e-News 9/1/16

• An Investment that Benefits Every Family on the East Coast
• Another Opportunity for Justice Lost in Cuba
• Be Prepared
• Salute: Residents of Woodland Park

An Investment that Benefits Every Family on the East Coast

With talk about immigration, terrorism, national security and healthcare dominating the national conversation these days, I find constituents most concerned about the sluggish economy and jobs.  They are very interested in our efforts to cut unnecessary business regulation, hold the line on taxes and promote pro-growth tax reform. 

But they also ask me about specific programs and projects I have supported to boost New Jersey’s economy.  My answer is simple:  I just point to the Harbor Deepening Project at the Port of New York and New Jersey where earlier today we cut the ribbon to mark completion of this vital 20-year long endeavor. 

It has been my pleasure to make this vital Harbor Deepening project a personal priority in Congress for over twenty years on the House Appropriations Committee. As Chairman of the Energy and Water Development Appropriations Subcommittee, I secured hundreds of millions of federal dollars for this project which will benefit every American family and business on the East Coast.  Hats off to the Army Corps of Engineers, the Port Authority, and its partners for a job well done for our states and nation!

This Port is the economic engine for northern New Jersey.  Ninety percent of global trade moves by ship, so I have made it one of my highest priorities in Congress to ensure that this port, the largest on the east coast, remains the most attractive destination for international trading partners.  This undertaking has already provided direct benefits the tens of thousands of people employed along the piers, docks and terminals and thousands more working in New Jersey companies that depend up on the cargo of these vessels. At the same time, the port generates billions of dollars in annual tax revenues to state and local governments.

I would add that getting goods into the hands of the consumers through an efficient and reliable transportation network is the cornerstone of the port’s competitive edge with global markets. The port has top rate access to rail, road, and inland waterway routes to transport goods to 23 million local consumers and up to 100 million customers within 36 hours at markets all over the U.S. and Canada.

By dredging the main channel from a depth of 40 feet to 50 feet, the Port of New York and New Jersey will be able to accommodate the newest container ships, which will be sailing along the U.S. east coast, now that the upgraded Panama Canal has opened to the largest ships on earth. 

This project is a proud example of how government and industry can work together to enhance our economy. This endeavor was supported by federal, state and local governments and the private sector.  I commend the remarkable collaboration among the Port Authority, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Coast Guard, shippers, terminal operators, unions and environmental organizations for their vision and leadership in bringing this project to completion.

Learn more about our Port here.

Learn more about the Harbor Deepening project here.

Another Opportunity for Justice Lost in Cuba

The first commercial flight between the United States and Cuba in more than 50 years landed in the city of Santa Clara earlier this week.  I sincerely regret that the escaped murderer, Joanne Chesimard, was not on the return flight to the United States. 

Chesimard fled to Cuba in 1984 after breaking out of a New Jersey prison in 1979 where she was serving time for the conviction of the 1973 execution-style slaying of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster.  To this day, she remains on the FBI's Most Wanted International Terrorists list, and is the most notorious of a group of criminals and violent radicals who have sought refuge in Cuba since Fidel Castro, and his brother Raul, took power.

The Obama Administration is well aware that 70 fugitives from U.S. justice — including Chesimard — are hiding in Cuba and it steadfastly refuses to make their return to justice in the United States a condition for “normalizing” relations with the Castro regime.

Learn more about Chesimard and her crimes in this piece by NBC newshere.

Be Prepared

The weather outlook for Labor Day weekend in New Jersey is complicated.  Some forecast models indicate that the remnants of Tropical Storm Hermine may bring drenching rains and heavy winds to our state this weekend.

The latest weather information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) can be found here.

You can access the latest information on Hermine and the activities of the Hurricane Hunters here.

September is National Preparedness Month and useful online resources can be found here.

Specific hurricane and tropical storm information can be found here.

The New Jersey Office of Emergency Management can be found here.

Salute: To the residents of Woodland Park who are organizing a bottled water collection drive assist flood victims in Louisiana. The West Paterson Boys and Girls Club on 8 Memorial Drive will be the site of drop-offs of cases of bottled water from 4 to 8 p.m., Sept. 6 through 9.