Going to the Beach This Summer? Click here

Dear Neighbors,

New Jerseyans and visitors are ready to flock to the Jersey Shore this weekend, so I’m proud to introduce a bill that will strengthen public health protections and give beachgoers the peace of mind they deserve.

My new bipartisan bill improves the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act ahead of the start of the beach tourism season. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) original BEACH Act program protects the public’s health by setting water quality criteria for coastal recreational areas and providing states with grants to test water quality and notify the public when conditions are unsafe.

New Jersey’s beaches are a treasure, and this bill will help make sure they remain clean and safe. The bill reauthorizes the program and give states more options with grants. It also requires EPA to consider innovations in rapid testing to help states report the results to the public more quickly. It also allows states to use grants to find sources of contamination and work to clean up the source of the health threat. Read more here

This Republican Bill Won’t Fix the Fentanyl Crisis

I opposed a Republican bill this week that would do nothing to help the substance-use and overdose crises that impact all our communities. The HALT Fentanyl Act does not provide any resources for research, prevention, treatment, recovery, or harm reduction. It also does not provide law enforcement or public health agencies with any additional resources to detect and intercept illicit drugs entering the country. We simply cannot incarcerate our way out of a public health crisis.

The American people deserve bipartisan solutions that address both public safety and public health. This bill fails on both fronts and simply continues the status quo, allowing opioid use disorder and the overdose crisis to continue to devastate American families across the nation.

In fact, nearly every House Republican voted in favor of the extreme Default on America Act, which would inflict devastating cuts that would force communities to lay off thousands of law enforcement officers and first responders. The Default on America Act would also make cuts to substance use programs that help treat patients in our communities. The reality is that this bill paired with Republicans’ efforts to slash vital public health and safety funding would leave our communities worse off and exacerbate existing inequities in our criminal justice system. Read more here

Carteret to Receive Federal Funding to Upgrade Emergency Response System

I secured $637,195 in federal funding for Carteret to renovate and upgrade its emergency response operations with new technology, improving the Borough’s ability to direct and control operations during an emergency. First responders are critical to our community’s safety and health, and this funding will ensure that they can respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies.

The funding will help the Borough relocate to a newer, larger facility that will include a garage area for vehicles, sufficient storage for emergency supplies such as food and bottled water, and proper space for generators and emergency communications equipment. The building also includes a conference room to serve as a gathering and coordination space for all emergency department heads and Borough leaders during emergency events and a call and dispatch center. Read more here

Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone