On Monday, the New Jersey School Boards Association released a survey that found that 80 percent of school districts expect to have larger class sizes and fewer teachers. New Jersey students shouldn’t be punished because of political wrangling. As a result of emergency funding that Congress approved with my support, 3,900 New Jersey teachers – including more than 150 in Central New Jersey – will remain in the classroom. The bill, which President Obama signed into law immediately, is fully paid for, primarily by closing tax loopholes that encourage corporations to ship American jobs overseas. In fact, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office determined the bill would reduce the deficit by $1.4 billion over 10 years.

Reaching out to Veterans

In 2009 Congress passed legislation awarding a $500 retroactive bonus to men and women in uniform for every month they were kept in service involuntarily between September 11, 2001 and September 30, 2009. However, only 30,000 claims have been paid so far, while 100,000 deserving veterans have not claimed their “stop-loss” payment. Those who are eligible and haven’t applied to receive their claim have until October 21 to do so. More information, including the claim form, can be found on the Department of Defense website.

Ensuring that we take care of our veterans is one of my top priorities. On Wednesday, I hosted a forum for hundreds of Central New Jersey veterans. With the participation of officials from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, I answered concerns from participants on a number issues, including health care, the GI Bill, and veterans employment. You can listen to a recording of the forum here.

Small Business Workshop: August 23 in Manalapan

On Monday, August 23^rd at 9 a.m., I will be hosting a workshop for small business owners, focusing on how they can benefit from incentives to go green. Representatives from the New Jersey Clean Energy Program and the New Jersey Economic Development Authority will provide information on green initiatives, renewable energy grants, and tax credits for small business owners to reduce energy costs and become more sustainable.

The workshop will be held at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters, which is located at 125 Symmes Drive in Manalapan. To RSVP, please contact my aide, Matt Hall at matthew.hall@mail.house.gov or by calling 1-87-RUSH-HOLT.

Throughout the year, I have hosted a series of workshops for Central New Jersey businesses, helping them get the capital they need to create jobs. Resources for small businesses can be found on my website or by clicking here.