Protecting the Right to Contraception

Dear Neighbors,

I led House passage of a bill to protect the right to contraception. Contraception is basic preventive health care and is crucial to the health and human rights of all people. Millions of people rely on contraception not only to prevent unintended pregnancies but to also prevent and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Access to contraception is essential to achieving gender equality as it advances women’s health and economic empowerment. It’s time for Republicans to stop trying to control family planning.

The Right to Contraception Act establishes a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and gives health care providers the right to provide contraceptives and information related to contraception. The bill also protects against any state laws that attempt to restrict access to contraceptives. Read more here

Protecting Same-Sex and Interracial Marriages

The House passed critical legislation this week to protect same-sex and interracial marriages. The Respect for Marriage Act would codify marriage equality for same sex and interracial couples guaranteed by previous Supreme Court rulings in Obergefell and Loving. The bill would also repeal the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defined marriage as a union between a man and a woman.

The Supreme Court’s reasoning in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization to justify overturning the right to abortion could be used in the future to threaten other fundamental rights, including the right to marriage equality. I voted against DOMA in 1996, and I’ll continue to support legislation to ensure marriage equality remains the law of the land.

Support for Research at the Howard NOAA Lab

I visited the James J. Howard Marine Sciences Laboratory at Sandy Hook on Friday to announce that it will receive $480,000 to support research on the effects of environmental change on marine habitats and fisheries surrounding Sandy Hook. I secured the funding in a federal spending bill that President Biden signed into law. I was joined by Dr. Richard W. Spinrad, who serves as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator.

Scientists at the lab are doing important research to protect our coastal habitats for years to come and help us understand the effects of a changing environment on wildlife. With this funding, the lab will be able to expand its research capability and further its efforts to promote diversity and inclusion.

Relief for Superstorm Sandy Victims

I secured relief for Superstorm Sandy victims in a federal spending bill that passed the House this week. It grants the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development the authority to waive the requirement for New Jersey homeowners to pay back federal disaster relief aid. These recoupment efforts known as “clawbacks” have blindsided homeowners because many New Jersey residents applied for disaster benefits offered by various federal programs at the recommendation of the government. It’s simply unfair for federal agencies to ask for repayment on tens of millions of dollars in loans and grants from Sandy aid. Read more here

If you have questions about COVID-19 vaccines, tests, or resources available to New Jerseyans during the coronavirus pandemic, click here to visit my website or call my offices directly:

Middlesex County: 732-249-8892

Monmouth County: 732-571-1140

Sincerely,

Congressman Pallone