e-News 1/12/18

• I Oppose Oil and Gas Development off NJ Coast
• Moving Gateway and the new Hudson Tunnels Forward
• Deplorable Words from the President About Haiti and other nations
• Supporting Peaceful Demonstration in Iran
• Congress’ First Responsibility – Provide for the Common Defense
• Salute: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I Oppose Offshore Oil and Gas Development off NJ Coast

Last week, the Administration announced it is seeking to expand oil and gas lease sales across the nation, which could include issuing the first permits for oil and gas lease sales in the Atlantic since 1983. 

To be clear, I have always opposed to oil and gas drilling off the coast of New Jersey and I am a cosponsor of H.R. 728, to prohibit the Secretary of Interior from issuing oil and gas leases on portions of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of New Jersey. 

While this proposal is in its early stages, I joined my New Jersey Congressional colleagues in writing to Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, to express my opposition to the proposal that would open the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of New Jersey for oil and gas development.  Further, I also signed a letter inviting Secretary Zinke to visit our state so he can see, first-hand, the importance of the coastal economy to New Jersey.

Drilling off of the coast of New Jersey puts our pristine beaches at risk and jeopardizes our vibrant tourism industry.  Tourism remains an economic driver along New Jersey’s 130 mile shoreline and generates over $44 billion annually, supporting tens of thousands of jobs. 

I understand the desire in some parts of our nation to explore new offshore oil and gas development, but it is a risky proposal for our state and I remain opposed.

Moving Gateway and the new Hudson Tunnels Forward

Readers of this e-Newsletter are aware that last week I wrote to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Deputy Administrator K. Jane Williams that the Gateway/Hudson River Tunnel projects are the highest “national infrastructure priority” that require federal support. A copy of the letter can be found here.

I shall continue to press the Administration, as it considers infrastructure initiatives, to put the tunnel project as its top priority!

Deplorable Words from the President About Haiti and other nations

In a meeting about immigration this week, the President is said to have used some deplorable words about Haiti and other nations.  My response?

Each year, I have the honor of nominating the finest young men and women from my Congressional District to the military academies and, as a member of congress, providing for their health, safety and mission throughout their military careers.

I strongly condemn the President’s harmful words and note that pictures speak a thousand words. Please visit here to learn more about Alixe Iradache: Hatitian immigrant.  2016 West Point graduate.

Supporting Peaceful Demonstration in Iran

The House of Representatives responded to the ongoing protests in Iran this week by passing  H.Res.756, which makes it clear, the United States fully supports those who have taken to the streets in Iran to exercise the fundamental freedoms of expression and assembly.

It is a moral imperative to support those who risk their lives demanding the freedoms that people in free societies enjoy every day. That’s why this resolution calls on all democratic governments and institutions, worldwide, to join us in clearly supporting the Iranian people’s right to live in a free society.

Not only does the Iranian regime make the world less safe as the largest state sponsor of terrorism, it rules its own people with brutal oppression and violent force. Unfortunately, since their start in late December, more than 1,000 Iranians have been arrested and two dozen have been killed in connection with the protests.

My hope is that the people of Iran can one day enjoy the same freedoms and opportunities we have here in the U.S.  So long as the Iranian regime continues with its vast human rights abuses, funding of terrorist organizations, corruption, and destabilizing activities, we cannot and will not back down.

Read the bill here.

Congress’ First Responsibility – Provide for the Common Defense

The Constitution is clear, Congress has no greater role than to safeguard our homeland and protect our citizens. That is why, to start the Second Session of the 115^th Congress, the House took up a number of bipartisan measures that will help bolster our national security.

The timing of these bills could not be more crucial. Although we have seen the collapse of ISIS’ physical caliphate in Iraq and Syria they still have capability to conduct operations that threaten our nation and allies across the globe. In fact, in December we saw a spike in homegrown Islamist incidents with four arrests in the United States for providing material support to ISIS. These arrests bring the total number of homegrown jihadist cases in the U.S. since 2013 to 150. Clearly, ISIS has shifted its attention toward cyberspace to recruit, radicalize, and provide guidance and instructions for carrying out attacks, as they lose ground in the Middle East.

That is why I was pleased to support legislation that increases information sharing among our counterterrorism agencies. H.R. 4569, The Counterterrorism Information Sharing Improvement Act, which passed the House this week, ensures the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has access to biographic and biometric data collected by the U.S. government on individuals of particular concern, like ISIS affiliates, yet protects the civil liberties of Americans.  

Along these same lines, the House debated and considered the flowing bipartisan bills that boost our ability to prepare for and responded to these growing threats:

• H.R. 4581, the Screening and Vetting Passenger Exchange Act, develops best practices for utilizing passenger information and data for counterterrorism screening operations.

• H.R. 4555, DHS Interagency Counterterrorism Task Force Act, provides additional authorities for the DHS Secretary to coordinate with other federal departments and agencies by assigning DHS personnel to overseas counterterrorism task forces.

• H.R. 4559, Global Aviation System Security Reform Act of 2017, directs the TSA Administrator to conduct a global aviation security review to improve aviation security standards and establish best practices.

• H.R. 4561, SAFE TECH Act, directs the TSA Administrator to establish a program and framework for enabling third party testing for advanced security screening technologies in order to alleviate existing bureaucratic hurdles in TSA’s testing and evaluation process.

• H.R. 4564, Post-Caliphate Threat Assessment Act, directs the DHS Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of State and Director of National Intelligence, to conduct a threat assessment of current foreign terrorist fighter activity, including new travel and trends, as well as activity in Iraq and Syria.

• H.R. 4567, DHS Overseas Personnel Enhancement Act, seeks to build on existing requirements for an updated strategy for DHS overseas footprint, while identifying barriers to information sharing and collaboration among DHS components and other partner entities.

Salute: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Monday, we will celebrate a national holiday for the birth of a man who brought hope and healing to America. On this Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day we commemorate the values he taught us — courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, and humility. On this day and every day, let’s all commit ourselves to unity and service.