Click on the slide!

NJVFW Legislator of the Year

In June, Rep. Holt accepted the Legislator of the Year Award from the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars (NJVFW).

Click on the slide!

Putting Cops Back on the Beat in Trenton

On June 26, Rep. Holt joined Trenton police officers and public officials to announce a $3 million grant to help the city rehire 12 police officers.

Click on the slide!

Results for You and Your Town

Click on the interactive map to see examples of the various ways Rep. Holt has been active on behalf of you and your community.

Frontpage Slideshow (version 2.0.0) - Copyright © 2006-2008 by JoomlaWorks

WSRbutton2

HCR_Button

Holt Blasts Passage of Warrantless Surveillance Bill 
September 12, 2012

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement upon the House’s passage of a four year extension of the FISA Amendments Act, which will allow continued, industrial-scale surveillance of American’s communications by the National Security Agency:

“This bill is just as bad now as it was when it became law almost four years ago.  The measure continues the suspension of the 4th Amendment, allowing the government to electronically collect and search the communications of Americans without a warrant. This ‘fishing expedition’ approach to surveillance has not improved our security, and only eviscerated our liberties.

“As Senators Wyden and Udall have discovered, this blanket surveillance authority has been abused by our government, just as such blanket surveillance was abused in the Johnson and Nixon eras. I sincerely hope that Senator Wyden will not lift his hold on this legislation unless it is rewritten. Our surveillance laws should strictly adhere to a 4th Amendment standard—warrants should only be issued by a judge based on genuine probable cause. 

“This is not simply a civil liberties nicety; it is a matter of getting better public safety by holding collectors and law enforcement to high standards.  Our Founders understood why such protections are essential to protect the rights of the people, and to promote better, not worse, protection of the people. We ignore their wisdom at our peril.”

CONTINUE READING
Holt Announces U.S. House Passage of Battlefield Protection Bill 
September 11, 2012

BILL WOULD PROVIDE MATCHING GRANTS TO PRESERVE HISTORIC SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING MANY IN NEW JERSEY

(Washington, D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act (H.R. 2489), a bipartisan bill authored by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) that would provide competitive matching grants to preserve battlefields from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

The legislation will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for further consideration, where a companion bill has been introduced by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (NY).

“Sprawl and commercial development are threatening the historic sites where our nation was forged and shaped,” Holt said.  “Each time a historic battlefield is replaced with a parking lot, a chapter of American history is obscured, and future generations lose an important window onto their heritage.  This bill would provide matching funds that would leverage private efforts to preserve our nation’s past.”

CONTINUE READING
Following in His Footsteps 
August 31, 2012

Over the weekend, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, passed away.

Although the Apollo project resulted in Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon, its purpose was never to send Neil Armstrong, the person, to the Moon.  Its aim instead was to use a lunar landing to establish America’s presence in space, to demonstrate America’s industrial might, and to spur new technologies and new innovations.  To be sure, Project Apollo could never have succeeded without a Neil Armstrong; he clearly had “the right stuff,” with nerves of steel and a powerful mind that could keep many systems and activities in perspective simultaneously.  But neither could Neil Armstrong have walked on the Moon without a Project Apollo.

We underappreciate Armstrong if we think of him only as a brilliant engineer or a talented pilot or a bold voyager, although he was all of these things.  He was a new kind of hero, because Project Apollo was more about us than about him.  Tonight is a full moon, a good time to remember what we as a nation can accomplish together.

Armstrong’s family released a brief and moving statement after his death.  They said, in part: “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment, and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the Moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

CONTINUE READING
Privatization Is Not the Answer 
August 24, 2012

In 1935, being old generally meant being poor.  Yet today, only one in ten American seniors lives in poverty.  Indeed, seniors today are less likely than Americans in any other age group to live in poverty.

What is responsible for this turnaround?  The answer, of course, is Social Security, which marked its 77th anniversary last week.  In its nearly eight decades of existence, Social Security has lifted tens of millions of Americans out of poverty – including about 13 million today.  Social Security also assists many with disabilities and many children who survive the loss of a parent, as I did.

Although you would not know it from the hyperbole in Washington today, Social Security has never missed a payment and remains in pretty good financial shape. According to the two independent trustees overseeing the Social Security and Medicare programs, without any changes at all, the Social Security program can pay all benefits through at least 2036.  Even after that, it could still pay out about 77 percent of scheduled benefits.  

This modest long-term shortfall in Social Security is a good reason to take steps to shore up the program.  Yet those who would use these challenges as an excuse to privatize Social Security, as Rep. Paul Ryan and others have proposed in recent years, are simply fear-mongering in hopes of advancing their impractical ideology.  Worse still, they are threatening the guarantee that is at Social Security’s heart.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said shortly after Social Security was created, “None of the sums of money paid out to individuals in assistance or in insurance will spell anything approaching abundance. But they will furnish that minimum necessity to keep a foothold; and that is the kind of protection Americans want.”

CONTINUE READING
Holt Announces Congressional Interns for Summer 2012 
August 22, 2012

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced the names of the students who have served as interns in his congressional office in the summer of 2012.
 
“It has been a pleasure to welcome these outstanding interns to my staff,” Holt said.  “As a former educator, I am deeply impressed by their intelligence, willingness to learn, and commitment to public service.  They have served the people of central New Jersey with distinction.”

Congressional interns are selected on a competitive basis and contribute in a variety of ways to Holt’s service to central New Jersey, including aiding in legislative research, attending congressional hearings, conducting community outreach, and helping with office administrative duties.  Interns in the summer session served from June through August 2012.  High school and college students who are interested in interning in future sessions are encouraged to visit http://holt.house.gov/ to learn more.

CONTINUE READING
Out of the Shadows 
August 17, 2012

What if, when you were 18 years old, a federal agent rounded you up from the streets and demanded that you defend your standing as a member of American society?  What would you say?

Maybe you would say that you were working hard to gain an education:  that you had graduated from high school and were working toward college.  Maybe you would say that you had enlisted in the Army and were ready to defend your nation.  Maybe you would say that you were peaceful and law-abiding – that you had never committed any serious crime.

What if, despite all of your arguments, the United States government threatened to expel you from the country?

That is the situation that, for many years, millions of people throughout the United States have faced.  They are the so-called “childhood arrivals”:  immigrants who were brought to this country as children, who have since grown into productive and valued members of our society.  Whatever your feelings on America’s immigration policies, surely you can agree that these immigrants represent our lowest deportation priorities.

In June, President Obama took a stride toward making our immigration system more rational, fair, and economically beneficial.  He announced that his administration would refocus its enforcement efforts on preventing illegal border crossings and on deporting violent criminals while, at the same time, deferring action against certain childhood arrivals.

Earlier this week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the guidelines for the program.  In general, individuals are eligible for two years of deferred action, subject to renewal, if they are under the age of 31, came to the U.S. before they turned 16, have not committed any serious crime, and have either graduated from high school or been honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or Armed Forces.

More details, including application instructions, are now available on the USCIS Childhood Arrivals website.  If you have questions about or difficulty with the application process, please let me know.  You can reach me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658) or at holt.house.gov/contact.

CONTINUE READING
Elections We Can Trust 
August 10, 2012

I’ve written to you before about problems that could result in many eligible voters being denied the right to vote.  Last month, a coalition of election experts, including a group from the Rutgers Law School, released a new report examining the technological preparedness of each state to count votes in the 2012 election.  Their findings are troubling.

The report, Counting Votes 2012: A State by State Look at Voting Technology Preparedness, seeks to answer one essential question: In the event of voting system failures, how prepared is each state to ensure that every voter can vote and that every vote cast is counted?

Each state was assessed based on how its laws and procedures matched up to best practices developed in consultation with leading election officials and security experts.  The report found that all but a handful of states were missing key procedures or systems that would adequately protect voters.  Sixteen states, for example, use paperless machines that provide no independent record of vote count.  Twenty-five states conduct no audits whatsoever of their vote counts. 

The report found several flaws in New Jersey’s election practices, leading to an overall rating of “needs improvement” for the state.  In particular, New Jersey still uses unauditable, paperless electronic voting systems statewide, and our post-election audit requirement has not yet been implemented.

I hope this report will encourage needed reforms to ensure that every eligible voter can successfully vote and that every vote is counted as cast.  Legislation that I helped write, the Voter Empowerment Act, would implement many of the report’s best practices at the federal level.

CONTINUE READING
Hallowed Grounds 
August 03, 2012

Earlier this week, I joined six fellow members of Congress, representatives from the Civil War Trust, and Princeton University Professor James McPherson on a tour of Gettysburg National Military Park to promote our American battlefield protection legislation. Professor McPherson, a preeminent Civil War historian, guided us through the hallowed grounds of the battle.

We visit these battlefields and study our history in order to honor, to learn from, and to gain from the sacrifices of generations of Americans.  Unfortunately, urbanization, sprawl, and development are constantly encroaching on many significant historic sites.

I introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011 to protect American battlefields that are in danger of being lost forever. The bill would allow federal officials to collaborate with state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and concerned individuals to preserve and protect endangered historical sites, and it would provide up to 50 percent of the costs of purchasing battlefield land threatened by sprawl.

My bill was recently approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources and is awaiting consideration by the full House. As the centennial of the War of 1812 approaches and as we continue to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, now is an opportune moment to recommit ourselves to the protection of our nation's hallowed grounds.

CONTINUE READING
Making College More Affordable 
July 27, 2012

This is a challenging moment for students and young workers in New Jersey. College has never been more crucial to our economy and to job creation than it is today – but college also is more expensive now than ever before.

As a longtime teacher, I have seen firsthand the power of higher education to transform lives, and I want to share with you the steps I am taking in Congress to make college more affordable:

  • Keeping College Loan Rates Low. A few years ago, I helped write a law that cut student loan interest rates from 6.8 to 3.4 percent, saving the average student borrower more than $2,000. Recently, the new tea party members in Congress sought to undo this rate cut, creating an unnecessary crisis as students sought to plan for the year ahead.  The good news is that I helped reach a compromise to ensure that rates will remain low for at least another year, helping 144,000 New Jersey students. Please know that I am supporting legislation to make the rate cut permanent.
     
  • Helping Math and Science Teachers Afford College. The TEACH Grant program, created by a law that I helped write, provides up to $4,000 a year in grants – up to $16,000 over four years – for students who commit to teaching math, science, or foreign language for at least five years.
     
  • Supporting Graduates Who Enter Public Service. Students who want to serve their communities as teachers, police officers, firefighters, and soldiers should not be prevented from doing so by college debt. A law that I helped write forgives student loan debt after 10 years for graduates who enter public service.

Education is key to the American Dream for individuals – and importantly, it is key to our nation’s economic future. Each of us has a stake in ensuring that the next generation of workers, business leaders, and innovators has access to the opportunities they need to learn, succeed, and create new jobs.

CONTINUE READING
Holt Continues Fight to Stop Drilling off New Jersey's Coast 
July 25, 2012

(Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday and today, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) continued to lead efforts to block legislation that, if enacted, would endanger New Jersey’s beaches by accelerating offshore drilling without updating safety and environmental reviews. 

As the House considered the so-called “Congressional Replacement of Offshore Drilling Plan”, HR 6082, Holt offered amendments to prevent drilling off the coast of New Jersey, to ensure adequate environmental review of proposed drilling, and to end royalty free drilling the Gulf of Mexico. This was the 11th drilling bill to be brought to the House floor in the last 18 months to benefit Big Oil at the expense of worker safety, public health, and environmental degradation.

“The Big Five oil companies made a record profit of $137 billion in 2011. In the first quarter of this year they continued to capitalize on the pain Americans are feeling at the pump, raking in $368 million in profits per day,” said Rep. Holt.  “An oil spill off of the U.S. East Coast would endanger over 200,000 jobs and $12 billion associated with New Jersey’s fishing and tourism industries – and that is not even counting the indirect effects as this money flows through our local economies.”

CONTINUE READING
How Can I Help You? 
July 20, 2012

Among my most important roles as your representative is to serve as your advocate in your dealings with the federal government. Over the past year, I have:

  • Secured $40 million for military suicide prevention efforts after an East Brunswick soldier’s suicide death exposed gaps in the military health care system.
     
  • Helped a college graduate from South River appeal exorbitant fees that a contractor was charging to service his federal student loans.
     
  • Helped a Kendall Park family resolve immigration problems after a paperwork error almost prevented their adoption of a child from overseas.
     
  • Helped a Plainsboro man expedite his passport application in time for a long-planned family trip.

These are only a few of the thousands of Central New Jerseyans whom I am able to help directly each year. If you have encountered problems in your dealings with any federal agency, please let me know so I can help.  You can reach me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658) or by visiting holt.house.gov/contact .

CONTINUE READING
Holt Leads Call to Protect Domestic Programs 
July 20, 2012

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12), Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-39), and 74 Democrats sent a letter to House and Senate leaders demanding that working families not bear the unjust burden of spending cuts called for in the Budget Control Act.  Currently, most of the debate in Washington has been centered on defense sequestration.  However, a projected 8 percent overall cut to domestic spending in 2013 would have a disastrous effect on the current economic recovery.

“Kicking kids out of Head Start classrooms will not help our economy grow, and we won’t create more jobs by sending NIH researchers home,” said Congressman Holt. “We need to increase our investments in these important domestic programs not slash them across the board.”

“Reckless cuts to vital domestic programs could jeopardize the current economic recovery,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “It is crucial we take a balanced approach to reduce our deficit.  Protecting our national security should always be the priority of this Congress.  However, we cannot afford to cut investments in programs that are critical to our country’s long-term economic growth.  This Congress can’t turn its back on hard working Americans while our economic recovery hangs in the balance.” 

CONTINUE READING
Holt Blasts Passage of Warrantless Surveillance Bill 
September 12, 2012

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement upon the House’s passage of a four year extension of the FISA Amendments Act, which will allow continued, industrial-scale surveillance of American’s communications by the National Security Agency:

“This bill is just as bad now as it was when it became law almost four years ago.  The measure continues the suspension of the 4th Amendment, allowing the government to electronically collect and search the communications of Americans without a warrant. This ‘fishing expedition’ approach to surveillance has not improved our security, and only eviscerated our liberties.

“As Senators Wyden and Udall have discovered, this blanket surveillance authority has been abused by our government, just as such blanket surveillance was abused in the Johnson and Nixon eras. I sincerely hope that Senator Wyden will not lift his hold on this legislation unless it is rewritten. Our surveillance laws should strictly adhere to a 4th Amendment standard—warrants should only be issued by a judge based on genuine probable cause. 

“This is not simply a civil liberties nicety; it is a matter of getting better public safety by holding collectors and law enforcement to high standards.  Our Founders understood why such protections are essential to protect the rights of the people, and to promote better, not worse, protection of the people. We ignore their wisdom at our peril.”

CONTINUE READING
Holt Announces U.S. House Passage of Battlefield Protection Bill 
September 11, 2012

BILL WOULD PROVIDE MATCHING GRANTS TO PRESERVE HISTORIC SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING MANY IN NEW JERSEY

(Washington, D.C.) – The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act (H.R. 2489), a bipartisan bill authored by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) that would provide competitive matching grants to preserve battlefields from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

The legislation will now be sent to the U.S. Senate for further consideration, where a companion bill has been introduced by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer (NY).

“Sprawl and commercial development are threatening the historic sites where our nation was forged and shaped,” Holt said.  “Each time a historic battlefield is replaced with a parking lot, a chapter of American history is obscured, and future generations lose an important window onto their heritage.  This bill would provide matching funds that would leverage private efforts to preserve our nation’s past.”

CONTINUE READING
Holt Announces Congressional Interns for Summer 2012 
August 22, 2012

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced the names of the students who have served as interns in his congressional office in the summer of 2012.
 
“It has been a pleasure to welcome these outstanding interns to my staff,” Holt said.  “As a former educator, I am deeply impressed by their intelligence, willingness to learn, and commitment to public service.  They have served the people of central New Jersey with distinction.”

Congressional interns are selected on a competitive basis and contribute in a variety of ways to Holt’s service to central New Jersey, including aiding in legislative research, attending congressional hearings, conducting community outreach, and helping with office administrative duties.  Interns in the summer session served from June through August 2012.  High school and college students who are interested in interning in future sessions are encouraged to visit http://holt.house.gov/ to learn more.

CONTINUE READING
Holt Continues Fight to Stop Drilling off New Jersey's Coast 
July 25, 2012

(Washington, D.C.) – Yesterday and today, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) continued to lead efforts to block legislation that, if enacted, would endanger New Jersey’s beaches by accelerating offshore drilling without updating safety and environmental reviews. 

As the House considered the so-called “Congressional Replacement of Offshore Drilling Plan”, HR 6082, Holt offered amendments to prevent drilling off the coast of New Jersey, to ensure adequate environmental review of proposed drilling, and to end royalty free drilling the Gulf of Mexico. This was the 11th drilling bill to be brought to the House floor in the last 18 months to benefit Big Oil at the expense of worker safety, public health, and environmental degradation.

“The Big Five oil companies made a record profit of $137 billion in 2011. In the first quarter of this year they continued to capitalize on the pain Americans are feeling at the pump, raking in $368 million in profits per day,” said Rep. Holt.  “An oil spill off of the U.S. East Coast would endanger over 200,000 jobs and $12 billion associated with New Jersey’s fishing and tourism industries – and that is not even counting the indirect effects as this money flows through our local economies.”

CONTINUE READING
Holt Leads Call to Protect Domestic Programs 
July 20, 2012

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12), Congresswoman Linda Sánchez (CA-39), and 74 Democrats sent a letter to House and Senate leaders demanding that working families not bear the unjust burden of spending cuts called for in the Budget Control Act.  Currently, most of the debate in Washington has been centered on defense sequestration.  However, a projected 8 percent overall cut to domestic spending in 2013 would have a disastrous effect on the current economic recovery.

“Kicking kids out of Head Start classrooms will not help our economy grow, and we won’t create more jobs by sending NIH researchers home,” said Congressman Holt. “We need to increase our investments in these important domestic programs not slash them across the board.”

“Reckless cuts to vital domestic programs could jeopardize the current economic recovery,” said Congresswoman Sánchez. “It is crucial we take a balanced approach to reduce our deficit.  Protecting our national security should always be the priority of this Congress.  However, we cannot afford to cut investments in programs that are critical to our country’s long-term economic growth.  This Congress can’t turn its back on hard working Americans while our economic recovery hangs in the balance.” 

CONTINUE READING
Transparency in Regulatory Analysis of Impacts on the Nation Act of 2011 
September 22, 2011

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the TRAIN Act. This misguided legislation would undermine the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to enforce the Clean Air Act and significantly limit the federal government's ability to ensure that the air we breathe is safe and pollution-free.

CONTINUE READING
Disapproval Resolution Relating to Debt Limit Increase 
September 15, 2011

Mr. Speaker, nearly two-thirds of Americans say that job creation should be Washington's top priority. But no one here needs an opinion poll to learn that. I am sure all my colleagues are hearing what I hear by mail, fax, e-mail, Twitter, phone calls, Facebook, and passersby on the street. Everyone is saying, ``Congress, get on with it! Make jobs! Get America to work! Get my husband, my cousin, my daughter to work.'' And, yet again, the Republican majority in the House is playing political games--wasting time debating a senseless resolution when we could, and should, be doing the work that the American people sent us here to do: creating jobs and revitalizing our economy.

CONTINUE READING
Protecting Jobs from Government Interference Act 
September 15, 2011

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the outsourcers' bill of rights.

This bill would be devastating to workers across this country and kick off a new race to the bottom. The outsourcers' bill of rights is a naked attempt to directly interfere in a pending Labor Relations Board case. Now, there is much to be said about workers' rights and the importance of protecting them; but in the short time I have, let me just say a little bit about what this means for the American economy.

CONTINUE READING
Empowering Parents Through Quality Charter Schools Act  
September 13, 2011

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act, H.R. 2218, which is a bipartisan bill to reform and strengthen the charter school program.

 

I recently gave the graduation speech at the Princeton Charter School, a high quality charter that opened its doors more than a decade ago and was recognized as a blue ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education in 2004. And I was pleased to see the success there. But I urged them to make sure they are well-integrated in the public school system in their community.

CONTINUE READING
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 
September 09, 2011

Madam Chair, I rise in reluctant support of this bill.

This bill is, by the conventional standards of the House, an appropriate vehicle for meeting many of the routine needs of the Intelligence Community. However, it completely fails to undertake the kind of probing, large-scale reassessment of the structure, mission, and purpose of our intelligence enterprise in a post-bin Laden era. I regret that Congress has not shown the stomach for the kind of thorough, comprehensive, and brave review of intelligence activities that was undertaken by the Church Committee in the 1970's. Given the events of the last decade, such a review is both long overdue and very badly needed. Despite my strong reservations about what this bill does not but should do, I will support this bill.

CONTINUE READING
Following in His Footsteps 
August 31, 2012

Over the weekend, Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon, passed away.

Although the Apollo project resulted in Neil Armstrong walking on the Moon, its purpose was never to send Neil Armstrong, the person, to the Moon.  Its aim instead was to use a lunar landing to establish America’s presence in space, to demonstrate America’s industrial might, and to spur new technologies and new innovations.  To be sure, Project Apollo could never have succeeded without a Neil Armstrong; he clearly had “the right stuff,” with nerves of steel and a powerful mind that could keep many systems and activities in perspective simultaneously.  But neither could Neil Armstrong have walked on the Moon without a Project Apollo.

We underappreciate Armstrong if we think of him only as a brilliant engineer or a talented pilot or a bold voyager, although he was all of these things.  He was a new kind of hero, because Project Apollo was more about us than about him.  Tonight is a full moon, a good time to remember what we as a nation can accomplish together.

Armstrong’s family released a brief and moving statement after his death.  They said, in part: “For those who may ask what they can do to honor Neil, we have a simple request. Honor his example of service, accomplishment, and modesty, and the next time you walk outside on a clear night and see the Moon smiling down at you, think of Neil Armstrong and give him a wink.”

CONTINUE READING
Privatization Is Not the Answer 
August 24, 2012

In 1935, being old generally meant being poor.  Yet today, only one in ten American seniors lives in poverty.  Indeed, seniors today are less likely than Americans in any other age group to live in poverty.

What is responsible for this turnaround?  The answer, of course, is Social Security, which marked its 77th anniversary last week.  In its nearly eight decades of existence, Social Security has lifted tens of millions of Americans out of poverty – including about 13 million today.  Social Security also assists many with disabilities and many children who survive the loss of a parent, as I did.

Although you would not know it from the hyperbole in Washington today, Social Security has never missed a payment and remains in pretty good financial shape. According to the two independent trustees overseeing the Social Security and Medicare programs, without any changes at all, the Social Security program can pay all benefits through at least 2036.  Even after that, it could still pay out about 77 percent of scheduled benefits.  

This modest long-term shortfall in Social Security is a good reason to take steps to shore up the program.  Yet those who would use these challenges as an excuse to privatize Social Security, as Rep. Paul Ryan and others have proposed in recent years, are simply fear-mongering in hopes of advancing their impractical ideology.  Worse still, they are threatening the guarantee that is at Social Security’s heart.

As President Franklin D. Roosevelt said shortly after Social Security was created, “None of the sums of money paid out to individuals in assistance or in insurance will spell anything approaching abundance. But they will furnish that minimum necessity to keep a foothold; and that is the kind of protection Americans want.”

CONTINUE READING
Out of the Shadows 
August 17, 2012

What if, when you were 18 years old, a federal agent rounded you up from the streets and demanded that you defend your standing as a member of American society?  What would you say?

Maybe you would say that you were working hard to gain an education:  that you had graduated from high school and were working toward college.  Maybe you would say that you had enlisted in the Army and were ready to defend your nation.  Maybe you would say that you were peaceful and law-abiding – that you had never committed any serious crime.

What if, despite all of your arguments, the United States government threatened to expel you from the country?

That is the situation that, for many years, millions of people throughout the United States have faced.  They are the so-called “childhood arrivals”:  immigrants who were brought to this country as children, who have since grown into productive and valued members of our society.  Whatever your feelings on America’s immigration policies, surely you can agree that these immigrants represent our lowest deportation priorities.

In June, President Obama took a stride toward making our immigration system more rational, fair, and economically beneficial.  He announced that his administration would refocus its enforcement efforts on preventing illegal border crossings and on deporting violent criminals while, at the same time, deferring action against certain childhood arrivals.

Earlier this week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced the guidelines for the program.  In general, individuals are eligible for two years of deferred action, subject to renewal, if they are under the age of 31, came to the U.S. before they turned 16, have not committed any serious crime, and have either graduated from high school or been honorably discharged from the Coast Guard or Armed Forces.

More details, including application instructions, are now available on the USCIS Childhood Arrivals website.  If you have questions about or difficulty with the application process, please let me know.  You can reach me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658) or at holt.house.gov/contact.

CONTINUE READING
Elections We Can Trust 
August 10, 2012

I’ve written to you before about problems that could result in many eligible voters being denied the right to vote.  Last month, a coalition of election experts, including a group from the Rutgers Law School, released a new report examining the technological preparedness of each state to count votes in the 2012 election.  Their findings are troubling.

The report, Counting Votes 2012: A State by State Look at Voting Technology Preparedness, seeks to answer one essential question: In the event of voting system failures, how prepared is each state to ensure that every voter can vote and that every vote cast is counted?

Each state was assessed based on how its laws and procedures matched up to best practices developed in consultation with leading election officials and security experts.  The report found that all but a handful of states were missing key procedures or systems that would adequately protect voters.  Sixteen states, for example, use paperless machines that provide no independent record of vote count.  Twenty-five states conduct no audits whatsoever of their vote counts. 

The report found several flaws in New Jersey’s election practices, leading to an overall rating of “needs improvement” for the state.  In particular, New Jersey still uses unauditable, paperless electronic voting systems statewide, and our post-election audit requirement has not yet been implemented.

I hope this report will encourage needed reforms to ensure that every eligible voter can successfully vote and that every vote is counted as cast.  Legislation that I helped write, the Voter Empowerment Act, would implement many of the report’s best practices at the federal level.

CONTINUE READING
Hallowed Grounds 
August 03, 2012

Earlier this week, I joined six fellow members of Congress, representatives from the Civil War Trust, and Princeton University Professor James McPherson on a tour of Gettysburg National Military Park to promote our American battlefield protection legislation. Professor McPherson, a preeminent Civil War historian, guided us through the hallowed grounds of the battle.

We visit these battlefields and study our history in order to honor, to learn from, and to gain from the sacrifices of generations of Americans.  Unfortunately, urbanization, sprawl, and development are constantly encroaching on many significant historic sites.

I introduced the American Battlefield Protection Program Amendments Act of 2011 to protect American battlefields that are in danger of being lost forever. The bill would allow federal officials to collaborate with state and local governments, non-profit organizations, and concerned individuals to preserve and protect endangered historical sites, and it would provide up to 50 percent of the costs of purchasing battlefield land threatened by sprawl.

My bill was recently approved by the House Committee on Natural Resources and is awaiting consideration by the full House. As the centennial of the War of 1812 approaches and as we continue to commemorate the sesquicentennial of the Civil War, now is an opportune moment to recommit ourselves to the protection of our nation's hallowed grounds.

CONTINUE READING
Making College More Affordable 
July 27, 2012

This is a challenging moment for students and young workers in New Jersey. College has never been more crucial to our economy and to job creation than it is today – but college also is more expensive now than ever before.

As a longtime teacher, I have seen firsthand the power of higher education to transform lives, and I want to share with you the steps I am taking in Congress to make college more affordable:

  • Keeping College Loan Rates Low. A few years ago, I helped write a law that cut student loan interest rates from 6.8 to 3.4 percent, saving the average student borrower more than $2,000. Recently, the new tea party members in Congress sought to undo this rate cut, creating an unnecessary crisis as students sought to plan for the year ahead.  The good news is that I helped reach a compromise to ensure that rates will remain low for at least another year, helping 144,000 New Jersey students. Please know that I am supporting legislation to make the rate cut permanent.
     
  • Helping Math and Science Teachers Afford College. The TEACH Grant program, created by a law that I helped write, provides up to $4,000 a year in grants – up to $16,000 over four years – for students who commit to teaching math, science, or foreign language for at least five years.
     
  • Supporting Graduates Who Enter Public Service. Students who want to serve their communities as teachers, police officers, firefighters, and soldiers should not be prevented from doing so by college debt. A law that I helped write forgives student loan debt after 10 years for graduates who enter public service.

Education is key to the American Dream for individuals – and importantly, it is key to our nation’s economic future. Each of us has a stake in ensuring that the next generation of workers, business leaders, and innovators has access to the opportunities they need to learn, succeed, and create new jobs.

CONTINUE READING
How Can I Help You? 
July 20, 2012

Among my most important roles as your representative is to serve as your advocate in your dealings with the federal government. Over the past year, I have:

  • Secured $40 million for military suicide prevention efforts after an East Brunswick soldier’s suicide death exposed gaps in the military health care system.
     
  • Helped a college graduate from South River appeal exorbitant fees that a contractor was charging to service his federal student loans.
     
  • Helped a Kendall Park family resolve immigration problems after a paperwork error almost prevented their adoption of a child from overseas.
     
  • Helped a Plainsboro man expedite his passport application in time for a long-planned family trip.

These are only a few of the thousands of Central New Jerseyans whom I am able to help directly each year. If you have encountered problems in your dealings with any federal agency, please let me know so I can help.  You can reach me at 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658) or by visiting holt.house.gov/contact .

CONTINUE READING
Research Works 
July 13, 2012

An entire generation may not remember the terror that AIDS created in the early 1980s.  Back then, people would show up in the emergency room, sick and confused, and die within hours or days.

Since then, medical science has made astonishing progress.  Antiretroviral drugs allow millions of people with HIV, in the United States and throughout the world, to lead normal lives and enjoy near-normal life expectancy.

This progress is not an accident.  It is a major achievement of medical science and, just as importantly, a major success of public policy.

CONTINUE READING
His Sacrifice Counts 
July 06, 2012

Last August, the Princeton First Aid and Rescue Squad was called to investigate a vehicle submerged in raging floodwaters from Tropical Storm Irene.  Following good rescue procedure, Michael Kenwood, a 39-year-old volunteer emergency medical and rescue technician, entered the water in an attempt to reach the stranded vehicle.  He lost his footing, fell into the current, and drowned – leaving behind a wife and a three-year-old daughter.  The submerged car turned out to be empty.

Michael’s death was a tragedy.  But what compounded this tragic situation was the fact that, under current law, Michael’s family was not eligible for federal death benefits because he was a volunteer member of a non-profit organization.  This is just wrong.  When he was called to enter those floodwaters, Michael did not stop to think, “I don’t get paid for this – should I do this?”

Last week, the House passed legislation that I cosponsored to expand federal benefit programs to the women and men like Michael who volunteer for fire departments and rescue squads.  Quite simply, it is the right thing to do. 

CONTINUE READING
What Comes Next? 
June 30, 2012

Earlier this week, the Supreme Court upheld the health reform law, bringing us closer to the day when every American will have access to excellent, affordable health care.

The Supreme Court’s decision creates an opportunity to pause and reflect on how much we have achieved over the past few years.  Through health reform, we have protected Americans against being refused health coverage simply because they are sick or have a preexisting condition.  We have ensured that tens of millions our fellow citizens will gain access to excellent health care.  We have made it easier for individuals to shop for health insurance by establishing new competitive, state-based marketplaces.  We have protected women and minorities against being charged higher, discriminatory premiums.  And we have worked to ensure that everyone takes responsibility for his or her health coverage so that irresponsible free riders who choose not to insure themselves and then have an unfortunate illness or accident won’t stick you with the bill (as they have been doing).

Further, we have enabled families to continue to provide healthcare for their children even after college or when they are trying to get on their feet in the working world.  We have required that insurance companies refund you if they raise premiums without providing more medical care.  And because benefit caps are forbidden, insurance companies can no longer drive a family into bankruptcy because of an unfortunate expensive illness.

The question we must ask ourselves now is this:  What next?

CONTINUE READING