GOVERNOR PHIL MURPHY
“Tonight the President put forward a plan for American families as ambitious as the nation itself. As we prepare for our post-pandemic future, the American Families Plan would ensure that all families have the economic, educational, and health security necessary to more fully be part of that future.
“Greater investment in our public schools, especially in pre-K. Making health care and child care more accessible and affordable. Targeted tax breaks that build a stronger middle class. Putting a community college degree with reach of anyone who wants one. Tackling long-standing maternal health disparities. We have made great strides in each of these areas already in New Jersey and have positive proof points for how transformative these policies have been for families across the Garden State. We stand ready to support President Biden in leading the way with forward-looking policies to build a better tomorrow.”
U.S. SENATOR BOB MENENDEZ
“Tonight, President Biden made clear that our goal as a country cannot simply be to end this pandemic and return to business usual – we must build back better. We must build a more equitable nation, one that roots out the disparities laid bare by this pandemic, protects our voting rights, ensures equal justice for all, and gives everyone a fair shot at the American dream.
“We must invest in 21st century infrastructure that connects communities of all backgrounds to greater economic opportunity and prepares American businesses and workers to compete globally. We must restore our commitment to the middle class and all those striving to join it with policies that strengthen families, like affordable child care, universal pre-K, and free community college.
“We must treat climate change not only as a challenge but also as an opportunity to restore American leadership around the world and create millions of new green jobs here at home. And we must provide the undocumented immigrants who picked our produce, packed our meat, cared for the sick and kept our country afloat during this pandemic with a path to citizenship that will unleash their full potential to grow our economy.
“From combating climate change to preventing gun violence, what I heard from the President tonight was not a divisive agenda but rather a platform of policies that enjoy tremendous bipartisan support from Americans in every corner of this country. They want real action and tangible progress and Democrats stand ready to deliver. I can only hope that my Republican colleagues come to recognize that we have so much more to gain as a country by working with each other instead of against each other.”
HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE CHAIRMAN FRANK PALLONE, JR.
“During his first 100 days in office President Biden has accomplished a tremendous amount to crush COVID-19 and provide relief to struggling families, including the largest expansion of health care coverage in more than a decade. Thanks to President Biden’s determined and steadfast leadership, the nation surpassed 200 million vaccines last week, which is a major achievement that will help us soon return to normal patterns of life.
“Tonight, the President made clear that there is a lot of work left to do. He outlined ambitious plans – many of which he had unveiled over the last month – and asked for Congress’ support in making them law.
“I look forward to working with the President to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable. President Biden plans to build on the Affordable Care Act by making monthly health care premium reductions permanent, which will lower health care costs for millions of Americans. He also committed to giving the federal government the ability to negotiate lower prescription drug costs, a key provision in the drug pricing legislation that I and other Democratic Health leaders introduced last week.
“Every American has a right to safe drinking water. I strongly support President Biden’s plan to replace 100% of the nation’s lead pipes and service lines. In my home state of New Jersey, Newark is proof that we can get the lead out quickly when we make money available.
“President Biden is also positioning our nation to not only compete on the global stage but to lead the pack when it comes to acting on the climate crisis and modernizing our infrastructure. His plans align with both the Energy and Commerce Committee Democrat’s LIFT America Act and CLEAN Future Act, which will rebuild our economy, create millions of new good-paying American jobs, and combat the climate crisis by reducing carbon pollution and moving us towards a clean energy future. We must act on climate and put millions of Americans back to work, and that’s exactly what these proposals do.”
REP. ANDY KIM
“America, and the American people, are capable of amazing things if we hold true to our values and work together to find common cause with common purpose. President Biden reminded us of that tonight. He reminded us that our best days are ahead of us if we invest in the futures of working families and seek to broaden our prosperity to meet the ambition of our opportunity. He reminded us that we can outcompete any country in the world if we hold true to our values of democracy and freedom, and remember that it’s America’s role to lead, not languish. And he reminded us that the challenges of the present are the opportunities of the future, but only if we have the courage to seize them. The time is now to answer the call and meet this moment; I stand ready to work with President Biden and my colleagues from the other side of the aisle to do exactly that.”
REP. DONALD NORCROSS
“Tonight, President Biden, joined by Vice President Harris and House Speaker Pelosi, proved we’re not only making history – we’re making progress. On the eve of the Biden-Harris Administration’s 100th day, over 232 million Americans have been vaccinated, and the American Rescue Plan has provided immediate relief to working people, families, small businesses and students around the nation.
“It was inspiring to hear the President highlight his American Jobs Plan, which will add millions of jobs, enhance workers’ rights with the PRO Act and expand Buy American to help our nation build back better. The President understands that when American families do well, our nation thrives – that’s why he introduced his American Families Plan to invest in our children and families.
“I look forward to continuing to work with the Biden-Harris Administration to deliver real results for South Jerseyans and all Americans.”