South Jersey Scoop

Dear Friend,

Here you will find information about the work my team is doing in South Jersey to support you and the latest legislative updates from Washington, D.C. Serving you in Congress is one of my highest honors and is something I take very seriously. Feel free to forward this newsletter to family, friends, and colleagues and encourage them to sign-up for my weekly update.

Sincerely,

Jeff Van Drew
Member of Congress

Congressman Van Drew Honors South Jersey Veterans

It is my honor to represent tens of thousands of South Jersey veterans in Congress. We not only recognize and thank veterans today, but every day, for their unwavering commitment and support to our great nation.

This Congress, I have introduced numerous pieces of legislation supporting our nation's veterans, including the Green Star Families Act, the Andrew Thomas McCaffrey Green Star Veterans Service Act, the Agent Orange Service Medal Act, and the Veterans' Telecommunication Protection Act. In addition, I have been a cosponsor of over twenty pieces of legislation dedicated to bettering the lives of our veterans and active military.

Thank you again to all our veterans in South Jersey, and across our nation. Your service and sacrifices are never forgotten!

Congressman Van Drew Speaks in House Judiciary Committee About Antisemitism on College Campuses

This week, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing, "Free Speech on College Campuses," to examine the current state of the First Amendment on the campuses of American colleges and universities. We also examined the unprecedented rise in antisemitism, anti-Israel sentiment, and violence towards students supporting Israel.

I questioned the witnesses on whether each of them believed in American exceptionalism; a belief that goes hand in hand with the support of our First Amendment right of free speech.

Click here or the photo below to watch their responses and my full questioning.

Rep. Van Drew Joins Fox Business to Discuss DHS Disinformation Group, Judiciary Interview with David Weiss, and Rep. Tlaib Censure

This week, I joined Fox Business' Sean Duffy and Dagen McDowell to discuss new evidence of social media companies collaborating with agencies to censor speech, what the House Judiciary Committee learned during a transcribed interview with Special Counsel David Weiss, and the efforts of House Republicans to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib.

Click here or the photo below to watch my full interview.

Congressman Van Drew Sends Letter to Sec. Mayorkas and Sec. Blinken Urging Expedited Entry for Jewish Individuals into the U.S.

This week, I led eight of my colleagues in a bipartisan letter to Department of State Secretary Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the administration to establish a lawful pathway for any individual identifying as Jewish who requires immediate temporary relocation.

Specifically, I requested:

The administration create a humanitarian parole category specifically for people of the Jewish faith and of Jewish descent to streamline the paperwork process and facilitate referrals to allow for fast, humane, and efficient relocation to the United States; and
The administration increase efforts to support those applying for humanitarian parole and those applying for Priority 1 or 2 pathways.

Co-signers include: Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Rep. Thomas Kean, Jr. (R-NJ), Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Rep. Randy Weber, Sr. (R-TX), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA).

Click here to read the full letter.

Click here to read the full release.

Congressman Van Drew Speaks on House Floor Denouncing Anti-Israel Remarks by House Representatives

This week, I spoke on the House floor standing firmly with Jewish communities across the world and denounced members of Congress who refuse to condemn Hamas' brutal terrorist attack on innocent Israelis. The measure, which sought to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib, passed with Republican and Democrat support.

If you cannot stand firmly against terrorism, then there is no place for you in the United States House of Representatives.

Click here or the photo below to watch my full remarks.

ICYMI: Orsted Abandons Offshore Wind Projects in South Jersey

Last week, I announced that Orsted, a Danish offshore wind company, cancelled its offshore wind projects in South Jersey.

This is a massive win for the people of South Jersey and could not have happened without the help of Cape May County, Judge Donohue, the relentless grassroots efforts, and most importantly the people of South Jersey. While we welcome this news, we must continue to build on this momentum and see to it that the remaining projects off the coast of New Jersey meet the same fate."

Read my full release here.