Dear Neighbors,
I introduced legislation this week to permanently authorize the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) program to support the training of primary care medical and dental residents with a focus on supporting residents in high-need communities. The bill will result in the largest expansion of the program in two decades and an estimated 1,060 new resident physician slots nationwide.
Primary care physicians are the cornerstone of our nation’s health care system. In my home state of New Jersey, we are facing a shortage of primary care doctors, especially in underserved communities. The DOC Act will help address this shortage and establish a reliable pathway for medical students to pursue their education. It will provide permanent, reliable funding to train primary care physicians for generations to come. I look forward to seeing this bill move through the legislative process. Read more here.
Federal Funding Coming to Atlantic Highlands
I held a press conference today in Atlantic Highlands to highlight federal funding I secured to repair infrastructure. The Borough will receive $2.1 million to repair the bulkhead at the Municipal Harbor from a federal spending bill signed into law last year. The deteriorating bulkhead is one of the most critical pieces of infrastructure for residents and businesses near the Borough’s public marina, helping to protect the area from flooding and stabilizing the shoreline.
My Tour of Oil Spill Response Facility
I joined Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland for a tour of Ohmsett – the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility at Weapons Station Earle. The facility provides independent and objective performance testing of full-scale oil spill response equipment and helps improve technologies through research and development.
The facility is fully equipped with wave generator flaps and other simulation features that help support Ohmsett’s recent expansion into renewable energy development. It provides scientists and industry with a research and testing venue for wave energy conversion devices, which holds immense potential for creating clean, renewable energy in New Jersey.
During my visit, I also saw important coastal resiliency research on oyster populations that will help protect Bayshore communities from the effects of climate change. I secured federal funding to develop coastal resiliency projects that will stabilize the shoreline in communities around Naval Weapons Station Earle and to help mitigate the effects of stronger storms and sea level rise. Read more here.
Republicans’ Attack on Women’s Access to Health Care
Last week’s decision from a right-wing judge in Texas to overturn Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of mifepristone must be immediately appealed and overturned. It is only intended to further Republicans’ extreme political agenda to eliminate access to abortion nationwide.
A single right-wing judge should not be able to abolish decades of peer reviewed scientific evidence on the safety of a medication. This decision creates a dangerous precedent that attempts to undermine the (FDA) drug approval process and furthers Republican efforts to dictate their ideological views to our nation’s public health agencies.
We must ensure FDA’s approval process is not threatened, and we must pass the Women’s Health Protection Act to ensure every American can access reproductive health care regardless of where they live.
Click here to visit my website or call my offices directly if you have questions or need help with a federal agency:
Middlesex County: 732-249-8892
Monmouth County: 732-571-1140
Sincerely,
