Gottheimer hosts roundtable with local labor leaders, continues fight to create jobs, support New Jersey’s workforce

NEW JERSEY — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) brought together North Jersey labor leaders to discuss ongoing work to help create jobs and support the hardworking men and women of labor.

“I’ll always get the backs of our hard-working men and women of labor. They have helped build our great state, our country, and have helped create the most competitive workforce in the world,” Gottheimer said. “We all stand together in the fight to create better-paying jobs, safer working conditions, more job opportunities, and health care. We have a common goal: the desire to make things better for our hard-working labor force, to gain dignity and respect on the job, and to create economic growth and security for the families we care so deeply about.”

Gottheimer is fighting to support Jersey’s workforce by:

• Shaping and passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill to boost construction and manufacturing jobs — which will fix our crumbling roads and bridges, build the Gateway Train Tunnel, invest in NJ Transit, clean our drinking water in our homes and schools, and create millions of jobs a year for the next decade — all without increasing the tax burden on North Jersey families. This bipartisan legislation will create hundreds of thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs.
• Passing the bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing— Critical legislation to invest in American competitiveness and address major supply chain issues. This bipartisan bill will boost domestic manufacturing, accelerate U.S. production of semiconductor chips and related equipment, reduce our reliance on foreign countries like China, and help lower costs for North Jersey families and small businesses, all while creating new jobs here in the U.S. It is estimated that the CHIPS and Science Act will create tens of thousands of construction jobs and thousands of high-skilled manufacturing jobs.
• Making life more affordable for Jersey families and workers — By fighting the Congestion Tax, which would have cost Jersey commuters more than $4,000 a year in new taxes. Gottheimer is also working to restore the SALT deduction and raise the Child Tax Credit.
• Helping lower taxes for North Jersey families — By clawing back our federal tax dollars to Jersey from Washington, helping to lower our property taxes, to make life more affordable and safer, and to improve our communities. New Jersey’s Fifth District has clawed 357% more federal tax dollars back from Washington and the Moocher States since Gottheimer took office. For 2021 alone, the federal tax dollars clawed back amount to an average savings of more than $750 for each household in the Fifth District. Through Gottheimer’s work with mayors, councils, first responders, and nonprofits, the Fifth District has realized a far better Return on Investment on the tax dollars North Jersey residents send to Washington every year.
• Lowering the cost for prescription drugs and health care — The Inflation Reduction Act was recently signed into law, which will lower prescription drug prices — especially for seniors, cap annual out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 under Medicare, cap the cost of insulin at $35-per-month for Medicare, and provide support for families struggling with the high cost of health insurance.

Gottheimer was joined by IBEW Local 164 President/Commissioner Tom Sullivan, New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association President Wayne Blanchard, Passaic County Central Labor Council President Tom Kelly, Passaic County Central Labor Council Chairman Pat Glover, Police Benevolent Association Vice President Mike Freeman, New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association District Vice President Ed McKeown, Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen PAC Chairman Ray Vigil, National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association Bergen County Chapter President Edward Dennis, New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Central District Vice President Kevin Beyrouty, IBEW Local 164 Business Agent/Mayor Keith Misciagna, IBEW Local 164 Business Agent Christopher Larson, IBEW Local 164 Business Agent Donald Heal, IBEW Local 164 Examining Board Member Victor Docherty, Police Benevolent Association State Delegate Pat Papero, Dockbuilders Timbermen Local 1556 Business Agent Brian McLaughlin, Pipefitters Local 274 Business Agent Chet Rozmus, New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Labor Committee Member Jason Kurdyla, New Jersey Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Member Services Mary Jane DelValle   IUOE Local 825 Operating Engineer John Alvarado, BACNJ Recording Secretary/Field Representative Ron Green, Plumbers Local 24 Business Agent Enzo Scordo, Local 253 Carpenters Representative Mike Pierce,  and SMART Local 137 Organizer Robert Soto.