A Senate resignation. A new Democratic presidential nominee. A speech by a hugely controversial world leader. Congress had quite a week!
In fact, so much happened that the House decided it was simply done for the summer; House members skipped town town yesterday (a week before the scheduled end of the session), not to return until September. The Senate is set to stick around until the end of next week, but the amount that can be accomplished with a presidential election looming may be minimal.
Here’s some of what New Jersey’s 13 members of Congress did this week.
The dispensed-with senator
A week after his conviction on federal bribery charges – and nearly ten months after those charges first upended New Jersey politics – Senator Bob Menendez announced on Tuesday that he will resign from the Senate, effective August 20.
“While I fully intend to appeal the jury’s verdict, all the way and including to the Supreme Court, I do not want the Senate to be involved in a lengthy process that will detract from its important work,” Menendez said in his resignation letter. “Furthermore, I cannot preserve my rights upon a successful appeal, because factual matters before the ethics committee are not privileged.”
Menendez, whose letter noted that Gov. Phil Murphy once called him “the indispensable senator,” did not appear in Washington for any Senate business this week. His most recent Senate vote was on May 9, prior to the beginning of his two-month trial.
It’s not clear whether the senator will return to Washington at all before the Senate departs for its August recess next week; he may want to make an appearance at one point to give a farewell speech from the Senate floor. Once he resigns, Murphy is expected to make an interim appointment to his seat almost immediately, allowing the new senator to begin work once the Senate returns on September 9.
Benjamin hot-button
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke before Congress on Wednesday amid his country’s ongoing war in Gaza, to the delight of some members and to the chagrin of others, particularly those on the progressive side of the Democratic caucus.
The speech drew strong praise from Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester), a staunch Israel defender who invited two constituents from Lakewood, a heavily Orthodox Jewish town in Smith’s district, to watch the address.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu’s passionate yet deliberate address, which comes at a very pivotal time, was a grand slam,” Smith said. “It marked not only a critical call to action but also a heartfelt expression of gratitude to the American people and those in the United States and Congress who continue to stand by Israel.”
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Wyckoff), among the most vocally pro-Israel members of his party, was part of Netanyahu’s official Congressional Escort Committee; he brought his constituents Adi and Yael Alexander, the parents of the American hostage Edan Alexander, with him as guests.
Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing), on the other hand, was so incensed at congressional leaders’ decision to invite Netanyahu that she skipped the address entirely, joining a large number of her Democratic colleagues in doing so.
“A foreign head of government speaking directly to the legislative branch is a distinct honor that should be reserved for revered world leaders,” Watson Coleman said the day before the address. “Prime Minister Netanyahu has shown himself to be nothing of the sort. He has shown himself to be a war criminal.”
She and Senator Menendez were the lone New Jerseyans to skip the speech. But Senator Cory Booker, although he was in attendance, registered his strong disapproval of Netanyahu and the current Israeli war plan in a statement released immediately prior to the speech.
“I believe [Netanyahu’s] leadership has led to a prolonged military conflict between Israel and Hamas and horrific levels of death and suffering of civilians in Gaza,” Booker said. “His actions have made ensuring true Israeli security, ending the conflict, and establishing a lasting and just peace more difficult… Out of respect for this special relationship and my love for the people of Israel, I will attend today’s speech. I remain committed to holding Prime Minister Netanyahu accountable and working toward a lasting and just peace for all the people in the region.”
Cheatling death
The House left town this week having only passed five of the necessary 12 appropriations bills funding the government, a major letdown given House Speaker Mike Johnson’s proposal last fall to not begin the August recess until all 12 bills had passed. Republicans’ failure to do so sets up another government funding showdown once recess ends with the September 30 shutdown deadline looming.
But one thing that the House did successfully accomplish this week, and on a 416-0 unanimous vote no less, was the creation of a commission to investigate the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. The commission will be composed of members of both parties and will aim to produce a final report on the security failures that led to the assassination attempt by December.
“The lack of transparency from top Biden Administration officials following the horrifying assassination attempt on President Trump is absolutely unacceptable,” said Rep. Smith, one of the commission bill’s co-sponsors. “The American people deserve nothing but prompt and thorough answers and the absolute truth about what happened that tragic day in Pennsylvania, as well as swift accountability for those responsible for this egregious security failure.”
One development that has already happened in the wake of the shooting: the resignation of Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle, who said she would step down following a House Oversight Committee hearing earlier this week.
Get well soon, congressman!
After first checking into a hospital on July 14 with a fever, Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) unfortunately remains hospitalized, though he is now doing better after having a health setback last weekend.
The 87-year-old Pascrell, who is seeking a 15th term in Congress this November, is fully conscious.
“While recovering from a respiratory infection in the hospital, Congressman Pascrell had a setback. Since then, the medical professionals at St Joe’s have given the congressman breathing assistance and are monitoring his condition. Doctors tell us he continues to improve and remain hopeful for a complete recovery,” Pascrell’s chief of staff Ben Rich said on Wednesday. “He is currently devouring CNN for fresh Harris campaign news.”
Still not back on trak
New Jersey Transit’s July hasn’t been as bad as its June was, but after trains were disrupted for hours on Sunday due to Amtrak wire issues, New Jersey Democrats say more still needs to be done to improve service.
New Jersey’s entire Democratic House delegation, led by Reps. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City), and Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch), sent a letter today to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg following up on their previous letter and urging more investment in Amtrak and NJ Transit infrastructure.
“We remain greatly concerned about the overwhelming need for long-term maintenance and repair work,” the members wrote in their letter. “For many New Jerseyans, their commutes were delayed for the third or fourth time just in the past month. Thousands of our constituents are undoubtedly questioning if commuting by train to work or for leisure is even worth it at this point, which will only worsen congestion on our roads and pollution in our communities if not addressed.”
The letter requests that the Department of Transportation consider several grant requests submitted by Amtrak and NJ Transit for system and signal upgrades, and asks the department to be more transparent on its plans and on potential delays.
“We also believe more must be done in the interim to inform riders about outage plans, repairs, and other improvements affecting their daily commute,” the letter reads. “We ask that you urgently outline a plan to keep commuters fully informed of planned and unplanned disruptions.”
Other Garden State plots
• On Monday, Rep. Gottheimer teamed up with State Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Linden) and State Sen. Brian Stack (D-Union City) to introduce federal legislation spreading awareness of “card skimming,” a practice that allows scammers to steal food stamp and welfare benefits.
“It’s heartless scam artists and fraudsters who are willing to stick it to hungry children and families, just to make a buck for themselves,” Gottheimer said. “It’s pathetic and shameless. At the end of the day, food security shouldn’t be a partisan issue because hunger doesn’t discriminate.”
• Right before departing for its earlier-than-anticipated recess yesterday, the House came back and voted on exactly one bill: a resolution condemning the Biden administration’s border policies, and specifically Vice President Kamala Harris’s involvement in them. There might be some political motivations there.