Pallone Statement on Obama State of the Union Address

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) issued the following statement in reaction to President Obama’s State of the Union Address to Congress:

“President Obama offered a strong agenda to addressing some of our nation’s most challenging problems. I was encouraged to hear his emphasis on creating jobs, rebuilding our economy and working together to stem violence in our culture.

“The president’s jobs agenda must be acted on by this Congress. As the president noted, manufacturing has been a bright spot for our nation’s economy and we should continue to take steps to encourage American businesses to make their products here in America. Manufacturing can continue to be a driver of our economy and we should work together to foster growth.

“I was also pleased to hear President Obama make a commitment to working to reform our energy future and address climate change. He rightly noted that weather events like Superstorm Sandy, which devastated so much of Jersey Shore, are a frightening indication of the power of climate change and why we can and must take action while we can still make a positive impact. I agree with the president’s position that we must take steps to expedite the transition to alternative energy, which will be good for our planet and our economy.

“As the president said, energy is ‘just one part of an aging infrastructure’ that needs to be addressed. I was excited to hear the president talk about his ‘Fix it First’ and ‘Partnership to Rebuild’ plans. These could be positive steps that could create jobs while rebuilding our nation.

“The most important thing we can do for the future of our nation is to provide the best education in the world to our children and I was interested to hear President Obama’s proposals on improving our education system. We need to create new opportunities for our children to continue to be competitive in the global economy.

“President Obama also touched on the challenging issue of immigration reform and the need to address poverty in the wealthiest nation on Earth by calling for an increase in the federal minimum wage. We need to improve wages in the United States so that we working families can gain access to the middle class.

“Along with improved wages, must come equality and fairness when it comes to earning, which is why equal pay for equal work continues to be critical for improving our economy. Women must earn the same wages as men for the same work and not have to worry about discrimination in the work place. I was also encouraged to hear the president call to the Violence Against Women Act that passed in the Senate today and I look forward to voting for in the House.

“President Obama’s commitment to continuing to ensure our nation’s security while working to finish our job in Afghanistan will also be critical to strengthening the country. He noted that we face a different set of challenges now, so it is time to consider reducing nuclear weapon stockpiles while improving our security against cyber threats.

“The President also touched on critical issues like equality and improving voting rights. I agree that we can and must find solutions to these pressing issues in the 113th Congress.

“Finally, I stand with President Obama and plan to work with him to prevent gun violence in our nation. We cannot lose more innocent lives to gun violence in this country and we need to work together to find develop a plan that protects all Americans.

“President Obama’s State of the Union address set out bold plans for his presidency and the 113th Congress. Many of the president’s initiatives can be achieve with a bipartisan approach. Democrats and Republicans must work together to achieve these common goals and I look forward to addressing our nation’s challenges head on with my colleagues in Congress.”

Pallone Named Ranking Member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health

WASHINGTON DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today was named the Ranking Member of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health for the 113th Congress. Pallone previously served as the Subcommittee’s Ranking Member during the 112th Congress and as its Chairman during the 111th Congress.

The subcommittee has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and shares jurisdiction of Medicare with the Ways and Means Committee. It oversees public health, biomedical programs, food and drug safety, mental health and research, hospital construction and all health care homeland security-related concerns.

“I am honored to continue to serve as the Ranking Member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health in the 113th Congress,” said Pallone. “This subcommittee has an important role shaping health policy and I am proud to help lead it and fight for legislation that will expand access to high-quality, affordable health care.”

While the Chairman of the Health Subcommittee, Rep. Pallone served as a principal author of the Affordable Care Act, which expands coverage to millions of Americans, improves health benefits and instates patient protections. During the 112th Congress he introduced the bipartisan FDA Safety and Innovation Act, which will result in critical advancements for the FDA, millions of patients across the country, and the medical industry as a whole.

According to an analysis prepared by the Democratic staff of the Energy & Commerce Committee, of the 30 bills negotiated by the Democrats and Republicans together, 18 became law. However, just two of the 30 bills Republicans reported from the Committee without Democratic support became law in some form.

“I look forward to building on past legislative accomplishments and working on a bipartisan basis with my subcommittee colleagues to address remaining health policy issues. As we know, when we work together, we are much more successful in improving our nation’s health system and lowering overall health care costs,” Pallone added.

Pallone Rails Against Boehner Plan to Slow Sandy Recovery

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) took to the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to rail against House Speaker John Boehner’s plan to pass only a small piece of funding over a larger, comprehensive Senate passed relief package for the victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Pallone, who represents some of the hardest-hit areas of the Jersey Shore characterized the $9 billion Sandy funding plan as “too little, too late” and noted that the delay in passing full funding for a Sandy recovery plan in the waning days of the 112th Congress has been an impediment to New Jersey’s storm recovery efforts. Instead of passing the $60.4 billion bill already approved in the U.S. Senate, Republican Leaders in the House chose to break the funding up into three, smaller separate parts, which will not be considered in the House for weeks.

The following are Congressman Pallone’s remarks on the House Floor today:



“Thank you, Madam Speaker. I want to thank my colleague from New York.

“This action by the House Republican Leadership is too little, too late. I have to say I'm still very upset and I think it's deplorable that the Speaker did not bring this bill up and the whole package that addresses Hurricane Sandy relief in the lame duck session in the last days of Congress. It would have been passed, we had the votes. It would have been on the President’s desk, he would have signed it, and we would have started to rebuild the shore.

“Now we have another delay. I don’t know how many weeks it has been, nine weeks, ten weeks, whatever it is. I have no idea what the Senate is going to do. My understanding is that the Senate is mired in filibuster over the next three weeks and isn't coming back until after the inauguration. That means we could be waiting another three weeks. The rest of the package which is the most important part of it, might not come up until we return after a week's break. We're going to be on recess and then we come back on the 15th and hopefully the rest of the package comes out that day. That means we have three separate votes on this package that could have been passed and signed into law over the last couple days. Three separate votes. It is not acceptable, Madam Speaker.”

More Than 80 Every Day

The following is from Congressman Rush Holt's newsletter:

Twenty elementary school children and six adults were murdered last week at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just a few months earlier, six Sikhs were murdered at their place of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Just a few weeks before that, 12 moviegoers were murdered in Aurora, Colorado.

These unspeakable tragedies are just the tip of the iceberg. Each day, more than 80 people die by gunfire in homicides, suicides, and accidents.

We can’t just keep saying, “Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.” We have to bring gun violence under control.

In the aftermath of these horrific events, there are, as always, those who warn us against “politicizing” this tragedy by discussing gun safety. These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy. When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy. The notion that gun violence is somehow different, that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue, is nonsensical.

Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions. The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety – as well as to address mental health care, school security, and more. Toward this end, I will soon introduce legislation to require handgun registration and to strengthen school safety, and I remain committed to improving mental health care throughout this country.

Bold, Persistent Experimentation

The artificial crisis known as the fiscal cliff remains, at this moment, unresolved. The President and Republican leadership continue to debate within the foolish framework set during last year’s debt ceiling showdown.

I remain ready to work in Washington to see that this artificial crisis is fixed. But simply fixing the fiscal cliff is not enough. Congress aims too low if it seeks only to resolve a crisis of its own making.

We must do far more. We must address unemployment, inequality, and America’s lack of a shared vision for renewing our nation’s greatness. As Franklin D. Roosevelt said in the depths of the Great Depression:

“The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something…

“We need enthusiasm, imagination, and the ability to face facts, even unpleasant ones, bravely. We need to correct, by drastic means if necessary, the faults in our economic system from which we now suffer.”

Beginning the 113th Congress

On January 3, 2013, I will formally take the oath of office as a member of the 113th Congress, and you are invited to join.

The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Montpelier Room on the sixth floor of the James Madison Building of the Library of Congress, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington, D.C. Lunch will be served after the program, and guided sightseeing tours of Capitol Hill attractions will follow.

For more information or to RSVP, please call (202) 225-5801.

Sincerely,

Rush Holt
Member of Congress