D.C. Dispatch: What N.J.’s members of Congress did in Washington this week

All of Congress – well, all of Congress besides those who decided to bail – gathered in the House chamber this week for the first joint session address of President Donald Trump’s second administration. Predictably, Republicans thought he did a bang-up job, and Democrats thought it was terrible – so terrible that many of them booed, held up protest signs, or simply left.

Elsewhere, debates continued over Trump’s remaining Cabinet nominees and potential Medicaid cuts under Republican budget proposals. Here’s some of what New Jersey’s members of Congress did in Washington this week.

Joint address features zero mentions of marijuana

Trump’s address touched on a wide range of topics, ranging from tariffs to illegal immigration to transgender athletes to Elizabeth Warren’s supposed Native American heritage – all of which combined to make for the longest joint session address in American history.

Republicans cheered for nearly everything the president said, while Democrats found a variety of different ways of protesting it. Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair) declined to attend the address, saying that Trump “degraded” it with his “outright lies, attacks on our allies, even attacks on our own citizens”; Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) held up a paddle during the address exhorting Trump to “Save Medicaid”; and Rep. LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) walked out of the chamber halfway through: “I heard enough, so I left.”

Perhaps most interesting are the reactions from Reps. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield) and Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon). Both represent competitive seats – their districts both voted for Trump by around one percentage point last year – and both sat through the entire address peacefully, but they left with very different takeaways.

Kean’s statement: “President Trump’s address tonight was a bold, optimistic vision for America’s future. In just six weeks, we are seeing historic success – our borders are finally secure, illegal crossings have plummeted, and law enforcement is empowered to keep our communities safe. The economy is booming with over $1.7 trillion in new investments and a resurgence of American manufacturing. On the world stage, America is once again leading with strength – freeing hostages, eliminating terrorists, and pushing for peace. And here at home, President Trump is restoring common sense, protecting fairness in women’s sports, safeguarding children, and eliminating divisive DEI policies in government. His leadership is delivering real results, and we in the House will continue fighting to keep America strong.”

Pou’s statement: “It was an honor to attend my first Presidential Joint Session Address as a Congressmember. I came to Congress to work with anyone and everyone to lower prices for my constituents. That is why I am disappointed, dismayed, and disgusted by what I saw and heard. What Americans watched from Mr. Trump was heavy on partisanship and light on solutions. The cost of living is skyrocketing, administration malfeasance is rampant, America’s allies are deserting us, and we are hurtling toward another Republican government shutdown. And with New Jersey receiving almost $10 billion annually to support Medicaid – 37% of all federal funding our state gets – the President’s intended cuts will ravage our state. So this speech will only hasten those bad outcomes and do nothing to make life for Garden Staters more affordable. It should reassure no one and only alarm the world that this administration has no answers, only division.”

Be our guest

Outside of holding signs, jeering, or not showing up at all, New Jersey Democrats had one more way to send a message at the joint address: through their choice of guest.

In order to bring attention to the plight of the tens of thousands of federal workers who have lost their jobs since Trump’s term began, Senator Cory Booker brought Cameron McKenzie, a former U.S. Forest Service worker who was fired last month. And Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran) brought a longtime Defense Department employee who was recently promoted, and thus falls under the “probationary” status that could mean he’ll soon lose his job.

“I am incredibly proud to have him as my guest this year, giving voice to the hardworking individuals whose livelihoods are being threatened,” Conaway said of his guest, who remained anonymous out of fear for his job. “This person epitomizes the call of public service, and I hope their story serves as a wake-up call to Republicans that their actions have real, severe consequences that affect everyday people. It’s time we stand up for those who have given so much to this country.”

Reps. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch) and LaMonica McIver (D-Newark) and Senator Andy Kim, meanwhile, brought a trio of disability advocates – Lauren Zalepka, Cathy Tamburello, and Kevin Nuñez, respectively – to the address in order to bring attention to Republicans’ budget plan, which according to the Congressional Budget Office would likely require cuts to Medicaid.

“Last week, every single House Republican voted to gut Medicaid to pay for massive tax breaks for billionaires,” said Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which will be responsible for many of the budget’s starkest cuts. “Lauren Zalepka has dedicated her life to fighting for individuals with disabilities – not just as a leader at The Arc of Monmouth, but as a mother who knows exactly how devastating these cuts would be. She’s joining me at Trump’s Joint Address to send a clear message: we will not let Republicans put Medicaid on the chopping block without a fight.”

Other guests brought by New Jersey members: the parents of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander, brought by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly); hostage advocate Sarah Moriarty, brought by Rep. Kean; Dr. Adam Hamawy, a former combat surgeon who volunteered to provide medical assistance in Gaza, brought by Rep. Watson Coleman; and New Jersey Human Services Commissioner Sarah Adelman, brought by Rep. Pou.

Green energy

The most visible anti-Trump message of the night, though, came from a Texas congressman named Al Green, who stood up at the beginning of Trump’s speech and repeatedly heckled him before eventually being removed from the chamber.

Republicans quickly put forward a resolution to censure Green, and it was approved by the House yesterday with all Republicans and ten Democrats voting in support. None of those Democrats, though, were from New Jersey; all stood behind their colleague and voted against the censure.

Asked why she voted no, Rep. Pou said that she recognized the need for courtesy, but she noted that Republicans who have made similar outbursts did not receive such a harsh rebuke. (Rep. Joe Wilson was reprimanded, but not censured, for his exclamation of “You lie!” at a 2009 Barack Obama address; Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene received no punishment at all for her interruptions of Joe Biden at his 2024 address.)

“I understand there is a particular decorum that we are all required to abide by,” Pou said. “And there are rules, I understand that. But it has to go both ways, and it has to be applied both ways.”

Finally, someone to teach the children about WWE

The Trump administration’s Cabinet is now nearly complete, with the Senate approving Linda McMahon’s nomination to be Secretary of Education on a party-line vote. McMahon, a former wrestling promoter who led the Small Business Administration in Trump’s first term, drew scathing reviews from Senators Kim and Cory Booker, who warned that McMahon may try to enact the GOP’s longer-term goal of abolishing her own department.

“The Trump administration has made their plan to dismantle the Department of Education clear,” Booker said in a statement prior to the vote. “If confirmed, Ms. McMahon would be leading the charge to destroy a critical entity that helps distribute federal funds that helps ensure that all students, including those in low-income communities, students with disabilities, students of color and English language learners, have equal access to a quality education… Dismantling the Department will make the very real challenges we face, including inadequate school funding, teacher shortages, and declines in student performance, even harder to overcome.”

“Linda McMahon has made clear her top responsibility is complete and total loyalty to President Trump, including her openness to dissolve the very department she would be confirmed to run,” Kim said. “As the administration’s illegal funding freeze threatens already scarce resources for schools and critical programs, her blind loyalty is dangerous.”

With McMahon now installed, only two Cabinet-level nominees are left to go: Labor Secretary nominee Lori Chavez-DeRemer (who’s likely to be confirmed next week) and UN Ambassador nominee Elise Stefanik (whose nomination has been delayed because the House GOP’s narrow majority can’t afford to lose her vote yet).

Will this debate be enough to finally get people to stop mixing up Medicare and Medicaid?

The House’s controversial budget resolution vote may have been last week, but as Republicans in the House and the Senate begin to negotiate on how to reconcile their two proposals and eventually pass a major tax and spending cut, it’s clear that the debate is far from over.

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis) was among the Republicans who was publicly hesitant to back the budget proposal last week, saying that he was adamant that Medicaid not be cut; he ultimately voted for the resolution, but he released a new statement this week reaffirming his opposition to any legislation that cuts Medicaid (or Medicare or Social Security).

“I want to be absolutely clear: Medicare, Social Security, and Medicaid must always be protected,” Van Drew said. “At the same time, we must address the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in our government. Billions of taxpayer dollars are being mismanaged, including money spent on healthcare, legal services, and other benefits for illegal immigrants. This needs to end.”

“The budget resolution that was passed by the House was a non-binding resolution that laid the framework for savings spread over ten years – it does not enact any changes to these vital programs, nor would I ever support such cuts,” he added. 

But according to the Congressional Budget Office, even if the budget resolution doesn’t explicitly require any specific cuts, its directive that the House Energy & Commerce Committee slash $880 billion in spending would inevitably involve cutting Medicaid or Medicare. Rep. Pallone was one of the Democrats who requested the CBO’s analysis, and he said it proves that Republicans are misleading Americans about their plans.

“This letter from CBO confirms what we’ve been saying all along: the math doesn’t work without devastating Medicaid cuts,” Pallone said. “The reality is the only way Republicans can cut at least $880 billion within the Energy and Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction is by making deep, harmful cuts to Americans’ health care. Republicans know their spin is a lie, and the truth is they have no problem taking health care away from millions of Americans so that the rich can get richer and pay less in taxes than they already do.”

A bill with MERIT

Democrats trying to undo the mass layoffs and firings that have taken place under Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have a new champion: Rep. McIver.

This week, McIver introduced the Model Employee Reinstatement for Ill-advised Termination (MERIT) Act to rehire any federal workers who have lost their jobs in recent months, with back pay. The bill already has dozens of Democratic sponsors, though its lack of GOP support almost certainly dooms it as long as Republicans remain in control of Washington.

“So far, more than 30,000 federal workers across more than 30 agencies have been unfairly fired,” McIver said at a press conference. “These firings jeopardize the safety of all Americans by getting rid of the people who keep our communities safe, our airports operational, our air and water clean, our veterans healthy, and more… I am all for government efficiency, but this does nothing to make our government more efficient.”

Other Garden State plots

• Prior to a House Oversight Committee hearing grilling four Democratic mayors on their immigration policies, Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City) joined a rally outside the Capitol in support of the “sanctuary cities” that Republicans have targeted.

“Sanctuary cities are a critical part of our nation’s fabric,” Menendez said. “While Trump and Republicans want to vilify them and the people who call them home, the truth is that they represent the values that make our nation what it is: compassion, fairness, and community; a dedication to one another and to our neighbors. Sanctuary cities are focused on ensuring that everyone, regardless of immigration status, is safe. That is the future that we are building towards.”

• As fights over the future of federal agencies like the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) continue, Rep. Sherrill joined an amicus brief this week to stop Trump and Musk from dismantling the agency.

“The Consumer Financial Protection Board is critical to protecting New Jerseyans from being ripped off by big banks, loan servicers, debt collectors, and payday lenders who break the law,” Sherrill said. “I will continue to work as a member of the Rapid Response Task Force and Litigation Working Group to protect New Jerseyans from price gouging, hidden junk fees, and other attacks by Trump and his billionaire friends.”

• The Senate took up a House-passed bill this week that would prohibit transgender girls from playing in girls’ sports; Senate Democrats blocked the bill, with Senators Kim and Booker both voting against it.