Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, in an effort to solve America's impending public health workforce shortage and strengthen its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tina Smith (D-MN) introduced legislation to build a stronger public health infrastructure. Right now, America is facing an alarming public health workforce shortage. Local and state health departments have lost nearly a quarter (23 percent) of their workforce since 2008. Public health... Read More

Washington, DC – The U.S. Senate unanimously cleared legislation authored by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) to improve timely access to financial assistance for families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19. The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR) clarifies certification requirements for survivor benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program to account for the unique challenges presented by the current coronavirus pandemic. The... Read More

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) pressed nearly two dozen bank CEOs whose lending institutions have a presence in New Jersey for the demographic and business size data of borrowers who received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The letters follow troubling media reports and accounts from constituents who contacted Booker’s office that many minority-owned businesses have been denied loans through PPP, which was established to provide economic relief to... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) led more than 80 of their colleagues in the House and Senate in calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to launch a criminal civil rights investigation into the murder of Ahmaud Arbery and an independent investigation into local authorities’ handling of the case. The lawmakers urged DOJ to investigate these matters swiftly and thoroughly so that Arbery’s family can know the truth about what... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) today announced the awarding of $8,775,932.37 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) grants to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management (NJOEM) to support those on the frontline combatting the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding can be used to offset the cost of travel, salary, training and other administrative expenses the NJOEM has incurred. The lawmakers have now secured... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and Congressman Bill Pascrell, Jr. (N.J.-09) today announced the awarding of $6,081,499.75 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) grants to the New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management to support those on the frontline combatting the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding can be used to offset the cost of travel, salary, training and other administrative expenses the State Police has incurred. The... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) announced he joined his Senate colleagues in introducing the Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020. The bill, which was led in the Senate by U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and in the House by U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA), would establish an Emergency Rental Assistance program to provide $100 billion in emergency rental assistance to help families and individuals pay their rent and remain... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced the awarding of $11,127,936 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand COVID-19 testing at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) across the state. Late last month, Governor Phil Murphy announced a detailed plan to reopen the state and its economy, which included expanding testing capabilities. FQHCs are trusted providers for many in lower-income communities who need access to health care... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Continuing his ongoing efforts to protect essential front-line workers during the pandemic, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today pressed the federal government’s largest call center contractor on workplace safety, following recent reports that it hasn’t been adhering to federal safety guidance. He was joined by Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “We write to express our concern that... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the global pandemic exposes the dangers inherent in our highly concentrated food system, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) announced today they will cosponsor Senator Cory Booker’s (D-NJ) Farm System Reform Act. Booker introduced the Farm System Reform Act in the Senate last year and Rep. Khanna announced today that he has officially filed companion legislation in the House. The announcement comes as the COVID-19 crisis has laid bare the hyper... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) announced today that they will introduce companion legislation in the Senate to H.R. 6698, the Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky introduced the bill in the House of Representatives yesterday. This legislation protects the health and well-being of those living and working in nursing homes by increasing infection control and prevention, testing, and... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker, whose parents both attended HBCUs, along with Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Doug Jones (D-AL), led more than a dozen of their colleagues in urging Senate leadership and appropriators to support minority serving institutions (MSIs) in the next coronavirus stimulus package. New Jersey is home to 13 minority-serving institutions. “As MSIs enroll a high number of low-income, first-generation college students and are consistently under-resourced due to... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-N.J.) joined a group of colleagues in calling on Senate Leadership to provide the resources necessary to fully support students with disabilities in upcoming COVID-19 response legislation. Additional emergency funding would enable school districts and educators to continue to effectively serve these students, as required by law, while schools across the country remain closed. Today, Sen. Menendez will virtually join advocates... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As New Jersey and New York’s first responders face perils on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, New Jersey Senators Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D), along with New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and Chuck Schumer (D) today introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19 can quickly access survivor benefits. The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR) clarifies the certification requirements for survivor... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As America’s first responders face perils on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, a bipartisan group of senators is working to ensure families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19 can quickly access survivor benefits. The Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act (SAFR), led by senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), clarifies the certification requirements for survivor benefits under the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program to account for... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, in a letter addressed to the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Mark Emmert, Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Chris Murphy (D-CT) urged the NCAA to take further action to ensure that college athletes are able to access the rights and opportunities they deserve.Their letter comes in the wake of a recently released report from the NCAA’s Board of Governors with recommendations to address changes regarding the ability of college athletes to... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced a total of $15,089,588 to public housing authorities across New Jersey to support their work in maintaining and protecting the health and safety of individuals and families living in their facilities. The senators secured this funding in the $2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which allocated $1.25 billion for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance.“As we continue to battle this public health... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez today announced a combined total of $24,019,053 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support mental health and substance abuse services across New Jersey. These services are especially critical during the current pandemic as anxiety and emotional distress rises as Americans follow state stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines. May is Mental Health Awareness Month. "As we address the need for... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) pressed FedEx on workplace safety at their Newark Airport Shipping Center following troubling reports that the delivery services company was failing to implement practices to adequately protect its workers in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to FedEx CEO Frederick Smith, Booker detailed concerns shared with his office from FedEx personnel working at the Shipping Center in Newark, New Jersey, including reports that... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez, a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee that sets national health policy, and Cory Booker today announced the awarding of $1,100,000 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to support the New Jersey Department of Human Services’ Aging & Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to ensure the safety and health of seniors and adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. “New Jersey’s health care professionals have worked tirelessly... Read More