Pallone to Christie: New Jersey Knows Immigration Reforms Can’t Wait

WASHINGTON, DC — Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-6) released the following statement today in response to Governor Chris Christie’s (R-NJ) decision to sign onto an amicus brief opposing President Obama's executive action on immigration. The brief, filed on Monday by the governors of New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana and South Dakota, urges an appeals court to uphold a preliminary injunction blocking the President’s plan to spare millions of undocumented immigrants from risk of immediate deportation.

According to a Rutgers-Eagleton poll, a majority of New Jersey residents support President Obama’s executive order to extend these protections to immigrant families:

“This is just another example of Governor Christie putting his own political agenda ahead of the interests of the New Jerseyans he claims to represent. A majority of New Jersey residents, 53 percent, in fact, support President Obama’s actions that will help to secure our border, hold bad actors accountable, and ensure that families are not being ripped apart. Yet, despite the public support in our state for these common sense reforms, Governor Christie has, instead, prioritized his political aspirations.

“Last November, President Obama took an important first step to help fix our country’s broken immigration system. President Obama acted decisively and within his legal authority to help keep families together and ensure that everyone living in this country is playing by the same rules. This includes hard-working New Jerseyans who would finally be able to come out of the shadows, submit to a background check, and start paying taxes, which is good for both public safety and our state’s economy. I urge Governor Christie to consider the opinions of New Jersey residents and stop obstructing these reforms that keep families together and begin dealing with our broken immigration system.”

NJ DEMS SLAM GOV. CHRISTIE FOR JOINING WITH GOP IN BLOCKING IMMIGRATION REFORM

For Immediate Release:
3/26/15

(Trenton) — Today, the Vice Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee, Lizette Delgado-Polanco, issued the following statement slamming Governor Chris Christie's decision to join his Republican colleagues in an effort to block President Barack Obama's immigration reforms in court:

"Chris Christie's decision to join with other Republican governors in undermining President Obama’s much-needed immigration reforms is a deeply irresponsible, partisan act. New Jersey has a rich cultural heritage and relies on the work of immigrants to bolster our state and local economy. That Christie -- who has thus far refused to stake a coherent position on immigration -- would now seek to condemn hundreds of thousands of undocumented New Jersey residents to society's shadows is just the latest example of him trying to score political points with right-wing ideologues at the expense of New Jersey families and our common values. It's shameful to think that last year his second inaugural celebration was scheduled to be on Ellis Island."

According to Pew Research Center, New Jersey has the third highest percentage of immigrants relative to the state's population.

President Obama's Weekly Address 12/6/14: Ensuring Americans Feel the Gains of a Growing Economy

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President highlighted the good news in Friday’s jobs report – that American businesses added 314,000 new jobs this past month, making November the tenth month in a row that the private sector has added at least 200,000 new jobs. Even with a full month to go, 2014 has already been the best year of job creation since the 1990s. This number brings total private-sector job creation to 10.9 million over 57 consecutive months – the longest streak on record. But even with this real, tangible evidence of our progress, there is always more that can be done. Congress needs to pass a budget and keep the government from a Christmas shutdown. We have an opportunity to work together to support the continued growth of higher-paying jobs by investing in infrastructure, reforming the business tax code, expanding markets for America’s goods and services, making common sense reforms to the immigration system, and increasing the minimum wage.

President Obama's Weekly Address 11/22/14: Immigration Accountability Executive Action

WASHINGTON, DC — In this week’s address, the President laid out the steps he took this past week to fix our broken immigration system. Enacted within his legal authority, the President’s plan focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration at the border; deporting felons, not families; and accountability through criminal background checks and taxes. These are commonsense steps, but only Congress can finish the job. As the President acts, he’ll continue to work with Congress on a comprehensive, bipartisan bill -- like the one passed by the Senate more than a year ago -- that can replace these actions and fix the whole system.

Pallone Statement on President Obama’s Announced Plan to Extend Protections to Immigrant Families

Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) released the following statement tonight in response to President Obama’s announcement that he will use an executive action to adjust the country’s deportation policies, focusing on undocumented immigrants convicted of serious crimes, rather than those with strong ties to the U.S.:


“I applaud the President for taking an important first step to help fix our country’s broken immigration system. In the face of House Republican’s crippling inaction, President Obama has acted decisively and within his legal authority to help keep families together and ensure that everyone living in this country is playing by the same rules. These executive actions will help secure our border, hold bad actors accountable, and ensure that families are not being ripped apart.

“While President Obama’s announced plan will expand protections to millions of undocumented immigrants in this country, it is no substitute for a comprehensive solution. This is a critical step in the right direction, but there is much more that needs to be done. Congress has a responsibility to act to address this issue in a comprehensive manner.

“Speaker Boehner and Republican leadership in the House have repeatedly asserted that they intend to take up immigration reform. However, it has been over a year since the Senate passed a bipartisan immigration bill, and House Republicans have yet to schedule a single vote on the issue. It is the job of Congress to legislate, and immigration reform needs a legislative solution. I urge my Republican colleagues to stop making excuses and start working with Democrats so that we can finally address the problems facing our nation’s immigration system in a meaningful way.”

These Children Are Refugees

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter

As the nature of migration has changed in recent years, Congress has failed to update our immigration laws accordingly, leaving us unequipped to deal with the current humanitarian crisis on the Southern border. Make no mistake – this is indeed a humanitarian crisis. These unaccompanied minors – these children – are crossing our border by themselves, across thousands of miles, to escape conditions that we in this country can only imagine. We should be compassionate and treat these children as refugees, because these children are refugees.

Last week, the House again failed to introduce comprehensive immigration reform, instead debating two immigration-related bills that failed to address seriously the request President Obama made for additional funding to deal with these children. These bills sought to punitively attack a group of innocent children, and would repeal laws and protections that currently exist to prevent the trafficking and sexual exploitation of children.

Our immigration laws ought to reflect both our interests and our values as Americans. Our nation has an obligation and moral responsibility to take in and protect those who have faced persecution and violence in their home countries, as we have since our founding. We should not continue to hold the fates of these children hostage to partisan bickering and election-year gimmicks. The right way to address this crisis, and the many other crises that exist because of our broken immigration laws, is to fix the laws in a comprehensive way.

New Jersey’s Commitment to Sustainable Energy

Today, in the 21st century, the United States faces new energy challenges. It should be clear to us all that 20th century forms of energy – especially coal and oil – are not compatible with the world we want in the 21st century.

At the state level, lawmakers have taken promising steps. New Jersey committed to an aggressive plan that requires 20 percent of our electricity come from renewables, such as wind and solar, by 2020. Already New Jersey is second to only California in installed solar photovoltaic capacity. Yet recently, New Jersey’s commitment to sustainable energy has faltered. The Christie Administration has delayed efforts to harvest offshore wind energy, and withdrawn from a regional approach to combating climate change.

I was pleased to tour this week NRG Energy’s Princeton headquarters. NRG, a power company which has a large business generating electricity using traditional fuels, is also making large waves into wind and solar, in recognition of the need to address climate change.

So-called alternative energy can become standard, according to many industry analysts and energy policy analysts. For example, a 2013 study in the journal Energy Policy presents an alternative scenario for the complete conversion by 2030 of New York State’s energy to wind, water, geothermal, and solar. I do not know of a similar study for New Jersey, although a similar scenario could apply. I am pleased, therefore, that such an innovative and forward-thinking company has found a home in New Jersey’s 12thDistrict.

Livable Communities

As we enjoy the last month of summer, I encourage you to take advantage of some of central New Jersey’s beautiful biking and walking trails. I have done so. A few weeks ago, I attended the official opening of the Pennington Connection to the Lawrence Hopewell Trail, a project for which I was able to secure $267,000 in federal funds. Trails like this can improve the overall quality of life for both residents and employees of a region by providing transportation alternatives.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

I Remain Hopeful

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

Among us in America are some 11 million people who live in the shadows.  They are workers who are denied fair pay and decent treatment by their employers, students who fear expulsion from the only country they’ve ever known, and soldiers who have defended this nation but fear that America may one day decide it has no place for them.  They are undocumented immigrants.

A group of immigrants and activists have set up camp on the National Mall a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.  Since last Tuesday, they have fasted.  They have, in their own words, taken “a vow to abstain from sustenance” to “inspire a resilient movement to cease the deportations, suffering, sorrow and fear and usher a new structure of laws for the good of our country men and women and the sake of our values.”

I visited the protesters earlier this week to offer my support.  Today, America has an immigration system that meets none of its stated principles; it fails to promote family reunification, labor market demands, humanitarian considerations, or even our national security.

Although Speaker Boehner has said he will not allow a vote on a comprehensive immigration reform bill this year, I remain hopeful that the House will act in this Congress to pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill that will refocus on these priorities, create a structured pathway to citizenship for qualified undocumented immigrants, and benefit all Americans.

Accepting Internship Applications for Spring 2014 

I am currently accepting applications for Congressional internships in my offices in West Windsor and Washington, D.C. for the spring of 2014.  Interns may currently be in high school, college, or beyond.  Many interns are able to arrange academic credit for their work, and all gain invaluable experience and individual attention to their personal and professional development.  

Congressional interns are selected on a competitive basis and contribute in many ways to my work for central New Jersey, including aiding in legislative research, attending congressional hearings, helping address New Jerseyans’ problems with federal agencies, conducting community outreach, and helping with administrative duties.  Further information is available on my website, and the application deadline for the spring semester is December 12.

Protecting Women’s Health
A woman's right to choose is just that:  a basic human right.  But in recent years, reactionary state legislatures have chipped away at this right, obstructing the ability of women to control their own bodies and the ability of doctors to serve their patients.

Together with Rep. Judy Chu and others, I have introduced the Women’s Health Protection Act, which would roll back excessive restrictions on reproductive care.  It would, for instance, deem unlawful restrictions on abortion that are more burdensome than restrictions placed on other comparable medical procedures or that do not advance women’s health.  Now is the time for the federal government to step in to reassert the dignity, independence, and Constitutional rights of each woman.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress

President Obama's Weekly Address 10/19/13: Working Together on Behalf of the American People

In this week's address, President Obama said that now that the Federal government is reopened and the threat of default is lifted from the economy, there are three places Washington can take action to serve the American people. First, it's time for a balanced, responsible approach to the budget that grows the economy and shrinks our long term deficits. Second, we must fix our broken immigration system. And finally, Congress should pass a farm bill to give rural communities the opportunity to grow. The President said it's time to put aside politics and work on behalf of the American people and the country we love.

President Obama's Weekly Address 7/13/13: Strengthening our Economy by Passing Bipartisan Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, DC— In this week’s address, President Obama said that two weeks ago, a large bipartisan majority in the Senate voted to pass commonsense immigration reform, which would add a big boost to our economy, strengthen Social Security, and modernize our legal immigration system to make it more consistent with our values. The President urges Congress to quickly take action to fix our broken immigration system and keep America strong for years to come.

President Obama's Weekly Address 6/22/13: Time for Congress to Pass Commonsense Immigration Reform

WASHINGTON, DC—In this week’s address, President Obama discussed the bipartisan legislation being debated in the United States Senate that would take important steps towards fixing our broken immigration system, while growing our economy and reducing the deficit. The President urges Congress to pass immigration reform so that we can live up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants.

President Obama's Weekly Address 6/8/13: Time to Pass Commonsense Immigration Reform

In this week’s address, President Obama says that the United States Senate will soon take action to fix our broken immigration system with a commonsense bill, and urges lawmakers to act quickly to pass this bill so that we can continue to live up to our traditions as a nation of laws, and also a nation of immigrants.

President Obama's Weekly Address 5/4/13: Fixing our Immigration System and Expanding Trade in Latin America

WASHINGTON, DC—In his weekly address, President Obama spoke to the American people from Mexico City, Mexico about the incredible opportunities to create middle-class jobs in America by deepening our economic ties and expanding trade in Latin America. He also discussed a recent Senate bill that takes commonsense steps to fix our broken immigration system, like strengthening security on our border with Mexico, providing a pathway to earned citizenship, and modernizing our legal immigration system to attract highly skilled workers to our shores, which helps create jobs and grow the economy. The President will continue to work with our neighbors on our common security and common prosperity, so that we fix our broken immigration system, open more markets for American businesses, and create middle-class jobs for American workers.

Only a Partial Solution

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:


Since last August, more than 300,000 of America’s young immigrants have emerged from the shadows to apply for a new program that provides temporary protection from deportation.

The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, asserted by the President because Congress would not act, has strict eligibility rules. It is open only to immigrants who were brought into this country as children, who have grown into law-abiding adults, and who have worked hard to better themselves through education or military service.

By offering a legally recognized status to these immigrants, many of whom have never known any other home than America, the Childhood Arrivals program has made our immigration system more humane and just. This partial solution reminds us how much more remains to be done to create an immigration system that benefits our society and our economy at large and treats individuals and families humanely and justly.

I expect that one of the major issues of the early 113th Congress will be the consideration of more comprehensive immigration legislation. To guide this process, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have set forth nine principles for immigration reform.

The principles call for requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, submit to a background check, learn English and American civics, and pay taxes. In return, these new Americans would earn a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship. The principles also emphasize the importance of attracting highly educated immigrants, protecting the border, and ending the exploitation of immigrant workers.

These principles are sensible, straightforward ideas that should guide America’s conversation about immigration reform in the new year.

Not Just Rain and Wind

You may know that you can apply for federal disaster assistance to help pay the costs of repairing damage done to your home by Hurricane Sandy. But did you know that disaster grants may also help cover indirect costs of the storm?

The Genealogical Society of New Jersey, for instance, is a Trenton-based nonprofit that was scheduled to hold its annual public meeting and lecture on November 10, just days after Sandy struck New Jersey. The society was forced to postpone its meeting, requiring the re-printing and re-mailing of all of the associated flyers and publicity announcements. Total costs ran up to $850 – a meaningful amount of money for a small organization.

Fortunately, the Genealogical Society applied for and received a grant to cover its losses from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities. The grant was one of several provided from a larger, $30,000 fund that the New Jersey Council secured with my support after the storm.

To be clear, not all indirect hurricane damages will be covered by grants or disaster aid, but the Genealogical Society’s story shows how a dedicated organization can recover even losses that weren’t the direct result of rain or wind.

If you or your organization suffered direct or indirect damage from Hurricane Sandy, the first step is to apply for FEMA disaster relief by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov. If FEMA aid does not fully cover your costs, please contact me at holt.house.gov/contact or 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658), and I would be glad to help you determine how you might pursue additional aid.

Remain On Guard for Disaster Relief Scams

In the aftermath of a natural disaster, scam artists too often attempt to prey on disaster victims. FEMA is warning of several particularly common scams:

• Home Repair Scams - Unregistered home improvement contractors may take your money and disappear, leaving unfinished work and unsafe homes. Before hiring a contractor, you should check with the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-5846 to make sure the contractor is registered.
• Identity Theft - Scam artists may pretend to be employed by FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), or other government agencies and try to obtain personal information such as Social Security and bank account numbers. Please bear in mind that all authorized FEMA or SBA personnel display a laminated photo identification card, which they are required to wear at all times.
• Charity Scams – Before donating, you should investigate to be sure the organization asking for donations is registered to solicit in New Jersey and ask how the money will be used.

Further information about protecting yourself from these and other scams is available online.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress