My Bill to Combat Sudden Cardiac Arrest

Dear Neighbors,

I held a press conference this week in Edison to announce the introduction of a bill to combat sudden cardiac arrest in young people, especially student athletes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 2,000 young people under the age of 25 die each year of sudden cardiac arrest. In 2009, Kittim Sherrod, an Edison High School student and football star, died tragically from hypertrophic cardiomyopathy after going into sudden cardiac arrest during track and field practice.

The Cardiomyopathy Health, Education, Awareness, Research and Training in Schools (HEARTS) Act requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate with CDC, patient advocacy groups, and health professional organizations to develop educational materials and resources on cardiomyopathy for public awareness and to distribute materials to schools, teachers, and parents. It also calls for guidelines regarding the placement of life-saving automated external defibrillators in schools, as well as information on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training.

All too often, otherwise healthy young people die tragically from sudden cardiac arrest – a silent killer that strikes too many students each year. It’s critical that we raise awareness about the causes of sudden cardiac arrest and ensure schools are more prepared to deal with cardiac emergencies so we can prevent these tragic deaths.

Social Media Companies Failure to Combat Violent Content and Misinformation

I held a roundtable with Jewish community leaders on social media companies’ failure to contain violent content and misinformation following Hamas’s attack on Israel. Last week, I sent letters to the CEOs of Meta, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube questioning how they are mitigating the proliferation of extreme, graphic, false, misleading, or harmful content in the aftermath of Hamas’s October attacks and Israel’s ongoing response in Gaza. I sent the letters following the companies’ failure to adequately respond to his initial concerns I expressed in October about the spread of violent content and misinformation.

I am especially concerned that weakened trust and safety policies and increased reliance on automation over humans to monitor content undermines these companies’ abilities to adequately handle sudden and complex world events. These problems are only exacerbated by company policies that intentionally amplify divisive and extreme content so they can bring in more ad dollars—choosing profits over the American people. Read more here

Additional Funding for World Trade Center Health Program

The World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program will receive an additional $676 million in funding in a federal defense authorization bill, including $444 million to address the funding shortfall in the program and $232 million to extend coverage for military and civilian 9/11 responders at the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA. The Program provides no-cost medical monitoring and treatment for certified WTC-related health conditions to those directly affected by the 9/11 attacks in New York, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

I’ve been a longtime advocate for first responders and survivors of the attacks on September 11, 2001. We will never forget the sacrifices first responders made on that day and the survivors who continue to endure the physical and emotional trauma. This funding is essential to fulfilling our obligation to the individuals who require medical care and ensuring the program remains solvent for years to come. Read more here

Accountability for Oil Spill that Littered Jersey Shore with Tar Balls and Oil

Last week, I demanded accountability for the oil spill that littered the Jersey Shore with 1,000 pounds of tar balls and oil debris. In a letter to the United States Coast Guard Commandant, I expressed concern regarding the Coast Guard’s initial investigation of the oil spill, which inaccurately concluded the spill was contained, and requested more information about what the agency is doing to protect the environment following the spill.

While I appreciate the Coast Guard’s swift response once your agency was notified on November 27 about reports of pollution in our Atlantic environment, the public should not bear responsibility for monitoring federal oil spill containment efforts nor should the spill have reached so far given intended environmental safeguards. A similar oil spill during the Jersey Shore’s peak tourism and recreation season could cost tens of millions of dollars in economic damage and lost income for residents due to closed beaches. Read more here

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,

Congressman Pallone