e-News 2/19/16

• Cuba Resists Reform, President Obama Rewards Castro
• Disobeying the Law: Where’s the Administration Strategy to Destroy ISIS?
• Fighting for Funding to Keep New Jersey Safe
• Medicare News 2016
• Listening Tour Continues

Cuba Resists Reform, President Obama Rewards Castro

Compounding the already bad decision to “normalize” relations with communist leaders, the White House announced this week that the President will soon visit Cuba – the first U.S. Chief Executive to do so since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. 

There is a reason for that: the U.S. was estranged from the oppressive communist regime for over half a century until President Obama embraced the Castro brothers last year.

But the headline in this morning’s Washington Post says it all: “Resisting reform, Cuba still gets a visit.”  The truth of the matter is that President Obama’s approach to Cuba has prompted President Castro to implement only the most modest of reforms away from dictatorial rule.  Not much has changed since his initial secret “negotiations” and outreach:

• Cuba is still a communist dictatorship;
• The Cuban government continues to crack down on dissent and free speech;
• The Cuban government holds over 1,400 people for political reasons;
• Cuba still stands accused of violating arms embargoes on the authoritarian government in North Korea;
• Cuba still harbors and protects criminals, including Joanne Chesimard, who escaped from prison in New Jersey after being convicted of the cold-blooded murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster in 1973.  

So the President appears to be going to Cuba simply for the sake of going there, without the United States, and the people of Cuba, getting anything in return. 

The President should reconsider visiting Cuba and instead insist that the Castro regime returns Chesimard to New Jersey and makes concrete moves toward political reform. 

Read the Washington Post story here.

Read the Los Angeles Times story, “U.S.-bound Cuban migrants stranded in Costa Rica camps,” here.

Read the New York Times story, "Star Brothers Are Apparently the Latest to Defect From Cuba” here.

Disobeying the Law: Where’s the Administration Strategy to Destroy ISIS?

The American people are justifiably concerned about their security.  After all, they regularly hear warnings that violent Islamic extremists are intent on attacking us here in the homeland.   In fact, just last weekend, CIA Director John Brennan seemed to predict such an attack this year!

At the same time, the American people, and policymakers alike are confused about the Administration’s plans for “degrading and ultimately defeating” groups like ISIS.

Section 1222 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY16, signed into law last year by President Obama, requires the Secretaries of State and Defense to deliver a strategy for the Middle East and countering violent extremism no later than February 15, 2016. 

The provision requires the Administration to lay out a number of elements needed to defeat terrorist groups like ISIS and al Qaeda, including a description of the role the U.S. military will play in such a strategy, a description of the coalition needed to carry out the strategy, and an assessment of efforts to disrupt foreign fighters traveling to Syria and Iraq.

The White House has failed to comply. 

Unfortunately, this failure represents a major lost opportunity for the Administration and Congress to work together on a common approach to face this threat.

Read more about this issue here.

Fighting for Funding to Keep New Jersey Safe

Tucked inside the President’s FY 2017 budget is a proposal to implement a serious cut to homeland security anti-terrorism programs of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  For the fiscal year beginning in October, his budget is only proposing $330 million for FEMA’s Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI). That is a significant reduction from the current level of $600 million!

These proposed cuts are not only ill-advised,but they are ill-timed. Islamic terrorism is spreading like a cancer across the world and, unfortunately, New Jersey remains a target. In light of the attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, and the pledge by ISIS to launch more attacks on America, it makes no sense to propose cuts to terror-prevention programs.

The UASI program provides funding to address the unique planning, operations, equipment, and training and exercise needs of high-threat, high-density urban areas.  The funding assists in building and sustaining capabilities related to terrorism prevention, response, and recovery.

When it comes to protecting our state, New Jersey is confronted with many challenges including high population density, critical infrastructure and proximity to large urban areas. In addition, with the second highest number of ISIS-related arrests in the nation in 2015, we face a clear danger from homegrown extremists.

I have joined with other representatives from New Jersey in protesting the cut to UASI funding.  I have also contacted FEMA Director Craig Fugate personally regarding the cuts to overall security funding for our state.  In 2010, New Jersey received $61 million in homeland security grants.  Last year, that total had shrunk to $24 million.

Read more about the Urban Area Security Initiative here.

Medicare News 2016: Medicare has announced a paperless initiative where you can get your Medicare Summary Notice electronically (eMSN).  Click here for more details.  

Listening Tour Continues

My ongoing Listening Tour continued this week with stops in all four counties of the 11^th Congressional District, including the Cedar Crest Senior Community, the Morristown Rotary, Parsippany Kiwanis,Frelinghuysen Middle School, Wanaque Reserve and Brooklawn Middle School in Parsippany.  People are focused on jobs and the economy, national security and health care to name a few issues.