August Wrap-up

Above: Gottheimer and labor unions rallying against New York’s Congestion Tax.

On August 8, Congressman Josh Gottheimer rallied with labor unions and Congressman Anthony D’Esposito (NY-4) against New York and the MTA’s new $23/day — $5,000/year — cash-grabbing Congestion Tax.

New Jersey and New York’s hardworking men and women of labor protect our critical infrastructure and region, help build the Tri-State area, and keep it moving every day. They make sure our trains, buses, bridges, tunnels, airports, rails, ports, and bus terminals are always operating safely and smoothly. New York and the MTA’s new Congestion Tax will put an immense financial burden on labor who have no choice but to drive to work. Many won’t be able to afford the Congestion Tax, which could result in labor shortages and put public safety at risk.

Furthermore, according to the MTA’s own projections, if what they say is true and 20% of drivers stop coming to the Congestion Zone, the Congestion tax will leave a billion-dollar hole in lost revenue over the next decade at the Port Authority for their capital projects — meaning fewer jobs for hardworking men and women of labor and fewer infrastructure improvements here in Jersey.

Port Authority Capital Projects that could be impacted by the MTA’s Congestion Tax include: 

• Renovating GWB to fix suspension cables.
• Replacing the Lincoln Tunnel helix.
• Upgrading the PATH train. 
• Repairs to Newark, La Guardia, and JFK airports.
• Renovating the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Above: Gottheimer breaking ground for Ridgewood Water’s new water treatment facility.

On August 14, Congressman Josh Gottheimer joined local leaders to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new water treatment facility, Ridgewood Water’s Ravine Treatment Plant, made possible by a federal grant. Ridgewood Water serves more than 62,000 residents across Ridgewood, Wyckoff, Midland Park, and Glen Rock.
 
Working closely with the mayors and councilmembers, Gottheimer successfully clawed $2.8 million back from Washington to invest in this project which will provide clean water free of lead and PFAS, known as forever chemicals, to children and families in communities across Northern New Jersey. This federal investment will help lower the tax burden on families.  
 
Purchasing outside water is more expensive and Ridgewood Water's new water treatment facility is a permanent solution to bring costs down. The facility will provide 500 gallons of treated water into the system per minute, nearly a million gallons a day, and will bring some of their inactive wells back online.

Effects of Forever Chemicals and Lead in Drinking Water:

• Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as forever chemicals, has been linked to numerous adverse health effects, including cancers, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and impaired child development. 

• Lead water can stunt a child’s development, cause learning disabilities and appetite loss, and can even lead to permanent damage to their vital organs and nervous systems.

• Gottheimer also helped secure $1 billion for Jersey’s critical water infrastructure through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, which he helped craft and pass.

Above: Gottheimer with local Fort Lee Little League players and coaches.

On August 16, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) stood with local Little League athletes, parents, and coaches to announce new bipartisan federal legislation that will provide tax credits for families to lower the cost of youth recreational sports and equipment. 

The bipartisan Promoting Lifelong Activity for Youth Act, or PLAY Act, is led by Gottheimer and Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-10).

The bipartisan PLAY Act:

• Allows families to use the Child and Dependent Tax Credit for expenses related to youth sports and other physical activities. 

• Helps parents pay for their children’s league registration fees and sports equipment using pre-tax dollars and boost the maximum contribution of these dollars per household. 

• Creates a federal grant program to invest in recreational youth sports programs and organizations — expanding opportunities for kids to get involved while helping lower costs for parents and families

Costs of Little League and youth sports:

• The average family pays $883 annually for one child’s primary sport.

• Studies show that children from lower-income families are half as likely to play sports as children from homes with higher incomes.

• The cost of baseballs has increased 50% in recent years, and the cost of umpires has increased 20%.

Benefits of Recreational Youth Sports:

• New studies have directly linked participation in youth team sports with fewer mental health difficulties. And being on a team improves self-esteem and confidence.

• Adolescents who play sports are eight times more likely to be physically active at age 24 than those who do not play.

• Sports boost cardiovascular health, burn calories, raise metabolism, and improve strength and mobility. Physically active young people also tend to have more quality sleep.

Above: Gottheimer at New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus to announce steps to combat the fentanyl epidemic.

On August 25, Congressman Gottheimer and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced the Preventing Overdoses with Test Strips Act, which will allow federal grants  to community organizations focused on fighting against substance abuse, to be used to acquire fentanyl test strips — a commonsense and proven step to saving the lives. Gottheimer is leading the legislation in the House and Booker is leading it in the Senate.

The Preventing Overdoses with Test Strips Act  would ensure that certain grant programs can cover the cost of test strips that detect the presence of fentanyl, xylazine, and other substances. Research has shown that 81% of individuals with access to test strips regularly use them, and those who receive positive results were five times more likely to modify their drug use behavior. 

Opioid and Fentanyl Statistics:

• About 300 Americans die every single day from an opioid overdose. 
• Over the last five years, New Jersey has lost nearly 2,500 people every year to opioid related overdoses. 
• In 2019, fentanyl was involved in nearly 75 percent of those drug overdoses in New Jersey — up from just four percent seven years prior. 
• Fentanyl is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is about 10 to15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.
• Research has shown that 81% of individuals with access to test strips regularly use them, and those who receive positive results were five times more likely to modify their drug use behavior.

In Fair Lawn, Gottheimer visited the newly-opened ShopRite. The Fair Lawn ShopRite will support the North Jersey economy and community by creating hundreds of jobs and providing residents with quality groceries and products at reasonable prices.

In Leonia, Gottheimer visited a newly-opened small business, Wolf It. He met with the owner and restaurant staff as part of his “Josh on the Job” tour promoting local businesses in North Jersey.

In Hawthorne, Gottheimer toured the Premio factory where he helped package their world-class products. Gottheimer met with Premio CEO and President Marc Cinque and Premio employees. Premio’s headquarters is located in Fair Lawn — part of New Jersey’s Fifth Congressional District. 

As always, if you’re experiencing an issue with a federal agency, Congressman Gottheimer's Constituent Service team is here to listen & help with VA benefits, Social Security, Medicare, & much more.

Call at 201-389-1100 or email [email protected].

You can also follow Congressman Gottheimer's Twitter here, Facebook here, and Instagram here.

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