Accomplishments
Win: Gateway Tunnel funds
Lance Actions:
Lance led the vote fight against tunnel opponents, like North Carolina Rep. Ted Budd.
What happened when the House voted on Gateway funding
Federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel project survived an effort on the House floor to kill the allocation.
"The Northeast Corridor region is an economic powerhouse," said Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th Dist., during debate. "Travel up and down this corridor of passengers and freight is critical to the economy of the United States." (Salant, 9/7/17)
A Tunnel Vision Essential for Infrastructure By Leonard Lance (WSJ, 3/14/18)
Lance spearheaded meeting with Speaker Ryan.
N.J. leaders seek new meeting with Trump on Gateway tunnel
"I hope the president will recognize the importance of this project to the entire nation and I want to work in a cooperative way with the White House to make sure this is included," said Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7th Dist. who arranged the meeting with Ryan. "I hope and expect that this [Gateway funding] will be in the bill and the bill will be signed into law." (Salant, 3/15/18)
Lance then met with WH Legislative Director Marc Short this week to push for funding for the tunnel project.
Win: Ending the CDC ban on federal gun research
Lance Action:
Lance was the first Republican lawmaker to call for the ban to end.
Lance wants federal ban on gun violence research lifted
In the wake of the Florida school shooting Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-N.J. District 7) said a 22-year restriction that prohibits the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from studying the links between mental health and gun violence should be dropped.
“By removing restrictions that prevent the federal government from studying mental health issues that lead to gun violence, Congress could have a clearer picture of what effective policies and solutions might be taken to stem the tide of violence,” said Lance. (Deak, Courier News, 2/16/18)
Win: Fix NICS included and NICS fully funded
Lance Action:
Lance was the first Republican lawmaker to call for Fix NICS to move NOT ATTACHED to concealed-carry.
Lance to Speaker Ryan: Bring background check bill up for a vote
Rep. Leonard Lance, R-7, led 18 Republican lawmakers in a Friday, Feb. 23, letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan calling for H.R. 4477 – the Fix NICS Act, to come up for a vote as a standalone measure.
The Fix NICS Act reauthorizes the National Criminal Instant Background Check System and institutes compliance certification measures and penalties for failing to comply. The NICS system successfully conducts millions of background checks a year, but it is only as strong as the data that is entered into it, Lance said. (NJ Hills, 2/27/18)
Win: Army Corps held accountable on Rahway River Study, $5 million for Delaware River Restoration
Lance Action:
Lance secured language in the bill to force the Army Corps to move on previously secured funding and authorizations:
“The Corps is directed to provide to the Committees on Appropriations of both House of Congress quarterly briefings on the current schedule to bring this study to completion, with the first briefing to occur not later than 30 days after the enactment of this Act.”
Lance secured language in the bill for the Delaware River Restoration: $ 5 million to implement the Delaware River Basin Conservation Act
Win: Funding for the NEA and NEH increased
Lance Action:
Lance has been the most outspoken lawmaker in defending federal support for the arts and the humanities.
Trump’s budget eliminates NEA, public TV and other cultural agencies.
“There is an old saying, ‘the President proposes and Congress disposes’. When drastic cuts to the NEA and NEH were proposed last year, I led a bipartisan coalition to maintain funding for these important federal programs,” Lance said. “Lawmakers were persuaded by the multiplier effect of arts funding – the leveraging of a small federal investment for the major economic return to the U.S. economy. We won the legislative fight last fiscal year and will do so again this year.” (McGlone, Washington Post, 2/13/18)
Win: Increased funding for major environmental programs like the Land and Water Conversation Fund, Superfunds Clean up, Brownfield Program
Lance Action:
Lance’s Energy and Commerce Committee advanced more bipartisan environmental protection bills than any other.
Omnibus measure dedicates $425 million for Land and Water Conversation Fund.
Lance Committee Advances Bill to Clean Up 419 New Jersey Sites
“This is a tremendous win for environmental protection, economic development and for communities that have struggled with contaminated sites. The Brownfields Program has worked – transforming over 59,000 sites nationwide into parks, commerce, housing or other public uses. Federal authorities have the expertise to come in, clean up these sites and relieve neighborhoods of these hazards. Our bill directs this work to reduce pollution and prepare these lands for conservation or economic development,” said Lance after the committee action.
Win: Additional $100 million for Excellence in Mental Health Community Behavioral Health Center Demonstration.
Lance Action:
Lance was the first lawmaker to put a mental health reform bill on President Obama’s desk after the Newtown tragedy. And New Jersey was selected as a demonstration state for better services.
Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) today announced that New Jersey has been selected to participate in a demonstration program to expand access to community mental health services and strengthen the quality of care for those living with mental and behavioral health issues. The demonstration program was created under Lance’s Excellence in Mental Health Act, which was signed into law in 2014. (TAP into Millburn, 1/11/2017)
Win: Publically-funded research open to the public
Lance Action:
Lance has led the transparency effort to open CRS reports to the public.
Spending bill would make all of Congress’ research available to the public for free
All of Congress’ research would be made available to the public for free under the government spending bill released Wednesday night, which would be a victory for transparency advocates and a boon to members of the public interested in governance.
In recent years, congressional appropriators have toyed with the idea of requiring the research service to make its reports public, an idea backed by Reps. Leonard Lance, R-N.J., and Mike Quigley, D-Ill. (Washington Examiner, 3/22/18)
CRS Reports One Step Closer to Public Information
Lance Action:
Lance and the Energy and Commerce Committee continued its bipartisan winning streak by passing RAY BAUM’s Act in the omni.
Lance Bill Cracking Down on Scammers Passes House
New weapon proposed in war against phone scams
In fact, spoofing is a "disgraceful" and "despicable" practice that Rep. Leonard Lance, R-District 7, wants to outlaw. Spoofing is the practice in which con artists disguise their phone numbers to make it appear they're calling from a government agency, Lance said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon with Somerset County Sheriff Frank Provenzano and Freeholder Pat Walsh.
“The problem of caller ID spoofing has gotten out of control," Lance said. "Millions of Americans continue to get ripped off by con artists and scammers who perpetrate this despicable crime, many losing thousands of dollars. It is way past time to stop this disgraceful practice, and this legislation would go a long way toward accomplishing that critical goal."
Last week, Provenzano announced that scammers had cloned the phone number of the Somerset County sheriff and were impersonating staffers. The scammers were trying to get residents' personal information — Social Security numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers — by saying they had warrants that should be paid. (Deak, Courier News)
More on Accomplishments
FLEMINGTON, N.J. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) released the following statement after the America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 was signed into law by the President. The measure included the Safe Drinking Water Act to improve drinking water infrastructure as well as Lance-authored provisions to 1) speed up the removal of the hazardous Warren Glen Dam from the Musconetcong River and 2) expedite the feasibility study for Rahway River Basin flood mitigation.
WESTFIELD, N.J. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) issued the following statement after the Department of Veterans Affairs released new data showing improved and shortened wait times for health care appointments. Lance was a proponent of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act overhauling the V.A. which made significant reforms to the V.A. system including record funding and the option for veterans to seek private care. Over 94% of New Jersey V.A. health care appointments are scheduled in less than 30 days.
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07), a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, today secured the passage of a major anti-opioid bill sending the measure to the President’s desk. Lance’s Committee wrote the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act with the measure including the Lance-Kennedy bill Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Diseases Act in the final product.
WASHINGTON, D.C. --- Congressman Leonard Lance (NJ-07) backed the government spending measure this week securing many of his priorities on national security, healthcare and combatting the opioid crisis. This is the first time in twenty-one years Congress has passed all spending measures before the end of the fiscal year.
FLEMINGTON, N.J.