Booker spends Day Six of his Jersey Summer Road Tour in South Jersey

The sixth day of U.S. Senator Cory Booker’s 2023 Jersey Summer Road Trip includes stops in Cape May, Cumberland, and Ocean counties.

“Every year, one of my favorite parts of summer is the tour we do throughout the incredible state of New Jersey.  We visit all 21 counties here, and I am consistently inspired by the extraordinary work, accomplishments, and people we see in our communities,” Booker said on Tuesday.  “People come together to support one another and tackle big issues like the fentanyl crisis and the quality of the air we breathe, with innovative solutions from drones to environmental justice backpacks, and it’s all happening in New Jersey – I am so honored to represent the Garden State in the U.S. Senate.”

Booker will visit small businesses in Cape May City on a tour with Mayor Zachary Mullock.

At Eastern Fresh Growers in Lawrence Township, Booker will announce funding through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Energy for America for rural small businesses and agricultural producers.  He’ll be joined by U.S. Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Rural Development, New Jersey Acting Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison, USDA Rural Development State Director Jane Asselta, New Jersey Farm Bureau Executive Director Peter Furey, and USDA Farm Service Agency State Director Bob Andrzejczak.

“Supporting renewable energy and energy-saving systems helps the people of rural America create thriving, livable communities,” said Ahmad.  “These initiatives are critical to the future of our economy, and the grants to be announced in New Jersey demonstrate how the Inflation Reduction Act lowers energy costs and provides reliable, clean energy that ultimately keeps more income in the hands of businesses and producers.”

Ahmad has New Jersey ties: she received his graduate degree in public administration from Princeton University.

Booker will visit the public housing for seniors run by the Brick Housing Authority.

He started his statewide tour on Friday with stops in Bergen, Union, and Warren, followed by Hudson, Monmouth, and Sussex on Saturday, Somerset, and Middlesex on Sunday,  Camden, Hunterdon, Morris, and Passaic on Monday, and Atlantic, Burlington, Gloucester, and Salem on Tuesday.

At a Town Hall meeting in Somers Point on Tuesday, Booker touted efforts to enhance community care access for veterans in South Jersey, along with mental health services and gender-specific health care for women veterans.   He was joined by Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the U.S. Under Secretary for Veterans Affairs for Health and a former New Jersey Commissioner of Health.

“Veterans are the backbone of this country and have sacrificed immensely to protect our freedoms,” Booker stated. “As we continue to honor those who have served, we must ensure that all veterans have access to quality, affordable healthcare, including mental health services, housing, job opportunities, and educational benefits.”

At the Clayton Fire Department, Booker announced a $715,000 congressional appropriation to purchase a new ladder truck under the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant program.

According to Booker, New Jersey received $11.6 million in SAFER grants in 2022.

“Throughout the country and here in New Jersey, fire and emergency medical services departments are experiencing critical staffing and resource shortages—this situation is even more acute for smaller communities like Clayton,” said Booker.  “Federal grant funding from CDS, AFG, and SAFER all provide needed resources for personnel and equipment that helps protect lives and makes communities safer. I’m proud of my work to secure federal funding for Clayton and many other fire departments across New Jersey and will continue fighting for these resources.”

In Salem County, Booker visited a 9th-generation family potato farm.

Booker completes his Summer Road Trip tomorrow in his hometown of Newark, where he served as mayor from 2006 to 2013, at a forum on strategies to combat community violence with the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association.