Jersey Summer Road Trip: Booker will be in four South Jersey counties today

Cory Booker’s annual Jersey Summer Road Trip heads South today with the U.S. Senator stopping in Atlantic, Burlington, Gloucester, and Salem counties.

On Day 5, Booker will hold a town hall for veterans in Somers Point with Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the U.S. Undersecretary of Veterans Affairs for Health and a former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, and will deliver the keynote address at a Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey breakfast in Mount Laurel.

He will visit the Clayton Fire Department, where local officials were able to purchase a new ladder truck through federal funding Booker helped obtain.  Mayor Tom Bianco, Fire Chief Dave Rehm, and Gloucester County Fire Chiefs Association President Mark Cardile will join Booker.

Along with New Jersey Farm Bureau officials, Booker will visit Coombs Sod Farm, a ninth-generation family-owned potato farm in Elmer.

Booker has visited every county in New Jersey each summer since his election to the U.S. Senate in 2013.

On Monday, he was in Camden, Hunterdon, Morris, and Passaic counties.

During a visit to the Children’s Day School in Passaic with Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson), Booker said that states will face severe childcare budget cuts starting on September 30.

“The looming childcare cliff threatens the well-being of our children, the livelihoods of working families, and the stability of our communities,” Booker stated.  “We must not allow childcare providers to close their doors and families to lose access to essential services at a time when many Americans are struggling to meet ends meet. This is why I’m committed to fighting for the renewal of childcare funding in Congress so we can support our children and working parents and ensure our economy can thrive.”

In Morristown, where General George Washington had his headquarters during the winter of 1779-1780, Booker and Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Morristown) met with National Park Service and local officials to discuss plans for the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026.

“Morris County and New Jersey played a pivotal role in our nation’s fight for independence,” stated Booker.  “I celebrate the efforts to spotlight the Garden State’s unique revolutionary heritage for visitors from around the world.   The 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding will be a moment to celebrate New Jersey’s place in history, reflect on our bedrock values of liberty and justice for all, and honor the sacrifices made by generations of Americans to secure our freedom.”

Sherrill noted that the “role New Jersey played in the American Revolution is overlooked and undersold” and said heritage tourism offers economic opportunities for Morris County.

“Any day I get to spend with @RepSherrill is amazing, especially when we’re talking about celebrating America and our state’s vibrant history,” Booker said in a social media post.

Booker used his visit to the Camden County Jail to highlight his proposed Rehabilitation and Recovery During Incarceration Act to break down barriers that prevent incarcerated individuals from obtaining mental health and substance use services.

“Failing to provide medical coverage for these treatments for people while incarcerated exacerbates health disparities and heightens their risk of serious illness and injury,” said Booker.  “Ensuring this access to treatment isn’t just the right thing to do based on our values, but it’s in the best interest of our communities and our public safety—this program is giving people a fighting chance at a successful reentry post-incarceration.”

The bill being introduced by Booker includes Democratic and Republican sponsors.

The junior U.S. Senator launched his 2023 tour on Friday with stops in Bergen, Union, and Warren counties. He visited  Hudson, Monmouth, and Sussex on Saturday and was in Somerset and Middlesex on Sunday.

Booker completes his Summer Road Trip in his hometown of Newark, where he served as mayor from 2006 to 2013, on August 31 at a forum on strategies to combat community violence with the New Jersey Urban Mayors Association.