Press Releases

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member of the Senate’s transit subcommittee that oversees the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grants (CIG) program, and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), along with U.S. Representatives Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09), Albio Sires (N.J.-08), Donald Payne, Jr. (N.J.-10), Tom Malinowski (N.J.-07), and Mikie Sherrill (N.J.-11), today applauded the allocation of $248 million for the Portal Bridge replacement project. This... Read More

NEWARK, NJ – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-NJ) lauded the signing of legislation into law to improve timely access to financial assistance for families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19. The Senate unanimously passed the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR) in May with the House of Representatives following suit in July. The bipartisan legislation, which was introduced by Booker and Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), clarifies certification... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez joined all 47 Senate Democrats in calling on U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to provide answers regarding reports of recent changes to long-standing practices at the United States Postal Service (USPS) that would result in increased delivery times and costs for election mail, and urged him not take any further action that makes it harder and more expensive for states and election jurisdictions to mail ballots. Despite numerous... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), along with Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Brian Schatz (D-HI), today announced the framework for a new college athletes bill of rights that will advance justice and opportunity for college athletes. The proposal will guarantee fair and equitable compensation, enforceable health and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez today announced a total of $28,919,131 in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to support airports throughout New Jersey, which includes an additional $3,180,239 the senators secured in the CARES Act to help the state’s COVID-19 response.“New Jersey’s airports are vital means of transportation for countless New Jerseyans and serve as economic drivers for our region, but their ability to operate... Read More

[WASHINGTON, DC] – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement after the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) prohibited member schools from requiring athletes to sign liability waivers exempting institutions from being held accountable for the spread of COVID-19. Booker and Blumenthal wrote NCAA President Mark Emmert requesting this action at the end of June, and introduced legislation to prohibit such liability waivers shortly... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressman Joaquin Castro (D-TX) today introduced a bill that would establish an $800 million competitive grant program for states and school districts to increase the enrollment and performance of underrepresented students in advanced courses and programs. Under the Advanced Coursework Equity Act, eligible states and school districts could receive up to $60 million in grants to do things like expand enrollment in advanced courses, cover... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) issued the following joint statement after U.S. District Judge Esther Salas released a video statement this morning to honor the memory of her son and address the need for protecting the privacy of federal judges and their families:“What happened to Judge Esther Salas and her family is a tragedy of unspeakable proportions. No judge should ever feel unsafe or threatened because they have answered the call of public service to... Read More

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) delivered the keynote address at the virtual National Food Policy Conference hosted by the Consumer Federation of America. During his remarks, Senator Booker discussed his legislative efforts to reform our broken food system and highlighted the negative impacts the current system has on independent family farmers, rural communities, public heath, workers and farm animals. Today, Booker also introduced a bill to boost safety and protect... Read More

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act to protect worker, consumer, and animal safety by suspending all current and future USDA waivers and regulations that allow companies to increase production line speeds at meatpacking plants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reps. Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11), Rosa DeLauro (CT-3), and Bennie Thompson (MS-2) have introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives. Across the country, many meat... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- United States Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), and Kamala Harris (D-CA) and 23 additional Senators today sent a letter pressing Attorney General Bill Barr and Acting Secretary Chad Wolf for answers on the alarming actions taken against protesters by federal law enforcement agents deployed by the Trump Administration, as well as threats by President Trump to deploy federal officers to more American cities. These steps are all the more... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today led 33 of his Senate colleagues in urging President Trump to reverse his decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO). The Senators warned that an American withdrawal from WHO will upend efforts to implement a collective international response to the COVID-19 pandemic, inevitably put American lives and economic interests at risk, and undermines American leadership within the international community, while empowering China.... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) are introducing the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act, legislation to make a new, $17.9 billion investment in low-income and minority communities that have been especially hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) will introduce companion legislation in the House. The legislation would provide eligible community development... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the below statement regarding the passage of the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR) by the U.S. House of Representatives this afternoon. Sens. Booker and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) are lead authors of the bill in the U.S. Senate, which the chamber passed unanimously in May. Once signed into law, the bill will improve timely access to financial assistance for families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19 by clarifying the... Read More

WASHINGTON — Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee issued the following statement on the recent escalation in violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border: “We are deeply concerned about the reports of violence along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border. Azerbaijan, with Turkey's support, has chosen a path of violence instead of the peaceful, negotiated process spearheaded by the OSCE Minsk Group. We urge a stop to the... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-NJ) joined Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Democrats today to unveil the Economic Justice Act, a major new legislative proposal to make $350 billion in immediate and long-term investments in Black communities and other communities of color. For far too long, Congress has underfunded critical priorities like public health, child care, infrastructure, and job creation in these communities. Senate Democrats’ plan... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-N.J.) joined a group of colleagues in calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to immediately comply with the Supreme Court’s decision rejecting the Administration’s rescission of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and requiring the Administration to reopen DACA for new applicants. The Supreme Court announced its decision on June 18, with Chief Justice John Roberts calling the Administration’s effort to... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and U.S. Representative Donald Norcross (D-NJ), today sent a letter urging Senate and House leadership to increase funding dedicated to supporting the unique needs of the children of migrant workers during the COVID-19 pandemic as a part of the next Congressional relief package.  Multiple times a year, more than 300,000 children relocate throughout the country with their families who are seeking seasonal agricultural work. In... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C – In response to rising food insecurity and supply chain disruptions witnessed during the coronavirus pandemic and stemming from our hyper-consolidated food system, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today introduced the Local Food Assistance and Resilient Markets Act, or the Local FARM Act, legislation that expands food assistance to vulnerable Americans and increases support for the local and regional food systems that have proven most resilient during the COVID-19 crisis. “The... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced the awarding of $5,370,096 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Hospital Preparedness Program (HPP) to support the New Jersey Department of Health’s response and recovery efforts to the COVID-19 pandemic. “These funds are absolutely critical as our state continues to battle COVID-19 and prepares for future spikes,” said Sen. Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets... Read More