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.

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.

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement the latest news from Israel.

“The people of Israel should be free of the threat of these continuing, outrageous, deadly rocket attacks.  Of course, Israel must defend herself, and I have asked President Obama and our Department of Defense to continue and, if appropriate, to increase our assistance to Israel's defense.”

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.

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded the major disaster declaration for the State of New Jersey to include Mercer and Hunterdon. Residents in Mercer and Hunterdon counties may now apply for Individual Assistance program assistance to help recover from Hurricane Sandy.

This will allow individuals, families and business owners affected by the storm to register for FEMA disaster assistance. Previous declarations made municipalities in every county eligible for FEMA assistance to assist with emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

“Just after Sandy hit our region, I sent a letter to President Obama requesting such a declaration,” Holt said. “When I toured affected areas with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on November 4, I re-emphasized the need for speedy action on the declaration. I’m pleased FEMA has responded. Eligible citizens in Hunterdon and Mercer counties can now apply for Individual Assistance funds to help them begin the rebuilding process.”

Monmouth, Middlesex and Somerset counties were declared eligible last week.

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.

(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, 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, DC) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today issued the following statement the latest news from Israel.

“The people of Israel should be free of the threat of these continuing, outrageous, deadly rocket attacks.  Of course, Israel must defend herself, and I have asked President Obama and our Department of Defense to continue and, if appropriate, to increase our assistance to Israel's defense.”

(West Windsor, NJ) – U.S. Rep. Rush Holt (NJ-12) today announced that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has expanded the major disaster declaration for the State of New Jersey to include Mercer and Hunterdon. Residents in Mercer and Hunterdon counties may now apply for Individual Assistance program assistance to help recover from Hurricane Sandy.

This will allow individuals, families and business owners affected by the storm to register for FEMA disaster assistance. Previous declarations made municipalities in every county eligible for FEMA assistance to assist with emergency work and the repair or replacement of disaster-damaged facilities.

“Just after Sandy hit our region, I sent a letter to President Obama requesting such a declaration,” Holt said. “When I toured affected areas with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on November 4, I re-emphasized the need for speedy action on the declaration. I’m pleased FEMA has responded. Eligible citizens in Hunterdon and Mercer counties can now apply for Individual Assistance funds to help them begin the rebuilding process.”

Monmouth, Middlesex and Somerset counties were declared eligible last week.

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.

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.

Last month, the Institute of Medicine released a new report that drew a startling conclusion:  in 2009, about 30 percent of U.S. health care spending, roughly $750 billion, was wasted on unnecessary services, excessive administrative fees, fraud, and other costs that did not improve anyone’s health.

The Institute’s report makes clear that, although good data exist on how to spend health care dollars more effectively, these data are often not being used to train better doctors in medical schools or to educate providers in the field.  The report also identifies specific reforms – including the better coordination of patient care, the speedier adoption of best practices, and a revamped payment system that rewards doctors for the quality rather than the quantity of services delivered – that can help bring down costs. 

But we take too narrow a view if we consider wasteful health care spending to be merely a financial problem.  Unnecessary medical care is not just expensive; it also is painful, discomforting, inconvenient, and potentially even dangerous.  If a father’s untreated high blood pressure leads to an unnecessary heart attack, then yes, his ER visit will cost money – but the greater tragedy is that his life has been placed needlessly at risk.  If a grandmother must return to the hospital because she was sent home prematurely, then yes, her readmittance will cost money – but even worse, she will endure needless suffering.

In the worst cases, ineffective care can even result in unnecessary deaths.  The Institute estimates that 75,000 people die each year due to wasteful or inappropriate care.  Health reform seeks to address these tragedies in several ways, including the creation of Accountable Care Organizations that tie provider payments to measures of patient outcomes.  But more must be done.

The Institute’s recommendations shed light on ways that we can save money by building a more efficient medical system.  But just as importantly, they point us toward a more effective medical system, one that does a better job at keeping Americans alive, healthy, and happy.

Recently, the journalist Fred Bernstein wrote an opinion piece in the New York Times arguing that members of Congress should not provide direct service to their constituents.  He argued that constituent services helps only individuals and does not fix the system, that legislators’ requests to federal agencies will be taken as threats of removing appropriations, and that members of Congress should stick to a narrow conception of legislative work. 

My staff and I, who spend much if not most of our time dealing with the individual questions and problems that people bring to me, were troubled by this.  In our diverse, complicated country, some people are unfairly neglected or unaware of the services or rights that are due them. People fall between the cracks. Our ingenious representative government is intended to deal with that problem by enabling their elected representatives – members of Congress – to work directly with federal agencies on their behalf.

Being a representative means much more than simply legislating in some abstract sense removed from the people of, by, and for whom the government exists. It means being the person who connects each American with his or her government.  It means trying to insure that each person finds the liberty, the equality, the opportunity, and the fairness that are our goals.  In short, it means helping people.