The Week Just Passed:

“Putin Invades, Obama Dismantles”

GAO Finds $45 Billion Wasted Through Duplicate, Fragmented Programs

SecDef Hagel Receives “Icy” Reception in Beijing

Passaic River Clean-up Takes an Important Step Forward

New Jersey’s Sesquarcentennial Is Worth Reading About

eFile Your Taxes for Free

House STEM Challenge Deadline is April 30^th

Salute: Jefferson Township Middle School: One of the Best in Nation Winners in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge

Salute: Passaic Valley UNICO

Follow Rodney on social media: @USRepRodney& https://www.facebook.com/rfrelinghuysen

 

“Putin Invades, Obama Dismantles”

Earlier this week the Wall Street Journal ran an excellent editorialasking why the United States is complying with a nuclear arms reduction treaty four years earlier than the deadline, even as Russia has been increasing its stockpile of nuclear weapons and invading a neighboring country. 

This decision by the Obama administration sends yet another signal to the world that the U.S. is retreating from the world stage, which can only embolden our adversaries and the enemies of freedom everywhere.

GAO Finds $45 Billion Wasted Through Duplicate, Fragmented Programs

The Government Accountability Office issued a report recently that identified some $45 billion in waste due to redundant, fragmented and overlapping federal programs.   The report found “64 actions that the executive branch or Congress could take to improve efficiency and effectiveness across 26 areas that span a broad range of government missions and functions.” 

The full report can be found here. 

SecDef Hagel Receives “Icy” Welcome in Beijing

Further evidence of how poorly President Obama is conducting American foreign policy was on display in Beijing earlier this week.  One observer reported that China’s treatment of Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel “telegraphed a relationship utterly devoid of warmth and very much saddled by suspicion.” 

While China is certainly a rival, not only in the Pacific but also globally, the last thing any of us should want is a return to the sort of relationship that existed between our two countries prior to President Nixon’s historic opening of China in 1972.  

Passaic River Clean-up Takes an Important Step Forward

Earlier today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed plan for cleaning up literally centuries of pollution in the lower 8 miles of the Passaic River.  I was pleased to be part of a bipartisan group of my colleagues in the New Jersey delegation, including Congressman Bill Pascrell and our two U.S. senators, in announcing this proposal. 

America’s first industrial center grew up on the Passaic River more than 200 years ago.  The river helped spark America’s industrial revolution.  But it has paid a heavy price for its role in our country’s economic growth.  The river is badly polluted and this action is long overdue. 

The EPA’s plan, which will soon be open for public comment, will entail one of the most comprehensive environmental clean-ups ever proposed.  The plan proposes a “bank to bank” clean-up of the river from Newark Bay to a point about 8 miles upstream.  This is an important step forward for the health of the river and the communities that share it.  I look forward to seeing the Passaic restored to its natural beauty once and for all.

New Jersey’s Sesquarcentennial Is Worth Reading About

“What’s a ‘sesquarcentennial?’” you might be wondering, as I did.  It’s a 350^th anniversary, and New Jersey is observing that major milestone this year.  NJ350, which is spearheading the commemoration of New Jersey’s founding back in 1614, recently issued a list of “101 Great New Jersey Books.”  This list is a fabulous resource for anyone interested in learning more about New Jersey rich history.  The list can be found here. 

eFile Your Taxes for Free

With April 15^th, the filing deadline for federal income tax returns right around the corner, the Internal Revenue Service has a program that allows most taxpayers to electronically file their tax returns for free. 

Tax returns filed electronically are processed faster than those submitted by mail.  That’s especially useful for people expecting a refund.  If you eFile, you will receive your refund quicker than you would if you file a paper return.

For more information about IRS Free File visit: IRS.gov/freefile.

House STEM Challenge Deadline is April 30^th

The deadline for the first annual U.S. House of Representatives STEM App Challenge is fast approaching.  Open to all high schoolers in the 11^th Congressional District, the STEM Challenge gives students the opportunity to design their own app for any mobile, tablet or computer device.  Students will then be responsible for submitting a video of themselves demonstrating their new program. The winning app will be displayed on the House of Representatives website, House.gov.  The competition is open through April 30, 2014.

Click here for more information about this exciting competition.

Salute: Jefferson Township Middle School: One of the Best in Nation Winners in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge

Speaking of app challenges, students at the Jefferson Township Middle School (JTMS) were honored this week as winners of the Verizon Innovative App Challenge.  Nearly 1,300 submissions were received from around the country, and the JTMS students’ "Super Science Girl" app concept is one of just eight winning designs. The app concept – once built – will create interest in activities related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to encourage young girls to pursue careers in these fields.

Congratulations to the student team at JTMS for showing the nation that some of the best and most promising STEM talent in the country can be found right here in the 11^th Congressional District of New Jersey!

Salute: Passaic Valley UNICO

With high school students around the 11^th Congressional District receiving their college acceptance letters this time of year, I am happy to salute the Passaic Valley chapter of UNICO, which is described as “the ‘Largest Italian-American Service Organization in the United States’ with close to 6,000 members across the country all doing the same thing that we do ... "Service Above Self.”  UNICO awards scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students covering a wide-range of criteria.  Visit the Passaic Valley chapter on Facebook or on the web for more information about how the members of this great organization serve the community.

https://www.facebook.com/passaicvalleyunico

http://www.pvunico.com/