Mikie Sherrill

COVID-19 hit New Jersey early and hard. But even during the toughest days, we saw New Jerseyans do what we do best. We came together — we supported, looked after, and fought for each other. I formed the Regional Recovery Task Force and fought in Congress for aid for our state, hospitals, long-term care facilities, first responders, schools, workers, and small businesses. 

With the passing of the American Rescue Plan, we were able to get New Jerseyans vaccinated, kids back to school, residents back to work, keep our small businesses open, and our first responders and teachers on the job. It was my provision to the bill that provided direct state and local government funding which proved essential in making sure local budgets were not overburdened by the frontline response our towns and municipalities had to provide. This law also provided direct aid to New Jersey’s counties and municipalities. It also kept healthcare affordable for working families by stopping the IRS from clawing back New Jerseyans’ Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTC).

Throughout the pandemic, I convened calls with our local medical providers to hear directly about what they were seeing in their hospitals and doctors’ offices and how I could best support them. I fought to get federal resources to New Jersey to support nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in our community. I worked to increase funding for training and prevention programs to give healthcare providers, social workers, and mental health professionals the tools to help families struggling during COVID. I’m currently leading two bipartisan bills to expand access to telehealth services that proved especially critical during the pandemic. 

Our first responders were incredibly brave keeping our towns safe through the hardest days of the pandemic. I’ve stayed in constant contact with our law enforcement, firefighters, and EMS to ensure they received the support they needed. With funding from the American Rescue Plan, our first responders were able to maintain and hire members for their forces and were kept safe with PPE gear.

Small businesses suffered during the COVID-19 health crisis. But it was our work together — roundtable discussions, meetings with local chambers of commerce, and surveys of small businesses — that proved invaluable in my work to provide more small business support. I fought for the passage of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) which proved crucial in their recovery. On small business walks throughout the district, owners have told me how critical these programs were to them and keeping their doors open through the pandemic. I also have had the privilege of delivering aid to small businesses through the grant program Morris County created with their American Rescue Plan funds.   

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented some new challenges that we as a country must continue to overcome. Whether it is the disruption of our supply chains, the refilling of our strategic stockpiles, addressing the lasting effects on mental health and long COVID, or preparing for the next public health emergency, I will continue to be NJ-11’s advocate in Washington fighting for what is best for public health and our community.

My time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office showed me just how much work we have to do to make sure our justice system works for all Americans. I helped to establish the first federal reentry program for New Jersey residents to help them get back on their feet after serving their time in the federal prison system.

In addition, more work must be done to reform the federal sentencing guidelines and address mental health and substance abuse issues outside our criminal justice system. I’m also a champion for increased support for early childhood programs such as Head Start because we know it pays huge dividends throughout our communities.

As a former federal prosecutor, I am committed to working to make our justice system fairer and safer for every American. I was proud to champion the EQUAL Act to end the unjust disparity in federal sentencing between crack and powder cocaine cases. Alongside Senator Cory Booker and Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, we assembled a bipartisan coalition to pass the bill in the House and are pushing our colleagues in the Senate to do the same.  

I have also sponsored legislation to ensure that we promote good police training and encourage local police forces to implement recruiting and hiring practices that take into account the population served. I co-sponsored the bipartisan Invest to Protect Act of 2022, to make critical, targeted investments in local police departments and ensure that police officers in smaller communities across the country have the resources and training they need to keep themselves and their communities safe.

New Jersey has a long history as a center of innovation and an engine of economic growth. Today, that spirit of ingenuity is as strong as ever. It’s produced more scientists and engineers per square mile than anywhere else in the United States. We’ve gotten here with hard work and smart investments in our schools and our communities, and we’re poised to lead in the years to come. 

Reaching our full potential will require steadfast dedication and forward-thinking ideas. New Jersey’s economic competitiveness and the standard of living for families rely upon lowering our high cost of living, bringing more tax dollars back to our state, expanding our best-in-the-nation skilled workforce, and investing in our infrastructure and small businesses.

I’ve worked with members of both parties to achieve these goals since I first took office. But more work needs to be done to:

Make New Jersey More Affordable for Families. I was proud to vote for three key pieces of legislation to bring down the cost of living for New Jersey families. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law invests in our port system, trucking sector, and rail network to quickly address supply chain disruptions that have significantly raised prices for food, clothes, furniture, and more. The CHIPS and Science Act invests in domestic semiconductor manufacturing to resolve the chip shortage that has raised prices for cars and electronics. The Inflation Reduction Act reduces electricity costs by an estimated $300-$1,800 per family, through tax credits for electric vehicles and clean energy installations. In addition, it saves families billions by capping the high cost of prescription drug prices and it lowers premium costs by expanding tax credits under the Affordable Care Act. I have also strongly supported the administration’s use of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to expand the supply of gasoline in the U.S. and reduce prices at the pump. 

Create Good-Paying Manufacturing Jobs Here in New Jersey. Our state is a leader in advanced manufacturing tech research and development, led by our globally competitive workforce. The CHIPS and Science Act will help to expand New Jersey’s manufacturing sector and create thousands of good-paying jobs. It will provide incentives for semiconductor chip manufacturers to build new facilities in the U.S., fund advanced R&D at New Jersey’s research universities and laboratories, invest in the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program that has successfully helped manufacturers expand in NJ, and it will expand partnerships between colleges and industry through STEM education and workforce training. I was also proud to co-sponsor the National Apprenticeship Act, which will create over one million high-quality Registered Apprenticeship positions to help New Jerseyans access high-quality training and good-paying jobs in the manufacturing sector.

Restore the SALT deduction to provide relief for the middle class. The 2017 Trump GOP tax bill continues to target our middle-class families, with NJ hit harder than any other state in the nation. I have worked with Republicans and Democrats in the House to pass multiple pieces of legislation to lift the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and helped beat back the Senate Republican attempt in August 2022 to extend the cap and further punish New Jersey families. I will keep fighting for SALT relief until the job is done. 

Rebuild our crumbling transportation infrastructure. The Northeast produces 20 percent of our nation’s GDP and needs a reliable and efficient transportation network to remain nationally and globally competitive. During my time in Congress, I’ve been laser-focused on the Gateway Tunnel Project, the nation’s most critical infrastructure project, which will deliver a return on investment of over 4-to-1 to New Jerseyans and significantly expand capacity on the rail lines between New Jersey and New York. After decades of inaction, I helped to finally secure funding for the Hudson River Tunnel piece of Gateway and get shovels in the ground for the Portal North Bridge component. Gateway will help our economy by creating jobs and attracting new businesses. It will also significantly improve the lives of all New Jerseyans, especially in Northern Jersey, by cutting commuting times and enabling more time for family. Congestion on highways and roads in the New York-New Jersey metro area costs $16.5 billion in lost economic activity per year, averaging to about $2,000 per commuter. By shortening train commute times and shifting more residents from their cars to public transportation, we will also reduce congestion on our roads, saving time and money for commuters. In 2021, I also voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which will create thousands of jobs in NJ and produce improvements in our transportation network that will maintain New Jersey’s competitiveness here at home and across the globe. 

Invest in education and job training. A good-paying job with benefits is born from an excellent education. New Jersey’s best-in-the-nation school system attracts businesses to our region. I am dedicated to working with parents and our local schools to invest in science, technology, engineering, math, and civics. We have great colleges and universities in our district including Montclair State, Fairleigh Dickinson, Drew University, Bloomfield College, and St. Elizabeth’s, as well as fantastic community colleges in Essex, Morris, and Passaic counties. I will continue to help them partner with local employers to provide a direct path to high-skill jobs for recent graduates so we don’t lose our talented students to other states. We need to do much more to make college affordable for everyone who wants the opportunity. For those who do not plan to go to college, I am a strong supporter of apprenticeships and job training opportunities that lead directly to a job. I was proud to pass the CHIPS and Science Act to invest in our STEM workforce, particularly through industry partnerships with our college system. The County College of Morris’s new Advanced Manufacturing Center, which will help to train the competitive workforce needed to build-out manufacturing in our state, is a great example of the type of program that this legislation will fund. I also voted for and passed in the House the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which makes the largest investment in our workforce development system in a generation. This includes a new fund to invest in evidence-based workforce training programs, based on my Expanding Pathways to Employment Act.

Support Small Businesses. Our small businesses suffered as a result of the unprecedented COVID-19 public health crisis. In addition to voting for the American Rescue Plan, I also voted for legislation that established the Paycheck Protection Program, and I’ve worked hard with small businesses in the community and colleagues in Washington over the past three years to make that program as accessible as possible. Small businesses are the backbone of New Jersey’s economy, and in particular, I’m working to help relieve the labor shortages and supply chain crises they are facing. Through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that has passed the House and is making its way through the Senate, we are making a generational investment in workforce training programs to get small businesses the skilled workers they need to expand and thrive. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we are also helping to fix the supply chain problems at our port system and trucking sector, which will reduce costs and delays for businesses.

Help Working Parents Re-Enter the Workforce. The COVID-19 pandemic greatly disrupted families’ access to affordable childcare, which has made it difficult for many working parents to re-enter the labor force. Lack of access to childcare was already a crisis in New Jersey before the pandemic. I championed legislation to ensure that no New Jersey family paid more than 7% of their income on childcare expenses, which passed the House last year. I am continuing to fight for affordable childcare for all working families in New Jersey to ensure that all children have the most nurturing care possible and that parents don’t have to choose between a career and raising a family.

New Jersey has the best public school system in the country. As the proud product of a public school education and a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, I will work to protect funding for our schools and students. Doors open with a great education, employers are attracted to exceptional schools and a talented workforce, and every child deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I have fought hard to support our children and provide our schools with the resources they need. With the federal funding New Jersey schools received through the American Rescue Plan and CARES Act, we were able to safely reopen our schools during the COVID-19 pandemic, address learning loss, and hire staff to expand mental health services for students. Student mental health is a particularly critical issue, and I brought tax dollars home for the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris’s suicide prevention program that will bring awareness, care, and much-needed resources to schools in every county of NJ-11.

With college on the horizon for my own children and the application process ahead, I know the questions and concerns families face when it comes to the cost of college. There is little question that we need to make higher education more affordable so our students enter the workforce in the strongest position possible. 

I helped pass a law to hold accountable the predatory lenders and for-profit colleges that take advantage of students and veterans. I am leading bipartisan legislation to stop colleges from withholding transcripts from students who have defaulted on their student loans. A college transcript is often necessary to find a good-paying job, apply for graduate school, or transfer school credits, leaving many of these students with few options to pay off their debt and start their careers after school. Students should also be able to borrow from the federal government at the same rate as big banks and we should allow them to refinance their debt when interest rates go down similar to mortgages or car loans.

Many of my fellow veterans enlisted or joined ROTC programs as a pathway to an affordable college education. I support the creation of a national service college debt relief program to help provide a long-term fix to the student debt crisis. 

Too many face significant barriers to finishing their degree and gaining a good, well-paying job after graduation. This is why I’ve introduced the bipartisan Fund for Innovation and Success in Higher Education (FINISH) Act to help students succeed in our community, technical, and four-year colleges and universities. The FINISH Act helps fund initiatives that have a track record of success in helping students graduate with a degree or credential.

Finally, we must do more to support two-year and vocational programs that lead directly to a job upon graduation. This type of training can offer a bright future and is often a more efficient and effective model for those pursuing technical careers, particularly when paired with ongoing certificate programs. With critical investments in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, I helped pass the CHIPS and Science Act, to train the future workforce needed to compete in the global economy. Institutions like the County College of Morris will lead the way to help to create a globally competitive workforce and reduce our national labor shortage.

The climate crisis is real and in New Jersey, addressing it isn’t a partisan issue. It’s an economic, national security, and public health issue that affects all of us. The residents of our community are strong supporters of the environment and it has long been an issue where we’ve come together in bipartisan agreement.

Whether it’s extreme flooding events, the high number of Superfund sites, or forever chemicals such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) water contamination, the time to act is now. That is why I am working at the federal level and with local officials and advocates to slow the effects of climate change on our communities, ease the transition to clean energy for residents, and help keep our planet safe for generations to come.  

I have worked hard to bring people together to support our environment and clean energy economy. As Chairwoman of the Environment Subcommittee on the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, I have held hearings and led legislation to address flood mitigation, lead in drinking water, climate-resilient infrastructure, and scientific integrity. 

I am proud to have voted for the Inflation Reduction Act, which marks our nation’s largest investment in clean energy, green technologies, and decarbonization all the while lowering our taxes. The legislation:  

Lowers our energy costs. 

Reduces our reliance on foreign oil. 

Provides energy efficiency tax credits for residents who purchase electric vehicles, install solar panels, and much more. 

Puts us on a path to reduce our carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030. 

Protect Open Spaces in New Jersey. I secured passage of the bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act, which was signed into law. This landmark conservation legislation will protect our public lands and permanently fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a program that has directly supported the Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and Morristown National Historical Park here in our district. I’ve also introduced legislation to restore a tax incentive to encourage brownfield remediation, for the benefit of New Jersey’s economy and environment. To expand our open spaces and recreation areas, I’ve supported the Essex-Hudson Greenway to create nearly 9 miles of trail from Montclair to Jersey City and I am working to secure funding to support the creation of a 7.7 mile hiking trail around the Boonton Reservoir.

Address Flooding, the Most Common and Widespread of All Weather-Related Natural Disasters. Repeated, devastating flooding endangers North Jersey homes and businesses. I’ve made it my mission in Congress to lead on flood mitigation, strengthen flood control and river management, improve weather forecasting, and build resilient neighborhoods. Through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), I secured funding to advance critical flood control projects in our district — some that have been stalled for decades like the Peckman River Army Corps project. My PRECIP Act passed in the House to improve flood risk communications and update out-of-date precipitation data which is critical for flood mapping efforts.

Ensure Clean Water. I have championed projects that will help ensure clean drinking water and protect our bodies of water. Through Community Project funding, I brought back our tax dollars to replace lead pipes in Bloomfield, address PFAS contamination in Hopatcong, and replace water mains in Stanhope. I have fought for increased funding to fight harmful algal blooms that threaten Lake Hopatcong and the communities that surround it. To protect New Jersey’s 130 miles of coastline, I joined the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in opposition to the unnecessary risk posed by offshore drilling.

Harness Renewable Energy and Increase Energy Independence. Alternative energy sources like wind and solar can transform New Jersey’s energy sector, particularly in New Jersey without a native fossil fuel industry. In Congress, I have authored bipartisan legislation to increase energy storage capacity, grow our clean energy economy, and promote investment in innovation. I introduced legislation to tackle the issue of methane leaks, which is a significant contributor to climate change. I am also a co-sponsor of the Energy Security and Independence Act of 2022, to promote United States energy security and independence by bolstering renewable energy supply chains in the United States.

Support Public Transportation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is going to improve one of the most impactful forms of sustainability in which we can all partake — public transportation. By helping Americans ease their commutes through public transportation, we will reduce our carbon footprint and reduce congestion on the roads. This bill also funds the creation of a nationwide EV charging network to help incentivize and ease the transition toward electric cars.

Make New Jersey a Leader in Offshore Wind. The East Coast has the best offshore wind conditions in the world, and the costs associated with developing offshore wind continue to drop. New Jersey is poised to be a leader in wind energy, and I’m working in Congress to ensure that barriers to renewable development are defeated. I joined the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in its opposition to the unnecessary risk posed by offshore drilling. In Congress, I will continue to uphold our community’s commitment to our planet and grow our clean energy economy.

As a mother of four, my heart breaks for the families across this nation whose lives have been forever changed by gun violence. As a former member of the U.S. Navy, I’m horrified by the use of weaponry that belongs on the battlefield. As a former prosecutor, I saw the devastating impact that gun violence has had on communities throughout our state and worked with law enforcement to get illegal guns off our streets. 

We must make our streets, schools, and houses of worship safer through responsible gun ownership and by keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of violent criminals, domestic abusers, and terrorists. 

With this in mind, and from my first day in office, I’ve worked to find responsible solutions to America’s gun violence crisis. I qualified as an expert in the M-16, Colt .45, and 9mm Beretta in the United States Navy. I understand and hold dear the rights granted to us under our Constitution. So the first bill I supported was a bipartisan background checks bill, and I was proud to cast my vote for this common sense gun safety measure again during my second term. 

After decades of inaction and with bipartisan support, we passed and signed into law the first comprehensive gun safety package in three decades. It includes common sense provisions to enhance background checks, close the boyfriend loophole, invest in mental health resources, help implement extreme risk protection orders, and support community safety. All measures proven to help reduce gun violence. 

New Jersey is a model for how gun safety laws can keep residents safe. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, while gun deaths have risen nationally by 35 percent over the last decade, in New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the nation, gun deaths went down by 10 percent. While this is good news for New Jerseyans, our public safety remains threatened by weaker gun laws in neighboring states. That is why I am fighting for further protections at the national level. 

I’ve passed additional measures in the House to close the Charleston Loophole and to ban bump stocks that allow individuals to convert firearms into fully automatic weapons. I also support measures to close the hate crimes loophole. 

While New Jersey has led the way with an assault weapons ban and large capacity magazine limits, it is still possible for a criminal to purchase these deadly weapons across state lines. For this reason, I have also voted to ban assault weapons for civilian use and limit large-capacity magazines. Time and again, assault weapons are used in our nation’s most tragic mass shooting events. I know firsthand the power and responsibility of these weapons and they are designed with one thing in mind — to kill as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. They threaten the lives of our children, our neighbors, and our law enforcement and they do not belong on our streets.

I believe deeply that every American should have access to quality and affordable healthcare. Since coming to Congress, I’ve fought to lower the cost of prescription drugs, lower healthcare premiums, increase access to services, and protect coverage for pre-existing conditions. 

So, I’m especially proud that after thirty years of gridlock, we took real action and passed the Inflation Reduction Act. Among other things it will: 

Lower the cost of prescription drugs for seniors

Cap out-of-pocket expenses at $2,000.00 for seniors on Medicare, impacting 1.2 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries in New Jersey

Cap the cost of insulin at $35.00 a month for the 77,000 NJ seniors covered under Medicare

Ensure affordable costs for those buying health insurance on the exchange.

We also passed legislation to end surprise medical billing so that no patient gets a bill from a hospital that they didn’t expect and cannot afford. 

As a mom of four, I am deeply concerned with the mental health of our children, especially as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why I fought hard and secured direct federal funding for the Mental Health Association of Essex and Morris’s suicide prevention program, which will help bring awareness and care resources to schools in every county of NJ-11.  

Throughout my time in Congress, I have successfully fought against efforts to remove protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions, limit the age children can stay on their parent’s health insurance, or institute punitive lifetime caps on insurance coverage. More than 315,000 residents in our district have pre-existing conditions and I will continue to be their advocate.

Additionally, I have worked diligently to reduce the healthcare provider shortages we have experienced in North Jersey and decrease patients’ wait times and distances required to travel for quality care. Our healthcare providers bravely served our communities through the darkest days of the pandemic. Their experiences on the front lines were incredibly tough, which is why it is so important that we continue to do all we can for them.  

My fight to continue to lower healthcare costs is not over. I introduced the bipartisan Prescription Information Modernization Act to allow digital prescribing information (PI) for pharmacists and physicians, which would lower patients’ out-of-pocket costs and reduce waste in the industry. I want to extend the cap on out-of-pocket costs for insulin to all Americans and expand access to telehealth services, which were so beneficial during the pandemic. 

As a former Navy pilot, I’m honored to sit on the House Armed Services Committee, and I am proud of the role that New Jersey plays in our national defense. 

Since 1880, Picatinny Arsenal has been a hub for innovation and technological advances. It is an economic hub for New Jersey, contributing over a billion dollars to our state’s economy and our defense manufacturing sector. I’ll always fight for Picatinny and the more than 6,000 jobs it supports right here in the 11th District, and each year I’ve been in Congress, I’ve fought to protect Picatinny programs and expand its mission. Sitting on the Armed Services Committee, I was able to significantly increase funding for Picatinny over the proposed budget to ensure the base remains the Army’s leading research institution for armaments and ammunition. I also secured accreditation for Picatinny Arsenal’s graduate school so it can strengthen the cutting-edge research that keeps our service members safe in the field.

Beyond supporting the critical research and development programs at Picatinny, I am also proud to support the many defense technology companies that call NJ-11 home and are on the cutting edge of modernizing our Armed Forces. Many of my provisions in the FY23 National Defense Authorization Act support funding for our local defense industrial base and businesses. 

As the threats our nation faces evolve — whether it is cyberwar or sophisticated enemy weapons — we need to ensure that our national security evolves to meet new threats. I’m proud of the work I’ve done on the House Armed Services Committee to push us in the right direction, away from outdated practices and towards a more nimble national defense. 

As a Russian policy officer in the U.S. Navy, I worked to implement our nuclear treaty obligations and to plan and execute joint naval exercises with the Russian Federation Navy. I have sat across the table from the Russians, and know the threat they pose should be taken seriously. Both Russia and China have continued to build their military might and promote their influence across the globe. Neither country shares our values and often they are undermining our interests across the world. We must ensure we modernize our military to meet this threat and provide critical funding for cybersecurity and election protection. 

Putin instigated an unprovoked attack against Ukraine — a sovereign, democratic nation. He has attempted to rewrite history and has unleashed propaganda and disinformation in pursuit of his clear desire to rebuild the Soviet Union’s so-called sphere of influence. This year, I traveled twice to Ukraine, once in January before Putin’s invasion and again in July. I met with President Zelensky and other top Ukrainian officials about the support they need from us and imparted to them the fierce support in New Jersey — home to one of the largest Ukrainian American communities in the country — for their independence and democracy. 

We secured emergency funding through a bipartisan package to support the Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom. American weapons support has made a tangible difference in the Ukrainians’ ability to hold off Russian aggression, including the M-777 Howitzer, developed here at Picatinny Arsenal.

A growing and urgent threat to our national security is the climate crisis which is contributing to increased natural disasters, refugee flows, and conflicts over basic resources, such as water and land. It impacts our military readiness. On the Armed Services Committee, I have championed efforts to prioritize climate change at the Department of Defense. In order to reach our nation’s climate goals, we must get our military — one of America’s top consumers of fossil fuels — to net zero. My legislation to install microgrids on 100 percent of military installations by 2035, achieve 100 percent carbon pollution-free power generation by 2040, and conduct research into how we can use natural infrastructure to reduce our installations’ carbon footprint is included in the 2022 defense bill. 

I am also concerned about national security threats here at home. The federal government has broadly failed to respond to the growing threat of domestic terrorism over the past two decades. I supported the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022, which would better equip our law enforcement with information related to possible attacks and their relationship with hate crimes.

Social Security and Medicare are promises to the American people. They are guarantees of a dignified and secure retirement after a lifetime of hard work. Seniors have paid into these initiatives with every paycheck, and we must honor these earned benefits. As your Representative, I will make sure that Social Security and Medicare are protected.

The Inflation Reduction Act includes major cost-saving provisions for Medicare recipients. Medicare will now be able to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. As a veteran, I know this works for the VA and it will now help bring down costs for our seniors. For seniors on Medicare Part D, annual prescription drug prices will be capped at $2,000, impacting 1.2 million New Jersey seniors. For the over 77,000 New Jerseyans on Medicare with diabetes, insulin will now be capped at $35 a month. I am proud to have secured these major wins for our residents.

Republican leaders like Senator Rick Scott have unveiled their national platform to raise taxes and undermine Social Security and Medicare. I will oppose any budget that proposes cutting Social Security and Medicare and I’ll also oppose all efforts to privatize Social Security and Medicare. These plans would benefit insurance companies and investment firms while cutting benefits for New Jersey seniors. I voted to pass legislation to prevent harmful cuts to Medicare reimbursements for healthcare providers in North Jersey. I am also a co-sponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act of 2021, which repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government.

We can still take meaningful steps in the near term to improve Medicare and lower costs, and I am working hard to achieve these goals. I support allowing individuals over 55 to buy into Medicare to help expand access to quality healthcare for more Americans. I also led bipartisan legislation in the House to codify access to telehealth services for Medicare recipients. We expanded access during the COVID-19 public health emergency and we need to ensure Medicare beneficiaries don’t lose access to these important services, which both reduce costs for individuals and improve access to crucial care.

New Jersey residents pay the highest property taxes in the country. But instead of easing this burden on New Jersey’s middle-class families, President Trump and Washington Republicans used the Trump Tax Plan to raise taxes on middle-class New Jerseyans by capping the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, double-taxing our residents.

It is critical that our tax system treats New Jerseyans fairly, and that requires a commitment to real tax relief that protects middle-class pockets, invests in growth, simplifies our tax code, and maintains our revenues. Most importantly, a tax bill that restores our full state and local tax deductions. 

During my time in Congress, I’ve sponsored multiple bills with Republicans and Democrats to help get New Jerseyans the tax relief they deserve. One of my bipartisan bills that passed in the House would not only lift the SALT cap but would also double the out-of-pocket deduction for educators, helping 17,000 teachers in the 11th District alone, and create a new deduction for first responders in work-related costs like professional development. 

When COVID-19 presented new and unimaginable hardship for our families in North Jersey, I worked to get the House to pass a second bill that would lift the SALT cap for two years. I also voted to eliminate the SALT deduction cap for 98% of NJ-11 families and allow families in NJ-11 to deduct an additional $7.6 billion in state and local taxes over the next five years. 

When Republican Senators doubled down on their attack on SALT in August 2022, attempting to extend the cap to further punish New Jersey families, I successfully fought back that effort. 

I will continue to work to find a path forward on SALT relief that will pass the Senate to strengthen our middle class and ensure New Jersey and the 11th District get a fair return on our federal tax dollars.

In addition to fighting the SALT cap, I have worked with members of both parties to bring federal tax dollars back to our state and take the burden off local communities for projects to clean our water, invest in our infrastructure, increase public safety, and build more housing. Since I’ve been in office, we’ve gone from 48th to 22nd for the federal dollars back to our state compared to the taxes we sent to the federal government.

The Inflation Reduction Act will give New Jersey residents tax relief. They’ll pay less in utilities and see the benefit of lower taxes by offering energy-efficient tax credits for electric vehicles and solar panel installations. The estimated energy savings will be between $300-$1,800 for New Jersey families.

I am proud to have served in the U.S. Navy alongside service women and men who put their lives on the line to defend our country and our values. Our service members deserve access to educational opportunities, employment, first-class healthcare and rehabilitation, and should not have to travel hours to reach a VA facility. 

In my first term, I helped to start the For Country Caucus, a group of veterans from both sides of the aisle, to advocate for our service members, veterans, and their families. I also helped found the Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus with my fellow female veterans in Congress, which focuses on the specific needs of our women servicemembers, veterans, and their families.

This congressional term, I am proud to have shepherded major pieces of veterans legislation into law. 

Burn pits have been called this generation’s Agent Orange, and I have refused to allow the government to make the same mistakes we did with Vietnam Veterans exposed to toxins. I was so proud to be instrumental in the passage of the Honoring Our PACT Act, landmark legislation that dramatically expands access to benefits for veterans who were exposed to toxins, whether it was a burn pit overseas or contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. We owe it to our veterans to do everything possible to receive the health care they need, and the Honoring Our PACT Act is a huge step in that direction. 

Hearing from veterans in our community has helped me be a better advocate in Congress. I am grateful for every opportunity I have to meet with veterans in the community, at roundtable discussions, at my town halls, and when honoring their service at local events. After learning the story of a local veteran who couldn’t afford a service dog—and whose firehouse was raising money to get him one—I joined with Republicans in the House to lead the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act. I am proud to have secured the passage of this life-saving legislation into law.

Since day one, I’ve fought for increased access to Vet Center treatment for New Jersey’s veterans. The data speaks for itself and we are clearly facing a disparity in the availability of this lifesaving care, which is why I led a bipartisan coalition of House Members to introduce the Vet CENTERS for Mental Health Act, which would expand access to Vet Center mental health counseling across a wide breadth of American communities and provide life-saving services to veterans across the country, including in Northern New Jersey.

Women make up nearly 20 percent of our Armed Forces, but the VA has not adequately addressed the needs of this growing population. I’ve pushed to improve VA healthcare services for them by increasing support for homeless women veterans with children, and expanding access to child care services at the VA. One of the first amendments I passed in the House was to expand child care services for service members who have experienced military sexual trauma. I also proudly supported the Deborah Sampson Act in the House, which addresses barriers to care for women veterans.

In Congress, I have worked to make sure veterans in our community have top-notch constituent services to help navigate the federal benefit systems. We have helped veterans resolve unpaid VA medical bills, obtain service records, and access benefits they earned through their service.

I have also helped to pass veterans legislation into law including the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act, the VA Tele-Hearing Modernization Act, the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act, the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act of 2021, and the REMOTE Act. I proudly supported the Gold Star Family Tax Relief Act, the Gold Star Family Fellowship Program, and the Veterans Compensation COLA Act.