WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) had two of his amendments included in the House Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2024.

Gottheimer’s provisions include:

• Combating global auto theft rings.
  • Guides U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Operations and Support to support CBP’s focus on global auto theft rings that use U.S. ports to export stolen cars to other countries.
  • CBP reported that thousands of the vehicles stolen or carjacked across the tristate area are being illegally exported to Africa from the United States through various terminals located in and around the Port of New York and New Jersey. 
  •  In 2022, there were more than 15,000 vehicles reported stolen in New Jersey — an increase compared to the same time in 2021.

• Boosting access and transparency to Nonprofit Security Grants.
  • Guides FEMA Operations and Support to improve access, outreach, and transparency for Nonprofit Security Grant Program applicants.
  • Religious institutions and many communities lack tools to properly access Nonprofit Security grant applications and as a result, may miss out on investment opportunities to protect their communities. There is room for significant transparency and communication from DHS to applicants. 
  • Gottheimer has helped claw back more than $12 million in Nonprofit Security Grants to New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District since 2017. This federal investment provides security for houses of worship, religious schools, and community organizations that are at risk of a terrorist attack from homegrown and lone-wolf ISIS-inspired terrorists, white supremacists, and other domestic threats.

“Jersey law enforcement is working overtime in our towns and cities to capture the criminals, and the coordination within the state deserves our praise. But until we cut off the head of the snake, the criminal masterminds here in the U.S. and overseas, we will never truly succeed in shutting down this massive criminal ring,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). 

Gottheimer continued, “The Nonprofit Security Grant program is about fighting against antisemitism, hate, white supremacy and lone-wolf terror. It’s about making sure that our churches and our synagogues and our mosques are safe, and that religious institutions and freedom. We need to make sure all religious institutions are able to more easily apply for federal security resources to protect against anyone who seeks to harm our families.”  

###