e-News 6/3/16

• Federal Designation of NJ Task Force-One: A Major Victory for NJ
• Administration Bureaucracy: Harming Small Business, Non-Profits and Jobs
• “In a Secret Meeting, Revelations on the Battle Over Health Care”
• Salute: Julia Balick of Kinnelon
• Salute: Florham Park Memorial First Aid Squad

Federal Designation of New Jersey Task Force-One: A Major Victory for NJ

This afternoon the Federal Emergency Management Agency informed me that it had approved the formal federal designation for New Jersey Task Force – One, the state’s Urban Search and Rescue Team.  This is a major victory and the right step for New Jersey and the nation.  The FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Strategic Group had earlier this year unanimously recommended that New Jersey Task Force 1 (NJ-TF1) join the nation’s 28 team National Urban Search & Rescue System. 

Let’s face it, we live in an increasingly dangerous world and these search and rescue teams, professionals and volunteers alike, are our best and most important lines of defense. In their hands is one of our nation’s greatest missions: protecting our homeland. This final, formal federal designation will enhance New Jersey’s security, provide the Task Force with more funding for training and equipment and ensure they remain at the ‘top of their game’ in the event of any disaster: natural, terrorist, chem-bio or others.

FEMA considered a number of factors, including experience, population density, critical infrastructure, the number and age of structures in proximity to the team’s base location, geographic coverage and threat assessment.

Well before the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the members of the New Jersey Task Force One Urban Search and Rescue Team were well-trained and consequently on their way to the World Trade Center in Manhattan - among the first search and rescue teams on the ground that fateful morning.  Not only have the members of this team proven they are worthy of such designation – there is no question about it, New Jersey needs its own federally supported team. Frankly, we should have to wait no longer.  FEMA should have made this designation years ago!

I first introduced legislation to provide federal designation of NJ-TF in 2002.  My bill sought expansion of the national urban search and rescue system to allow for a federal designation for the New Jersey team.  I have continued to push for this designation since then in multiple correspondence and conversations with the Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, a resident of Montclair, and FEMA Director Craig Fugate.

After all, our state is one of the most densely state in the nation and over the past year FEMA has developed and carried out exercises to increase community emergency preparedness for various disasters, including oil train spills, pandemic outbreaks and extreme weather events.

Members of the team, which is supported by the New Jersey State Police, hail from all 21 counties.

I spent yesterday morning at U.S. Navy Base Lakehurst, visiting with Chief Riley and his team and received a briefing on the unit’s capabilities.  

See pictures from my visit to Navy Lakehurst and NJRF-1 here.

Administration Bureaucracy: Harming Small Business Jobs

In addition to cutting spending, enacting pro-growth tax reform and allowing American companies to compete and win in global markets, a key part of any worthwhile economic plan also takes aim at unnecessary government regulation that puts new burdens on businesses, particularly small businesses.

Today, as I continue my listening tour across the 11th Congressional District and visit with businessmen and women, I see a clear example of the unintended consequences of the actions of the Washington bureaucracy.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently finalized a controversial new overtime pay rule, which raises the salary level requirements of employees eligible for overtime from $23,660 to $47,476.

More people getting paid for overtime work sounds great. But such a significant federal intervention in our economy will lead to harmful consequences that will fall directly on the people this rule claims to help.

Here are the 4 groups most vulnerable to this rule:

1. Non-profit organizations:  Many non-profits require longer hours for employees during busy seasons and shorter hours during less busy seasons. These groups care for children and adults with special needs and are extremely worried, that the budget increases necessary to meet this rule will make it very difficult to provide the same level of care to those most disadvantaged in our society.

2. Colleges and universities: Colleges and universities are worried because so many of their jobs fall within the new salary range: IT workers, admission officers, coaches, and PhD graduates working on their post-doctorates.  It’s no wonder that the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources and 18 other higher education groups have urged DOL for a more measured approach. Why?  Because this new regulation will 1) force wages down for these salaried workers; 2) eliminate valuable programs for students, or 3) hike tuition costs which will harm aspiring college students and their families.

3. Young people: Many jobs—particularly those for young people—don’t fit neatly into the 9-5 category. Working harder and longer is how people starting their careers get the experience they need. If companies must raise the minimum threshold salary for inexperienced workers, they will simply not be able to hire as many young people. Taking opportunities away from them will hurt young people’s careers before they even get off the ground.

4. Local governments: The cost to increasing salaried workers at the municipal level will be damaging for already-strapped local budgets. For these extra costs that cannot be mitigated, who is going to have to pick up the tab? The taxpayers, of course!

This onerous new regulation is a he overreach and will have one certain outcome: significantly higher operating costs for non-profit organizations, hospitals, local governments and small businesses – the engine of job creation in America. 

That is why I have cosponsored H.R. 4773, the Protecting Workplace Advancement and Opportunity Act.  This bill would repeal this costly regulation and require the Department of Labor to fully and accurately consider the economic impact of any rule on affected companies and organizations.  I anticipate House action on this important legislation soon.

To read H.R. 4773, visit here.

For additional information on the DOL Overtime Rule, click here.

“In a Secret Meeting, Revelations on the Battle Over Health Care”

The New York Times published a story this week that shines a new light on accusations that high-level Administration officials knowingly circumvented Congress on Obamacare.  Read the article by Carl Hulsehere.

Salute: Congratulations to Julia Balick of Kinnelon, one of 18 students under 18-years-old chosen to receive the inaugural “18 under 18” award by the Partnership for Jewish Life and Learning of the Jewish Federation of Greater Metrowest (JFGM) for her work against human trafficking!

Saluteto the Florham Park Memorial First Aid Squad as it marks its 65^th anniversary of service! This squad, and many others New Jersey squads, were among the first to reach “Ground Zero” to help in the aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan on that tragic day.