Press Releases

WASHINGTION – Today, U.S. Sens. Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), introduced the Supportive School Climate Act of 2015, legislation that would address the so-called school-to-prison pipeline by reducing suspensions, expulsions, and other overly harsh school disciplinary actions to improve youth outcomes. They were joined by U.S. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Reps. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), Danny K. Davis (D-Ill.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.). The bill would give every... Read More

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-N.J.), joined U.S. Sen Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2) to introduce the Bank on Students Emergency Loan Refinancing Act in the Senate and House. The legislation would allow those with outstanding student loan debt to refinance at the interest rates that were approved last year for new borrowers. A previous version of the bill was voted on in the 113th Congress, and every Senate Democrat and three Senate Republicans voted to... Read More

WASHINGTON –U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker D-N.J., today introduced a bill to update and improve a $35 billion federal loan program that could speed improvements to passenger rail projects in New Jersey and across the country – projects like the reconstruction of Amtrak’s Portal Bridge and the Gateway Project. Booker’s Railroad Infrastructure Financing Improvement Act (RIFIA), legislation makes improvements to the Federal Railroad Administration’s Railroad Rehabilitation... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) along with Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), have introduced a bill, the Democracy Restoration Act, to strengthen communities by reducing recidivism rates through the restoration of voting rights to individuals after they have served their time and have been released from incarceration. S. 772 would restore voting rights in federal elections to the million Americans who are out of prison and living in the community.... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J. and Roger Wicker, R-Miss., today reintroduced bipartisan legislation that would give local officials more control over the transportation planning process in their states and communities. The “Innovation in Surface Transportation Act,” is cosponsored by Senators Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and Bob Casey, D-Pa. “There’s a long list of transportation projects that can’t get done in communities across the country because... Read More

WASHINGTON– Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), today issued the following statement after the Senate voted on the Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act, legislation intended to combat human sex trafficking but amended to limit access to health care services for women who are victims of this despicable crime. “This bill was initially a reflection of a bipartisan determination to eradicate the exploitation of women and children through sex trafficking. Sadly, with the inclusion of provisions... Read More

WASHINGTON– Sen. Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), today participated in a hearing in the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee which examined the progress of the nation’s first ever interoperable public safety network, FirstNet. FirstNet, when completed, will provide critical communications capabilities for first responders and emergency personnel, enabling them to communicate seamlessly during times of crisis. New Jersey is currently using FirstNet spectrum for a public safety... Read More

Washington, D.C. – Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rand Paul (R-KY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) today stood with patients, their families and advocates to announce new bipartisan legislation that will allow the use of medical marijuana in states where it is legal without fear of federal prosecution. The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States (CARERS) Act would reschedule marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug to recognize it has accepted medical use, and would... Read More

Washington–U.S. Sen. Cory A. Booker D-N.J., today issued the following statement afterthe U.S. House of Representatives voted to approve bipartisan passenger rail legislation: “The House passage of the bipartisan passenger rail bill today is a good first step toward making critically necessary improvements to passenger rail infrastructure in the United States,” Sen. Booker said. “Allowing Amtrak to keep more revenue in the Northeast Corridor will speed vital improvements... Read More

WASHINGTON – Since U.S. Sens. Cory Booker D-N.J., and Tim Scott R-SC reintroduced the Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) Act last week, the legislation has received support from respected national think tanks, nonprofit organizations, colleges and universities, vocational schools, and trade unions. These state and national organizations have endorsed and embraced the LEAP Act, which provides a tax credit to employers to help increase the number of... Read More

Newark, N.J. – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, (D-NJ), along with Volunteer Lawyers for Justice (VLJ), today hosted a free legal clinic for individuals interested in receiving information about criminal record expungement. The clinic, held this afternoon at Seton Hall Law School, kicked off with an overview of the criminal records expungement process in New Jersey. During his remarks, Sen. Booker also took the opportunity to discuss his ongoing effort to reform our nation’s criminal justice... Read More

WASHINGTON – A resolution introduced by U.S. Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Thad Cochran, R-Miss., and Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y commemorating Black History Month has passed the US Senate. S. Res 84 recognizes the indelible contributions made by African Americans to our country’s political, economic, social and cultural history in the face of systematic racial injustice. “I am proud that the United States Senate has passed this resolution in recognition of the men and women whose... Read More

WASHINGTON – Legislation introduced by U.S. Sens. Cory Booker D- N.J. and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to award the Congressional Gold Medal -- the nation’s highest civilian honor -- to those who participated in the 1965 Voting Rights March from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, has passed the US Senate. Because the US House passed identical legislation earlier this month, with President Obama’s signature of the bill the Congressional Gold Medal will be awarded to the “Foot... Read More

Washington, DC – U.S. Sens. Cory A. Booker, D-N.J., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., Angus King, I-Maine, and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today praised the FCC for voting to grant petitions allowing local governments in North Carolina and Tennessee to pursue municipal broadband projects. Currently, laws in 19 states ban or significantly hinder local broadband investments. “I salute the FCC’s vote to preserve the rights of communities trying to make important broadband... Read More

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., released the following statement today after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted to adopt regulations that would ensure Net Neutrality and protect and promote an open Internet: “It’s a landmark day in the history of the Internet. The FCC’s approval of Net Neutrality rules is a tremendous victory for freedom of ideas, of information, and of expression. I’ve long-believed that the principles of openness,... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tim Scott (R-SC) today introduced the Leveraging and Energizing America’s Apprenticeship Programs (LEAP) Act, S. 574, which provides a tax credit to employers to help increase the number of registered apprenticeships in the United States. This will put more people to work and help fill the 4 million job vacancies across the United States. Many employers explain the reason for their unfilled jobs as a lack of available trained workers.... Read More

Washington, DC – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., released the following statement after traveling to the White House this afternoon to participate in a bipartisan meeting on criminal justice reform efforts with Members of Congress, the President, and the Vice President: “This afternoon, I met with President Obama, Vice President Biden, and several members of Congress to discuss the urgent need to reform our broken criminal justice system. I was encouraged to hear the President call... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., joined President Obama, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., at an event at AARP’s headquarters today to announce new federal rules aimed at better protecting American families’ retirement savings. Most critically, the proposed rules would protect families from paying hidden fees on their retirement savings and hold all advisers who provide workers with retirement investment advice to a fiduciary standard of... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., today issued the following statement on the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) release of proposed rules for commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or drones: “For years, other countries have outpaced the United States in the development of commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems because we have lacked a regulatory framework for this emerging technology. For months, I've urged the FAA to act quickly to put forth a set of rules that... Read More

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Cory Booker D-N.J., at a press conference led by Sens. Richard Durban D-Ill. and Mike Lee R-UT, today joined a bipartisan coalition of senators and representatives to introduce the Smarter Sentencing Act, legislation to modernize federal drug sentencing polices by giving federal judges more discretion in sentencing those convicted of non-violent offenses. With prison populations skyrocketing and about half of the nation’s federal inmates serving sentences for... Read More