(Washington, D.C.) – This morning, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about the refusal of Republican leaders to allow a vote on legislation that would provide disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy.  The text of his remarks follows below.

“Well, you’ve heard it.  Our constituents’ lives were devastated by the Sandy disaster.  It has now been about nine weeks since Hurricane Sandy brought the winds and the tidal surges.  In Central New Jersey, in Connecticut, in New York, people are hurting.  Towns have exhausted their emergency funds and exhausted their borrowing capacity.

“In other disasters, such as the disaster associated with Katrina or with wildfires or with any number of other natural disasters, this body has acted, and aid has been provided quickly.  And yet today, the Speaker is going to allow the 112th Congress to adjourn before passing the much-needed disaster relief package.

(Washington, D.C.) – Late on Tuesday evening, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) voted reluctantly in favor of H.R. 8, the bill to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  Below is his statement to the U.S. House of Representatives regarding his vote.

“As the Congress lurches from self-imposed crisis to self-imposed crisis, it is easy to understand why members of the public shake their heads in disgust at the inability of the government to do the important work of America to help Americans.
 
“The negotiators of this deal should never have agreed to bargain under a hostage-taking deadline.  Of course, for long-term economic stability and growth, we must have greater balance between revenue and expenditures.  That means Congress should pay close attention day to day, month to month, to revenue and to spending and should bring them more into line.  That should always be true, though, not just whenever someone says there is a crisis. 

“And say what you will, there is no good reason for a crisis now.  The deadline is artificial.  This ‘fiscal cliff’ is the result of a deal agreed to in August 2011 when some congressional members who dislike government tried to prevent the U.S. from paying our debts, and the White House and Congressional leaders allowed them to hold the government hostage and then to impose automatic spending cuts and tax increases in the most thoughtless, ham-handed way.  And the negotiators should never have negotiated with hostage-takers – or, after the debt ceiling confrontation was past, should never have let the hostage-takers demands live on.  

“As I see it, the big problem with the fiscal package before us today is that it was debated and negotiated on the terms set by the hostage-takers in 2011.  Instead of talking about what our government needs to do put people to work; to reduce unemployment; to educate Americans; to rebuild our roads and bridges; to stimulate vibrant and innovative industry; to tend to the nourishment, the housing, the cultural well-being of all Americans – and then doing those things – Congress and Administration have spent several months neglecting all the important work in front of us:  drought relief, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Violence Against Women Act, bridge repair, better transportation, better communication, reliable mail delivery, etc. etc.  Instead they have focused on such things as whether the marginal tax rate should be 36 percent or 39.6 percent for income earned above $250,000 or $450,000. 

Corps Members Will Provide Surge Capacity to Help Federal Agencies Meet Foreign Language Challenges

(Washington, D.C.)  - Legislation passed on Thursday evening by the U.S. House of Representatives would permanently establish a National Language Service Corps (NLSC) within the Department of Defense to help meet critical defense-related foreign language needs.

The NLSC provision was written by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).  It is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law in the days ahead.

“America is linguistically malnourished,” Holt said.  “Far too few Americans can speak or understand foreign languages, and as a result, we are hampered in participating in global commerce and in defending our national security.  The permanent establishment of the National Language Service Corps is a meaningful step toward helping our government address its shortfall of skilled foreign language speakers.”

Twenty elementary school children and six adults were murdered last week at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just a few months earlier, six Sikhs were murdered at their place of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Just a few weeks before that, 12 moviegoers were murdered in Aurora, Colorado.

These unspeakable tragedies are just the tip of the iceberg.  Each day, more than 80 people die by gunfire in homicides, suicides, and accidents.

We can’t just keep saying, “Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.”  We have to bring gun violence under control.

In the aftermath of these horrific events, there are, as always, those who warn us against “politicizing” this tragedy by discussing gun safety.  These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy.  When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy.  The notion that gun violence is somehow different, that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue, is nonsensical.

Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions.  The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety – as well as to address mental health care, school security, and more.  Toward this end, I will soon introduce legislation to require handgun registration and to strengthen school safety, and I remain committed to improving mental health care throughout this country.

(Trenton, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that the City of Trenton has received a $14.9 million grant under the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program that will enable it to retain 55 firefighters and hire nine new firefighters.

“I was pleased to work closely with a task force of Trenton officials to secure these funds,” Holt said.  “We owe Trenton residents the best possible protection from fire hazards, and we owe our first responders the equipment they need to do their jobs safely.  At a time of very tight budgets, today’s grant will make a real difference in the lives of Trenton residents and firefighters.”

Qareeb Bashir, director of the Trenton Fire Department, intends to hold a formal press conference to announce the grant in the days ahead.

In July, the Trenton Fire Department (TFD) convened a task force devoted to securing a SAFER grant to avert potential fire department layoffs.  Members of the task force were Qareeb Bashir, TFD Director; Rush Holt, member of Congress; Leonard Carmichael, TFD Deputy Chief; Mark Robotin, TFD Technology Officer; John Gribbin, retired Chief Fire Marshall; Lisa Willever, volunteer grant writer; Elana Chan, Trenton budget officer; and Janet Schoenhaar, Trenton Comptroller.

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today released the following statement after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut:

“We can’t just keep saying, ‘Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.’  We have to bring gun violence under control.

“Of course we are all horrified by today’s violence in Connecticut.   Such tragedies are always senseless, but it is especially sickening to see gunfire turned against children in a place of learning.

“Yet it is not enough to feel sickened.  In the aftermath of these horrific events, there will, as always, be those who will warn us against ‘politicizing’ this tragedy by discussing gun safety.  These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

“When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not ‘politicizing’ a tragedy.  When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not ‘politicizing’ a tragedy.  The notion that gun violence is somehow different – that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue – is nonsensical.

“Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions.  The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety.  Arguments that deny this fact strike me as illogical or blindly ideological.”

Since last August, more than 300,000 of America’s young immigrants have emerged from the shadows to apply for a new program that provides temporary protection from deportation.

The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, asserted by the President because Congress would not act, has strict eligibility rules.  It is open only to immigrants who were brought into this country as children, who have grown into law-abiding adults, and who have worked hard to better themselves through education or military service.

By offering a legally recognized status to these immigrants, many of whom have never known any other home than America, the Childhood Arrivals program has made our immigration system more humane and just.  This partial solution reminds us how much more remains to be done to create an immigration system that benefits our society and our economy at large and treats individuals and families humanely and justly.

I expect that one of the major issues of the early 113^th Congress will be the consideration of more comprehensive immigration legislation.  To guide this process, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have set forth nine principles for immigration reform.

The principles call for requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, submit to a background check, learn English and American civics, and pay taxes.  In return, these new Americans would earn a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship.  The principles also emphasize the importance of attracting highly educated immigrants, protecting the border, and ending the exploitation of immigrant workers.

These principles are sensible, straightforward ideas that should guide America’s conversation about immigration reform in the new year.

Sitting on Governor Christie’s desk is legislation to increase New Jersey’s minimum wage by $1.25 to $8.50, the first increase since 2005.  Governor Christie should sign the bill today and, in the process, lift many thousands of struggling New Jersey residents out of poverty.

According to New Jersey Policy Perspective, if the minimum wage were increased to $8.50 per hour, about 537,535 New Jersey workers would receive an average raise of $816.  Increasing take-home pay is one simple way to help grow our economy and ensure that hard-working families and individuals are not living in or near poverty. 

In 2007, after a decade of stagnant wages for working families, I successfully fought to increase the minimum wage nationwide to $7.25.   But five years have since passed, and we now need to take further steps to encourage broad-based wage growth, which will ensure that our economy takes advantage of the talents of the entire population.

The bill now on Governor Christie’s desk would mark an important step forward for New Jersey workers, but it would apply only within our state’s borders.  Congress should also act at the federal level to raise the minimum wage nationwide.  I am an original cosponsor of Fair Minimum Wage Act to increase the federal minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $9.80 per hour.

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will resume providing postal services at the existing Milltown Post Office facility, which has been closed ever since it was damaged in flooding from Hurricane Irene last year.

The USPS has indicated that the Milltown Post Office will reopen by mid-February 2013, as soon as repairs are completed.

Resuming service at the existing post office is an interim step toward establishing permanent postal services in Milltown. The USPS intends to relocate to a new Milltown facility in the future, and a public meeting will be scheduled soon to hear public feedback about the new facility’s location.

“For more than a year, Milltown residents have lived without a functioning post office, relying instead on minimal postal operations running out of a trailer,” said Holt. “The delay in restoring full postal services to Milltown has been unacceptable – as Mayor Steeber, members of the Borough Council, and I have repeatedly emphasized to postal officials. Still, I am pleased that the USPS is taking action to return services to the residents of Milltown.”

Washington and the talk shows are captivated by talk of the “fiscal cliff”:  the combination of automatic spending cuts and revenue increases scheduled to take effect at the end of the year.  Unfortunately, this is the wrong conversation for America to be having.

The fiscal cliff is an artificial crisis created by renegades who used America’s statutory debt limit to hold the nation hostage in August of 2011.  (How absurdly irresponsible to say we will teach ourselves a lesson by not paying our debts!) Just as the cliff was created by a vote of Congress then, it could be dispensed with by a vote of Congress today.  Yet negotiators in Congress and at the White House are continuing to operate within the narrow, artificial framework imposed by last year’s hostage-taking:  debating, for example, whether cuts to Medicare should be balanced with an appropriate increase in marginal tax rates to 39.5 percent.

We would do better to put today’s challenges in their proper context.  From time to time in our history America has faced very large public debts before, most notably after the end of Word War II.  Each time, we got to work, worked hard as Americans always do, and built the economy by building and doing things.  We did not wring our hands over what America cannot do, but rather set about doing what we can do. There’s no question that the debt is an important problem – but the United States is not, as some would have us believe, defined by its debt.  It is defined by its people, its infrastructure, its creativity, its innovation, its drive. We are not a "poor debtor nation," as one might think listening to the debate this month.  Our budget deficit is not an existential crisis.

Remember that, as recently as a decade ago, the United States had a balanced budget and was paying down the debt – not because of a gimmick or a response to a perceived crisis or a constitutional balanced-budget amendment, but because of rational lawmaking and policies that led to a thriving economy.  We are still the richest, most productive, most capable country in the world.  We should be asking how we will set about making certain that all Americans have food, housing, schooling, jobs, and vibrant culture.  If we do those things, the resulting growing economy will make our fixation on a phony fiscal crisis recede into the past.

Those renegades held us hostage in 2011; we shouldn't hold ourselves hostage today by arguing within the false framework they set then.

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today testified before a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works entitled “Sandy and Its Impacts:  A Local Perspective.”  The following is the text of his opening remarks as prepared for delivery.

“I want to express thanks and appreciation for the work of FEMA under Dr. Fugate and the workers who came from all over New Jersey and from all over the United States to help protect and assist the many people in New Jersey affected by the storm. 

“I join Reps. Pascrell, Pallone, Bishop, Langevin, and others in their request for emergency funds to help our region recover from Sandy.    However, today we must consider much more than repairing the damage from Superstorm Sandy. 

“In recent years we have experienced in various parts of New Jersey unprecedented flood, winds, rains, and tidal surges.  The next storm will be different from Sandy only in detail.  These unprecedented storms are the new normal, notwithstanding denials of climate change.  We are deluding ourselves if we think we are not experiencing climate change.

“We must not simply replace the structures damaged by Sandy; we must build resilient infrastructure to withstand tomorrow’s superstorms.  We must build for the future – the new normal.

“That means significant investment in power engineering, transportation engineering, rail engineering, wireless engineering, shoreline engineering, river flood control engineering, residential planning and strengthening – all in addition to taking aggressive steps to bring climate change under control as best we can. 

“Just as levee strengthening was part of the emergency supplemental spending in response to Katrina, so infrastructure strengthening must be part of our response to Sandy.”

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today joined Sen. Frank Lautenberg and the entire New Jersey congressional delegation in sending a letter to President Obama urging him to submit a funding request to Congress to help the state rebuild following Superstorm Sandy.  Governor Christie released his initial cost estimate for the storm late last week, and the delegation is supporting federal resources to rebuild and improve New Jersey’s beaches and transit system; repair roads, bridges, and infrastructure; and help residents, homeowners, businesses, and local governments recover.  The delegation letter stresses the need to provide emergency funding before the end of 2012.
 
Additional signatories to the letter, which was organized by Sen. Lautenberg, included Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representatives Bill Pascrell (D-NJ-8), Jon Runyan (R-NJ-3), Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ-2), Frank Pallone (D-NJ-6), Albio Sires (D-NJ-13), Scott Garrett (R-NJ-5), Steve Rothman (D-NJ-9), Leonard Lance (R-NJ-7), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ-11), Chris Smith (R-NJ-4), Rob Andrews (D-NJ-1), and Donald Payne, Jr. (D-NJ-10).

“In the weeks since Sandy’s rains and winds subsided, New Jersey has begun to look beyond the immediate recovery and toward the larger task of rebuilding,” Holt said.  “Gov. Christie and the state’s congressional delegation have worked closely together to advance this damage assessment.  Now, it’s time for the president and Congress to pass these much-needed funds into law as quickly as possible.”

The full text of the letter follows.

(Washington, D.C.) – This morning, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) spoke on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives about the refusal of Republican leaders to allow a vote on legislation that would provide disaster relief to victims of Hurricane Sandy.  The text of his remarks follows below.

“Well, you’ve heard it.  Our constituents’ lives were devastated by the Sandy disaster.  It has now been about nine weeks since Hurricane Sandy brought the winds and the tidal surges.  In Central New Jersey, in Connecticut, in New York, people are hurting.  Towns have exhausted their emergency funds and exhausted their borrowing capacity.

“In other disasters, such as the disaster associated with Katrina or with wildfires or with any number of other natural disasters, this body has acted, and aid has been provided quickly.  And yet today, the Speaker is going to allow the 112th Congress to adjourn before passing the much-needed disaster relief package.

(Washington, D.C.) – Late on Tuesday evening, U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) voted reluctantly in favor of H.R. 8, the bill to avert the so-called “fiscal cliff.”  Below is his statement to the U.S. House of Representatives regarding his vote.

“As the Congress lurches from self-imposed crisis to self-imposed crisis, it is easy to understand why members of the public shake their heads in disgust at the inability of the government to do the important work of America to help Americans.
 
“The negotiators of this deal should never have agreed to bargain under a hostage-taking deadline.  Of course, for long-term economic stability and growth, we must have greater balance between revenue and expenditures.  That means Congress should pay close attention day to day, month to month, to revenue and to spending and should bring them more into line.  That should always be true, though, not just whenever someone says there is a crisis. 

“And say what you will, there is no good reason for a crisis now.  The deadline is artificial.  This ‘fiscal cliff’ is the result of a deal agreed to in August 2011 when some congressional members who dislike government tried to prevent the U.S. from paying our debts, and the White House and Congressional leaders allowed them to hold the government hostage and then to impose automatic spending cuts and tax increases in the most thoughtless, ham-handed way.  And the negotiators should never have negotiated with hostage-takers – or, after the debt ceiling confrontation was past, should never have let the hostage-takers demands live on.  

“As I see it, the big problem with the fiscal package before us today is that it was debated and negotiated on the terms set by the hostage-takers in 2011.  Instead of talking about what our government needs to do put people to work; to reduce unemployment; to educate Americans; to rebuild our roads and bridges; to stimulate vibrant and innovative industry; to tend to the nourishment, the housing, the cultural well-being of all Americans – and then doing those things – Congress and Administration have spent several months neglecting all the important work in front of us:  drought relief, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the Violence Against Women Act, bridge repair, better transportation, better communication, reliable mail delivery, etc. etc.  Instead they have focused on such things as whether the marginal tax rate should be 36 percent or 39.6 percent for income earned above $250,000 or $450,000. 

Corps Members Will Provide Surge Capacity to Help Federal Agencies Meet Foreign Language Challenges

(Washington, D.C.)  - Legislation passed on Thursday evening by the U.S. House of Representatives would permanently establish a National Language Service Corps (NLSC) within the Department of Defense to help meet critical defense-related foreign language needs.

The NLSC provision was written by U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) and Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).  It is part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which is expected to pass the Senate and be signed into law in the days ahead.

“America is linguistically malnourished,” Holt said.  “Far too few Americans can speak or understand foreign languages, and as a result, we are hampered in participating in global commerce and in defending our national security.  The permanent establishment of the National Language Service Corps is a meaningful step toward helping our government address its shortfall of skilled foreign language speakers.”

(Trenton, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that the City of Trenton has received a $14.9 million grant under the Staffing for Adequate Fire & Emergency Response (SAFER) program that will enable it to retain 55 firefighters and hire nine new firefighters.

“I was pleased to work closely with a task force of Trenton officials to secure these funds,” Holt said.  “We owe Trenton residents the best possible protection from fire hazards, and we owe our first responders the equipment they need to do their jobs safely.  At a time of very tight budgets, today’s grant will make a real difference in the lives of Trenton residents and firefighters.”

Qareeb Bashir, director of the Trenton Fire Department, intends to hold a formal press conference to announce the grant in the days ahead.

In July, the Trenton Fire Department (TFD) convened a task force devoted to securing a SAFER grant to avert potential fire department layoffs.  Members of the task force were Qareeb Bashir, TFD Director; Rush Holt, member of Congress; Leonard Carmichael, TFD Deputy Chief; Mark Robotin, TFD Technology Officer; John Gribbin, retired Chief Fire Marshall; Lisa Willever, volunteer grant writer; Elana Chan, Trenton budget officer; and Janet Schoenhaar, Trenton Comptroller.

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today released the following statement after a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut:

“We can’t just keep saying, ‘Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.’  We have to bring gun violence under control.

“Of course we are all horrified by today’s violence in Connecticut.   Such tragedies are always senseless, but it is especially sickening to see gunfire turned against children in a place of learning.

“Yet it is not enough to feel sickened.  In the aftermath of these horrific events, there will, as always, be those who will warn us against ‘politicizing’ this tragedy by discussing gun safety.  These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

“When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not ‘politicizing’ a tragedy.  When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not ‘politicizing’ a tragedy.  The notion that gun violence is somehow different – that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue – is nonsensical.

“Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions.  The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety.  Arguments that deny this fact strike me as illogical or blindly ideological.”

Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the TRAIN Act. This misguided legislation would undermine the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to enforce the Clean Air Act and significantly limit the federal government's ability to ensure that the air we breathe is safe and pollution-free.

Mr. Speaker, nearly two-thirds of Americans say that job creation should be Washington's top priority. But no one here needs an opinion poll to learn that. I am sure all my colleagues are hearing what I hear by mail, fax, e-mail, Twitter, phone calls, Facebook, and passersby on the street. Everyone is saying, ``Congress, get on with it! Make jobs! Get America to work! Get my husband, my cousin, my daughter to work.'' And, yet again, the Republican majority in the House is playing political games--wasting time debating a senseless resolution when we could, and should, be doing the work that the American people sent us here to do: creating jobs and revitalizing our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to the outsourcers' bill of rights.

This bill would be devastating to workers across this country and kick off a new race to the bottom. The outsourcers' bill of rights is a naked attempt to directly interfere in a pending Labor Relations Board case. Now, there is much to be said about workers' rights and the importance of protecting them; but in the short time I have, let me just say a little bit about what this means for the American economy.

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act, H.R. 2218, which is a bipartisan bill to reform and strengthen the charter school program.

I recently gave the graduation speech at the Princeton Charter School, a high quality charter that opened its doors more than a decade ago and was recognized as a blue ribbon school by the U.S. Department of Education in 2004. And I was pleased to see the success there. But I urged them to make sure they are well-integrated in the public school system in their community.

Madam Chair, I rise in reluctant support of this bill.

This bill is, by the conventional standards of the House, an appropriate vehicle for meeting many of the routine needs of the Intelligence Community. However, it completely fails to undertake the kind of probing, large-scale reassessment of the structure, mission, and purpose of our intelligence enterprise in a post-bin Laden era. I regret that Congress has not shown the stomach for the kind of thorough, comprehensive, and brave review of intelligence activities that was undertaken by the Church Committee in the 1970's. Given the events of the last decade, such a review is both long overdue and very badly needed. Despite my strong reservations about what this bill does not but should do, I will support this bill.

Twenty elementary school children and six adults were murdered last week at a school in Newtown, Connecticut.

Just a few months earlier, six Sikhs were murdered at their place of worship in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.

Just a few weeks before that, 12 moviegoers were murdered in Aurora, Colorado.

These unspeakable tragedies are just the tip of the iceberg.  Each day, more than 80 people die by gunfire in homicides, suicides, and accidents.

We can’t just keep saying, “Our hearts ache for the victims and their families.”  We have to bring gun violence under control.

In the aftermath of these horrific events, there are, as always, those who warn us against “politicizing” this tragedy by discussing gun safety.  These claims are ideologically motivated, and they are profoundly wrong.

When, after a hurricane strikes, we advocate for funding to mitigate future floods, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy.  When, after a terrorist attack, we advocate for better measures to prevent future deaths, that is not “politicizing” a tragedy.  The notion that gun violence is somehow different, that it deserves unique immunity from serious conversation in our political dialogue, is nonsensical.

Policymakers have an obligation to respond to problems by finding solutions.  The solution to gun violence is, in part, to address gun safety – as well as to address mental health care, school security, and more.  Toward this end, I will soon introduce legislation to require handgun registration and to strengthen school safety, and I remain committed to improving mental health care throughout this country.

Since last August, more than 300,000 of America’s young immigrants have emerged from the shadows to apply for a new program that provides temporary protection from deportation.

The program, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, asserted by the President because Congress would not act, has strict eligibility rules.  It is open only to immigrants who were brought into this country as children, who have grown into law-abiding adults, and who have worked hard to better themselves through education or military service.

By offering a legally recognized status to these immigrants, many of whom have never known any other home than America, the Childhood Arrivals program has made our immigration system more humane and just.  This partial solution reminds us how much more remains to be done to create an immigration system that benefits our society and our economy at large and treats individuals and families humanely and justly.

I expect that one of the major issues of the early 113^th Congress will be the consideration of more comprehensive immigration legislation.  To guide this process, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus have set forth nine principles for immigration reform.

The principles call for requiring undocumented immigrants to register with the federal government, submit to a background check, learn English and American civics, and pay taxes.  In return, these new Americans would earn a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship.  The principles also emphasize the importance of attracting highly educated immigrants, protecting the border, and ending the exploitation of immigrant workers.

These principles are sensible, straightforward ideas that should guide America’s conversation about immigration reform in the new year.

Sitting on Governor Christie’s desk is legislation to increase New Jersey’s minimum wage by $1.25 to $8.50, the first increase since 2005.  Governor Christie should sign the bill today and, in the process, lift many thousands of struggling New Jersey residents out of poverty.

According to New Jersey Policy Perspective, if the minimum wage were increased to $8.50 per hour, about 537,535 New Jersey workers would receive an average raise of $816.  Increasing take-home pay is one simple way to help grow our economy and ensure that hard-working families and individuals are not living in or near poverty. 

In 2007, after a decade of stagnant wages for working families, I successfully fought to increase the minimum wage nationwide to $7.25.   But five years have since passed, and we now need to take further steps to encourage broad-based wage growth, which will ensure that our economy takes advantage of the talents of the entire population.

The bill now on Governor Christie’s desk would mark an important step forward for New Jersey workers, but it would apply only within our state’s borders.  Congress should also act at the federal level to raise the minimum wage nationwide.  I am an original cosponsor of Fair Minimum Wage Act to increase the federal minimum wage over three years from $7.25 to $9.80 per hour.

Washington and the talk shows are captivated by talk of the “fiscal cliff”:  the combination of automatic spending cuts and revenue increases scheduled to take effect at the end of the year.  Unfortunately, this is the wrong conversation for America to be having.

The fiscal cliff is an artificial crisis created by renegades who used America’s statutory debt limit to hold the nation hostage in August of 2011.  (How absurdly irresponsible to say we will teach ourselves a lesson by not paying our debts!) Just as the cliff was created by a vote of Congress then, it could be dispensed with by a vote of Congress today.  Yet negotiators in Congress and at the White House are continuing to operate within the narrow, artificial framework imposed by last year’s hostage-taking:  debating, for example, whether cuts to Medicare should be balanced with an appropriate increase in marginal tax rates to 39.5 percent.

We would do better to put today’s challenges in their proper context.  From time to time in our history America has faced very large public debts before, most notably after the end of Word War II.  Each time, we got to work, worked hard as Americans always do, and built the economy by building and doing things.  We did not wring our hands over what America cannot do, but rather set about doing what we can do. There’s no question that the debt is an important problem – but the United States is not, as some would have us believe, defined by its debt.  It is defined by its people, its infrastructure, its creativity, its innovation, its drive. We are not a "poor debtor nation," as one might think listening to the debate this month.  Our budget deficit is not an existential crisis.

Remember that, as recently as a decade ago, the United States had a balanced budget and was paying down the debt – not because of a gimmick or a response to a perceived crisis or a constitutional balanced-budget amendment, but because of rational lawmaking and policies that led to a thriving economy.  We are still the richest, most productive, most capable country in the world.  We should be asking how we will set about making certain that all Americans have food, housing, schooling, jobs, and vibrant culture.  If we do those things, the resulting growing economy will make our fixation on a phony fiscal crisis recede into the past.

Those renegades held us hostage in 2011; we shouldn't hold ourselves hostage today by arguing within the false framework they set then.

As you may know, the next presidential inauguration will be held on Monday, January 21, 2013, on the Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C.   If you are interested in attending, I encourage you to begin your travel plans now, as hotels, airlines, and Amtrak all sell out quickly.

You do not need a ticket to attend the inauguration.  The National Mall will be open and equipped with large projection screens and sound systems so you can see and hear the festivities from as far as a mile away.  You may also attend, without a ticket, the inaugural parade, which runs up Pennsylvania Avenue from the Capitol to the White House shortly after the swearing-in ceremony.

Certain areas around the Capitol will be open to ticket-holders only.  As your representative in Congress, I have received a small allotment of tickets to these areas, and to ensure their fair distribution, my office will conduct a random lottery.  All requests from the 12th Congressional District – including those from elected officials, friends, community leaders, and even my staff – will go through the lottery. 

If you are interested in entering the ticket lottery, please e-mail your name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address to Andrew Black of my staff at andrew.black@mail.house.gov.  Each lottery entry is limited to two tickets, and all requests must be submitted by 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 18.  If you enter the lottery, I will let you know in late December whether or not you have received tickets.

Further information on the inauguration is available on the website of the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has now opened disaster recovery centers throughout central New Jersey to help area residents recover from Hurricane Sandy.  At the centers, visitors can receive information about different types of state and federal disaster assistance, get help completing disaster relief applications, inquire about the status of their applications, and more.  Each center is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. daily.

If you want to file a claim, you need not visit a recovery center (the website DisasterAssistance.Gov works well), but if you would like to get answers in person, you can visit any of these locations:

UPDATE: Some of the disaster recovery centers listed below have now closed or changed their hours.  For up-to-date information, please use FEMA's Disaster Recovery Center locator tool online.

Hunterdon County
Department of Public Safety Annex
77 Park Avenue
Flemington, New Jersey 08822

Mercer County
Mercer County Community College
1200 Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, New Jersey 08550

Middlesex County
Sayreville Senior Center
423 Main Street
Sayreville, New Jersey 08872

Monmouth County
Henry Hudson Trail Activity Center
945 Hwy. 36, Atlantic Highlands
Leonardo, New Jersey 07737

Somerset County
Somerset County Human Services
27 Warren Street
Somerville, New Jersey 08876

Should you encounter any difficulties in your dealing with FEMA, please do not hesitate to contact me by sending an e-mail or calling 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658).

As we continue to recover from the disastrous weather of recent weeks, I want to share further information that may help in your recovery.

• As of last week, only residents of a handful of New Jersey counties were eligible to apply for disaster relief.  Since then, the president has expanded the original disaster declaration, as I had urged him to do.  All New Jersey residents who suffered losses in the storm are eligible to apply for disaster relief.
  
  Full details on how to apply are available on my website.  The first and most important step is to register for assistance by visiting DisasterAssistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).
   
• Many thousands of New Jerseyans are still suffering power outages from Hurricane Sandy – and many others had their power restored only to see it knocked out again by this week’s nor’easter.  I share your deep concern and frustration at how long it has taken for power to be restored.  Please know that I have spoken personally to the presidents of JCP&L and PSEG to express your frustration at the slow pace of progress, and I remain in touch with both companies at all levels.
  
  If your electricity remains out even though power has been restored to most of your neighbors, I encourage you to re-report your outage to your electric company.  If you are served by PSEG, call 1-800-350-PSEG (7734); if you are served by JCP&L, please call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877).  It is possible that your electric company believes that they have restored power to your entire area and is not aware of your ongoing struggles.
   
• Natural disasters bring out the very best in most of us – but they also bring out the worst in a few unscrupulous scammers.  The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs offers a helpful guide to help you avoid disaster-related scams.

The past few days have been challenging for all of us as Central New Jersey has endured Hurricane Sandy and taken the first steps toward recovery.  Although we still have hard work ahead, our country stands ready to help:  the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared eight counties in New Jersey, including Middlesex and Monmouth counties, to be major natural disaster areas.  If you live in these counties, you are now eligible to apply for federal disaster assistance.

I know that many residents of other New Jersey counties have also suffered great losses.  Yesterday, I spoke to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, and to the FEMA director, Craig Fugate, to ask that they move as quickly as possible to add further counties to the disaster declaration.  I also have written the president to make the same request, and I will let you know as soon as any expanded disaster declaration is made.  (UPDATE: Residents of all New Jersey counties are now eligible to apply for disaster relief.)

In the meantime, no matter where you live, it is critical that you document your losses and any expenses incurred in your recovery – including, for instance, the costs to pump water out of your basement, to replace your water heater, or to stay in temporary housing.  Take pictures of any damaged belongings, and keep all of your receipts.  Although documenting your losses does not guarantee your eligibility for disaster relief, the documentation may be required by FEMA or your homeowner’s insurance company.

If you live in a county covered by the initial disaster declaration and have suffered uninsured losses, I encourage you to apply for disaster assistance as soon as possible – even if you are not sure you are eligible.

The first step in the disaster relief process is to register with FEMA.  You may register online at www.disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY/TDD 1-800-462-7585.

In most cases, federal agencies do a good job of ensuring that people receive the money that they are owed.  But sometimes, people find that they have fallen through the cracks or simply haven’t received fair treatment from their government.  Many come to me for help, thousands this year.

I help people from many backgrounds – from people who are living below the poverty line to those of comfortable means, including many seniors, veterans, soldiers, and new citizens.

They have a wide range of problems, from Social Security or veterans’ benefits that have been wrongly denied, to IRS penalties that have been inaccurately assessed, and more.

I do my best to help.  Not every result is a positive one, but I am pleased to report that, as of this week, I have helped secure more than $1,000,000 for Central New Jersey residents this year.

Among the constituents I’ve helped:

• A South River resident, a victim of identity theft, could not receive his tax refund because a hold had been placed on his IRS account.  After my inquiry, he received a check for $3,627.
   
• A West Windsor resident’s deceased husband, a 100% disabled veteran who died from service-related injuries, had applied for disability benefits that were never awarded.  With my help, she received a total of $116,105 in retroactive benefits, burial benefits, and other payments.
   
• A Manalapan resident was denied an insurance payment for the costs of ambulance travel to an emergency room.  After I reached out to his insurer, he was reimbursed $924.

In addition to assistance that produces direct financial benefits, I also work to help constituents who have encountered non-financial problems with federal agencies, such as delays in passport or visa applications, difficulty in recovering lost discharge papers or military medals, and much more.

If you have encountered problems in your dealings with any federal agency, please contact me by visiting http://holt.house.gov/contact or calling 1-87-RUSH-HOLT (1-877-874-4658).  I will do my best to help you get answers.

We must not lose sight of the fact that Medicare is ultimately about people:  the grandfather who can barely afford his heart medication, or the widow who finds her savings wiped out after she is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Democratic staff on the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce recently dived into the consequences of the 2013 Republican “Ryan” budget on individuals.  According to the Committee’s report, the budget would:

• Increase prescription drug costs for 11,000 Central New Jersey seniors, forcing them to pay an extra $101 million for drugs over the next decade.
   
• Eliminate new zero-copay preventive care benefits for 103,000 Central New Jersey Medicare beneficiaries.
   
• Threaten affordable housing programs that provide rental support for 5,100 Central New Jersey senior households.
   
• Put at risk the nursing home care for 2,300 Central New Jersey residents whose expenses are paid by Medicaid.

These are just the consequences of the budgets for seniors.  Many others in Central New Jersey would face other consequences:  cuts in federal investments in infrastructure, education, research and development, Food Stamps, and more.  Yet even as it slashes these crucial programs, the Ryan plan provides such enormous tax breaks, mostly to the wealthy, that it would fail to balance our budget until 2040.

The budget is a moral document, as you may remember me saying.  The Ryan plan is written down in black and white and approved by almost all Republicans and opposed by almost all Democrats in the House.