February Wrap-up

Above: Gottheimer announces new legislation at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) visited Newark Liberty International Airport to announce new actions to protect the FAA workforce against reckless cuts from the Trump Administration, which would put the safety of passengers in the nation’s busiest airspace at risk.

Gottheimer is fighting back against the Administration’s recent decision this week to fire nearly 400 essential employees at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) despite fourteen major plane crashes in 2025 alone. 

Gottheimer’s Plan to Protect Jersey Skies:

• Gottheimer will introduce new legislation to prohibit major staffing cuts at the FAA if a fatal crash has occurred in US airspace within the last year.
• Gottheimer is sending a letter to the Trump Administration, demanding answers on key safety initiatives required by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, which Gottheimer helped pass into law. 
  
  • The legislation requires the FAA to deploy critical safety technology at airports across the country to help prevent “close calls” on and around our runways over the next five years.
• Gottheimer proudly helped write, negotiate, and pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which included more than $15 billion in federal investments to support projects to increase airport safety. 
  
  • Last summer, New Jersey airports received $53 million to improve air traffic infrastructure, upgrade terminals, and enhance runway safety. 
  • Newark Liberty International Airport specifically received more than $42 million. 
• Gottheimer helped negotiate and pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, which included his amendment to require a secondary cockpit barrier to be installed on all commercial aircraft to help prevent airplane hijacking.

“While the number of flights has surged, the number of aviation workers protecting us hasn’t kept pace. Despite all of this, the Trump Administration announced they were gutting the FAA and firing hundreds of these critical FAA workers at our airports across the country. Firing FAA workers is just plain stupid and puts Jersey families and passengers at risk,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Gottheimer continued, “If we want to reassure families that we are doing everything to protect the lives of their loved ones, we can’t also tell them there will be fewer workers looking out for their safety when they fly. I will never stop fighting to ensure that all of our families across the country are safe and can return home to their loved ones. To anyone who tries to play political games with our air safety — we’re not going to let that fly in Jersey.”

"I’m all for making government more efficient, but not for creating chaos and slashing programs that millions of Americans depend on. That’s why I voted against the far-right budget resolution, which threatens to strip Jersey seniors and families of access to lifesaving medications, hospital care, dental services, and essential nursing or home-based healthcare.

This budget plan is a complete disaster for hardworking Jersey families.  In my District alone, more than 70,000 people rely on Medicaid for affordable, quality healthcare, including nearly 23,000 children and 10,000 seniors.

Instead of making life more affordable, far-right extremists are screwing over Jersey seniors and families with their reckless proposal. I’ll never stop fighting to drive down costs, lower prescription drug prices, and deliver real relief for Jersey families."

Above: Gottheimer announces new legislation to get the backs of veterans.

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined local Jersey veterans at the Hackensack VFW to announce new legislation aimed at improving services for veterans. This announcement comes in the wake of the Administration firing more than 1,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, threatening access to the critical services that veterans depend on. The administration recently announced plans to cut 80,000 more VA employees.

Gottheimer’s Support Our Veterans Strategy

• Gottheimer introduced the No Veteran Should Go Hungry Act to help connect our service members and their families with access to nutrition assistance programs, including SNAP and WIC, during their transition from military to civilian life.
• Gottheimer introduced the VA Appeals Reform Act to help streamline the appeals process for veterans. This legislation will require the VA to provide veterans with access to key documents related to their claims, create an electronic filing system to further improve access to case records, and give the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims more power to review decisions. 
• Gottheimer introduced the Veterans Emergency and Timely Support Act, or VETS Act. This legislation will require a resident advocate at every veteran’s home in New Jersey and across the country. This advocate will be a direct line of contact and a voice for our veterans and their families, ensuring that every day they have access to someone who can immediately help with any concerns and respond and elevate their needs to the necessary levels.
• Gottheimer helped introduce new bipartisan legislation, the Housing Unhoused Disabled Veterans Act (HUDVA), which passed the House unanimously earlier this week. This legislation will amend the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) definition of annual income to exclude disability payments, giving our veterans greater eligibility for housing through the Housing and Urban Development-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) Program.

“A few weeks ago, the Administration announced it was laying off one thousand employees at the VA who work so hard to help our veterans. After sacrificing so much, our veterans and active-duty military should never struggle to get the care, recognition, and respect they have rightfully earned,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I’ve been proud, since my first days in Congress, to lead both Democrats and Republicans in Congress to care for and protect our veterans. It is our duty as Americans not only to honor all soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen and women — but to do everything we can to fight for them when they return. Here in the greatest country in the world, we will always take care of our own.”

Gottheimer met the Prime Minister and other lead Qatari negotiators and officials and the American ​​Embassy teams who have been working day and night to help free the hostages being held by Hamas terrorists.

“In Qatar, I spent constructive and productive time with the lead negotiators focused on one core objective — to bring home the last living American hostage, my constituent, 21-year-old American Edan Alexander. We must get every hostage home. The United States should never leave any man or woman behind. We must also focus on the second phase of the American-backed deal that will see the release of the remaining hostages,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5), a Member of the House Intelligence Committee. “As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, I will not rest until every single hostage, including the five remaining Americans, are brought home.”

Above: Gottheimer visits Little Learners Childcare Center to announce new legislation to make childcare more affordable for families.

Congressman Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined local leaders at the Little Learners Childcare Center to announce new actions as part of his “Affordability Plan for Jersey.” 

“Childcare is one of the biggest expenses a family can have — costing up to 50 percent of their monthly budget. That’s half your paycheck on childcare alone, before factoring in the cost of commuting, taxes, and other expenses like rent, food, and diapers. From our nurses and teachers to firefighters — everyone is struggling to make ends meet,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “If we invest in our children when they are young, from childcare centers to pre-school, to kindergarten, and on, it will pay long-term dividends for us and our country. We just can’t let far-right extremists deny what our families need. There should be nothing partisan about investing in our childcare and our children’s futures. We must make childcare — and life — for families here in Jersey more affordable.”

Gottheimer’s New Actions to Bring Down the Cost of Childcare:

• First, Gottheimer is sponsoring the American Family Act to expand the Child Tax Credit to $300 per month, or $3,600 per year. This is up from $2,000 per year for children ages 6 to 17.
  
  • For families with children below the age of 6, that amount will increase to $360 a month or $4,320 a year. 
  • This legislation will provide monthly payments so families don’t have to wait until the end of the year for help. 
  • The bill includes a “baby bonus,” which gives an additional $2,000 to new families, regardless of when their child was born.
• Second, Gottheimer is reintroducing the LITTLE Act, which will more than double the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit to $7,500 for one child, and $15,000 for two or more.
  
  • That’s up from $3,000 and $6,000, respectively. 
  • This refundable credit will also be tied to inflation.
  • The legislation will also create a new tax credit for start-up childcare centers to ensure families have more access to more affordable childcare. 
• Third, ahead of the government funding deadline, Gottheimer is writing a letter to congressional leadership and the House Appropriations Committee stressing the importance of childcare funding and urging them to commit to not cutting any childcare-related funds.
• Finally, Gottheimer will stand alongside countless others across the state and the nation and make it clear that President Trump should not be allowed to shut down the Department of Education — an agency that provides critical support for early childhood development and families across Jersey. 

Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) helped reintroduce the bipartisan Antisemitism Awareness Act with Representatives Mike Lawler (NY-17), Max Miller (OH-7), and Jared Moskowitz (FL-23) to require the Department of Education to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism when enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws. 

Last Congress, the Antisemitism Awareness Act overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 320-91. The Senate did not consider the legislation. 

“Since the heinous October 7 attacks on Israel, we have seen an explosion of antisemitic violence and intimidation on college campuses and in communities across New Jersey and the nation. Far too many in our community no longer feel safe in their own homes or classrooms,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “That’s why I’m reintroducing the Antisemitism Awareness Act, which will give state officials and law enforcement a clear framework for identifying and addressing antisemitism to hold harassers accountable. Our bipartisan bill adopts the most widely recognized definition of antisemitism in the world, already used by more than 40 countries and 35 states. Hate and discrimination have no place in New Jersey or the country, and we must act now to protect our Jewish students and families from threats, intimidation, and violence.”

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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