continuing to fight to protect the vital Social Security program that North Jersey seniors paid into for their entire lives.

Stopping financial scams targeting our seniors: Gottheimer has announced a Senior Security Strategy to help end financial scams targeting our seniors, including stopping the unending stream of robocalls and unwanted texts. Gottheimer’s Senior Security Strategy includes his bipartisan legislation, the Empowering States to Protect Seniors from Bad Actors Act, which passed the House last year, to create a new Senior Investor Protection Grant Program to support state enforcement agencies and task forces charged with protecting and educating seniors on financial fraud. It also includes Gottheimer’s bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Senior Security Act, which unanimously passed the House. The Senior Security Act will create a Senior Investor Taskforce at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strengthen protections and safeguards for senior investors.

Gottheiner is also working to pass bipartisan legislation to support organizations that operate senior legal hotlines. This will help seniors access free legal information, advice, and referrals on topics related to health, long-term care, finances, housing, and disability.

Below: Gottheimer with Bergen County seniors.

###