Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), both members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, announced legislation that will finally eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced.  After the passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, sentencing for crack and powder cocaine offenses vastly differed. For instance,... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker today announced New Jersey is receiving $230,342,420 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to boost its COVID-19 response and vaccine distribution efforts. “This funding is critical to ensuring the State’s ability to respond to the pandemic and administer vaccinations to millions of residents,” said Sen. Menendez. “I will continue fighting for the federal resources New Jersey needs to combat COVID-19, protect our... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, met virtually with Vanita Gupta, President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as Associate Attorney General. Following their meeting, Senator Booker issued the following statement:“Today, I had the honor of meeting virtually with Vanita Gupta, who has been nominated to serve as Associate Attorney General. In my meeting with Ms. Gupta, we addressed her background as a civil rights attorney and how the... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) introduced a resolution recognizing January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day. New Jersey was the first state to recognize January 23 as Maternal Health Awareness Day in 2018  through the work of the Tara Hansen Foundation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and other vital organizations that work to help spread awareness and stop maternal mortality. Since that time,... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, met virtually with Michael Regan who has been nominated to serve as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Following their meeting, Senator Booker issued the following statement:“Today I had the opportunity to meet virtually with Michael Regan, nominee for Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. In our meeting, we discussed the... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, met virtually with Isabel Guzman who has been nominated to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. Following their meeting, Senator Booker issued the following statement:“Today, I had the honor of meeting virtually with Isabel Guzman, who has been nominated to serve as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. In our meeting, we discussed... Read More

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) raised concerns over the implementation of the Farmers to Families Food Box (FFFB) program in New Jersey, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a means of providing food to hungry families in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the vendors chosen by the USDA are contracted to handle the supply chain and logistics necessary to deliver the food boxes directly to food-insecure individuals, New Jersey... Read More

Booker: “Officer Sicknick is the very definition of a hero and he deserves to be remembered for the richness of his life, the way that he loved, the devotion that he gave this nation. That he is no longer with us today is a grievous tragedy and it is also a crime…and anyone who still harbors doubts about what happened here on January 6th should think of him.” WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Cory Booker delivered remarks on the Senate floor on the life and service of United States Capitol... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Ayana Pressley (D-MA) urged President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to include the American Opportunity Accounts Act, or “Baby Bonds,” in the next economic recovery package. When passed into law, this groundbreaking legislation will create a federally-funded savings account for every American child that will make economic opportunity a birthright for every American and substantially close the racial... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congresswoman Ayana Pressley (D-MA) urged President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris to include the American Opportunity Accounts Act, or “Baby Bonds,” in the next economic recovery package. When passed into law, this groundbreaking legislation will create a federally-funded savings account for every American child that will make economic opportunity a birthright for every American and substantially close the racial... Read More

Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) released the following statement in response to the NCAA’s decision to delay a vote on new rules governing college athletes’ ability to market their name, image, and likeness. In December, Booker and Blumenthal introduced the College Athletes Bill of Rights to guarantee fair and equitable compensation, enforceable health and safety standards, and improved educational opportunities for all college athletes. The... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, met virtually with Brenda Mallory who has been nominated to serve as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Following their meeting, Senator Booker issued the following statement:“Today, I had the honor of meeting virtually with Brenda Mallory, who has been nominated to serve as Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. In our meeting, we... Read More

NEWARK, N.J.-- – U.S. Senator Cory Booker released an updated guide for New Jerseyans detailing some of the benefits available to them through the COVID-19 relief package that was passed by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives and is awaiting signature by the President. Click here to access the Coronavirus Pandemic Federal Relief Update for New Jerseyans (December 23, 2020), which details benefits that will be available to New Jerseyans as they relate to direct cash payments,... Read More

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez today detailed how New Jersey will benefit from the COVID-19 relief package that was passed by Congress and signed into law earlier this week. The senators, who both voted in favor of the bipartisan package, secured at least $7.2 billion for New Jersey. Both senators are committed to passing additional funding bills to address the ongoing health and economic crisis.Click the links to view Sen. Booker’s and Sen. Menendez’s statements on... Read More

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. (NJ-10) called on the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide COVID-related compensation, including retention pay, to eligible VA New Jersey Health Care System employees that are serving on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic. In a letter to VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, the lawmakers explained that the VA New Jersey Healthcare System, unlike VA Health Care Systems across the country, is not... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) voted tonight to approve a COVID-19 relief package as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021. He released the following statement: “After over seven months of delay and inaction from Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, tonight we are bringing long-overdue, much-needed relief to millions of people across New Jersey and our country who are hurting. “This bill extends critically needed pandemic unemployment assistance, offers... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Todd Young (R-IN), both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement regarding the recent conflict in Ethiopia: “The conflict in Ethiopia remains far from over, despite Prime Minister Abiy’s claim that military operations are complete. We are deeply concerned by reports of Eritrean refugees in Tigray being killed, abducted and forcibly returned to Eritrea by Eritrean forces, as well as... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced legislation that will preserve and expand access to federal student aid forcollege students. Specifically, the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Reset and Reform Act of 2020 will restore federal aid eligibility forstudents who had previously failed to meet existing requirements needed to receive financial assistance.   Congress found that existing “Satisfactory Academic Progress” or SAP requirements for federal student aid... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Brian Schatz (D-HI) introduced groundbreaking legislation that will change the landscape of college sports and protect and expand the rights of college athletes. The College Athletes Bill of Rights will guarantee fair and equitable compensation, enforceable health and safety standards, and improved educational opportunities for all college athletes. A companion bill was... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced the Ending Administrative Wage Garnishment Act of 2020, legislation that will suspend wage garnishments for those who have defaulted on their student loans and revise income-driven repayment plans. The COVID-19 crisis has placed millions of Americans at financial risk. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, 25% of U.S. adults have either been laid off or someone in their household has,... Read More