Press Releases

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both D-N.J.) today led the entire congressional delegation in calling on President Biden to approve Governor Phil Murphy’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration for all 21 counties. Approval of the request would make the state eligible for more federal resources as areas recover from damage caused by Tropical Storm Ida. The storm caused historic flash flooding, tornadoes and record rainfall, and resulted in the tragic deaths of at... Read More

Newark, NJ - U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined EPA Administrator Michael Regan, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Shawn LaTourette, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Ironbound Community Corporation, and New Jersey Environmental Justice Alliance for an environmental justice tour of the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark. The tour was followed by a roundtable discussion on federal policies to address issues affecting environmental justice communities. “Since my early days as... Read More

Newark, NJ - US Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued the following statement:  “My heart and my prayers are with the loved ones of the American service members and Afghan civilians who were killed in the acts of terrorism earlier today in Afghanistan. “The American heroes who were killed today undoubtedly saved the lives of many more, their enduring legacy will be one of service and sacrifice. “I strongly condemn this act... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker and Bob Menendez (both D-N.J.) released a breakdown of how the historic, $1.2 trillion bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed today in the U.S. Senate will provide record investments in New Jersey’s aging infrastructure to repair roads and bridges, expand mass transit, build the Gateway Project, replace water and sewer pipes, and increase broadband internet access.  The bill projects to generate more than two... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today sent a letter to President Biden urging his Administration to rescind a Trump-era opinion that would force individuals on home confinement to return to federal prison following the COVID-19 pandemic.  In their letter, Booker and Durbin note... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) issued the following statement on Senate passage of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021: “After months of bipartisan negotiations, I applaud the Senate for passing the most extensive infrastructure investment our country has seen in decades. This landmark legislation will help create millions of good-paying jobs throughout our country, strengthen our national security, and bolster our economy... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) today reintroduced legislation to crack down on exploitative overdraft fees that banks charge consumers when they make a purchase or pay a bill but don’t have sufficient funds in their account. The Stop Overdraft Profiteering Act of 2021 would ban overdraft fees on debit card transactions and ATM withdrawals, and limit fees placed for checks and recurring payments. It would also mandate that banks post transactions... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) today reintroduced legislation that invests in startup accelerators and incubators in new and underserved areas. Research indicates that just three geographic clusters — the San Francisco Bay area, the Boston-Washington corridor, and Southern California—account for 77 percent of venture capital funding in the United States, driving small... Read More

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the Making Essentials Available and Lawful Act, or the MEAL Act. This legislation would repeal a lifetime ban that prevents formerly incarcerated individuals convicted of felony drug offenses from accessing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or assistance under programs funded by Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block grants. Earlier this year, Representatives Steve Cohen (D-TN),... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) led a letter urging Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to include the American Opportunity Accounts Act, or “Baby Bonds,” in the reconciliation package. If included and passed, 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 wealth gap.  Staggering wealth inequality in the U.S. has only... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced sweeping legislation to address the environmental injustices that harm communities of color, low-income communities, and indigenous communities around the country. The Environmental Justice Act of 2021 would require federal agencies to mitigate environmental injustices through agency action and would strengthen the legal protections of those affected by environmental injustices. Congressman Dr. Raul Ruiz, M.D. (D-CA) introduced... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) re-introduced legislation that would ensure prison disaster response and recovery plans protect the health, safety and civil rights of incarcerated individuals during natural disasters and public health emergencies. The legislation follows a U.S. Government Accountability Office report—which is part of Duckworth and U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan’s (D-NH) requested review of the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) emergency... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mark R. Warner (D-VA) reintroduced legislation to help lower the costs of needed medical care and prescription drugs for children. The Fair Drug Prices for Kids Act would give states the ability to purchase prescription drugs at the lowest price possible, reducing the cost of prescription drugs for children who receive coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and generatingimmediate savings for states and the federal... Read More

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced legislation to reauthorize the Alternatives to Opioids (ALTO) in the Emergency Department program at $10 million annually over five years. The ALTO program was created in 2018 by Booker and Capito-led measure in the Senate that was included in the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271). Companion... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Congressman Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), and Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA-37) released the Second Chance for Justice Package, a group of bills aimed at reforming the criminal and juvenile justice system.  “Our nation’s broken criminal justice system is the result of decades of failed policies that have shattered families and inflicted devastating harm on young people, especially on Black and Brown youth,” said Senator Booker. "Our juvenile justice... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today introduced the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act, legislationthat would create research and public education programs to support women suffering from uterine fibroids. “As we mark Fibroid Awareness Month, we must continue our work to address the devastating health impacts uterine fibroids have on nearly 26 million women, especially Black women, nationwide,” Senator Booker... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Dick Durbin (D-IL), chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, applauded the passage of the EQUAL Act out of the House Judiciary Committee. “Advancing the EQUAL Act out of the House Judiciary Committee represents a welcome step forward in finally rectifying the decades-long federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity that has devastated Black and Brown communities,” said. Sen.... Read More

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today responded to reports that the Biden Administration has decided that thousands of nonviolent inmates who were released on home confinement to reduce the spread of COVID-19 will be required to return to prison one month after the official state of emergency for the pandemic... Read More

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led a letter to Husain Al-Musallam, President of the Fédération Internationale De Natation (FINA) – competitive swimming’s international governing body –  urging him to reverse the organization’s recent decision prohibiting the use of swim caps designed for natural Black hair in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics. This letter was also signed by Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT),... Read More

(Washington, DC) – Today, Senator Booker, Vice Chair of the Senate Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer joined House and Senate DPCC Chairs and MomsRising to share stories of what the historic tax relief from President Biden’s Child Tax Credit means to working families. They were joined by House DPCC Co-chairs Matt Cartwright (PA-08), Debbie Dingell (MI-12), Ted Lieu (CA-33) and Joe Neguse (CO-02), Senate... Read More