MAYWOOD BOROUGH, NJ (Bergen County) — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) joined North Jersey senior citizens at NOAH Adult Day Care Center in Maywood.
Gottheimer answered questions and spoke with seniors about his efforts to combat Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate. He also discussed how he is working to protect retirement savings, Social Security, Medicare, and long-term care facilities.
“There is no greater responsibility than that we owe to those who have given so much to us — like North Jersey’s seniors who have made invaluable contributions to our community. In Congress, I’ve been leading key bipartisan efforts to protect seniors from harmful scams, help you save your hard-earned retirement, and protect Social Security and Medicare,” Gottheimer said. “That’s because, first and foremost, we must remember to always take care of those who’ve taken care of us. In Congress, I will continue to support North Jersey families, combat hate crimes and all forms of bigotry, and invest in local law enforcement to keep our communities safe.”
Gottheimer is fighting to support Jersey’s seniors by:
- Lowering the cost for prescription drugs and health care: To support North Jersey’s seniors, Gottheimer announced how recently passed legislation will help lower prescription drug costs by capping the cost of insulin under Medicare at $35 per month for 5,700 residents from the Fifth District and for more than 77,000 residents across New Jersey. The legislation also caps annual out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000 starting in 2025 under Medicare — helping cut drug costs for thousands in North Jersey.
- Fighting crime, combating AAPI Hate, supporting law enforcement: Last month, Gottheimer’s bipartisan, bicameral Invest to Protect Act, to make critical, targeted investments in local law enforcement, passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support — 153 Republicans and 207 Democrats voting for Gottheimer’s bill. The Invest to Protect Act will ensure that local departments have what they need to recruit and retain the finest officers, to provide necessary training, and to invest in mental health resources for officers. Gottheimer helped pass Rep. Grace Meng’s resolution last Congress to condemn all forms of anti-Asian sentiment as related to COVID-19, and will support the resolution this Congress.
- Making life more affordable for Jersey families by helping lower property taxes: Gottheimer recently announced that New Jersey’s Fifth District has now clawed 357% more federal tax dollars back from Washington and the Moocher States since he took office, helping to lower property taxes, make life more affordable and safer, and improve North Jersey communities. 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. Gottheimer also recently announced a new $500,000 federal investment to help provide public transportation to seniors and veterans in Sussex County.
- Protecting Social Security and helping North Jersey seniors access their benefits: Gottheimer has helped hundreds of Fifth District seniors access their Social Security checks, and Gottheimer is continuing to fight to protect the vital Social Security program that North Jersey seniors paid into for their entire lives.
- Stopping financial scams targeting our seniors: Gottheimer has announced a Senior Security Strategy to help end financial scams targeting our seniors, including stopping the unending stream of robocalls and unwanted texts. Gottheimer’s Senior Security Strategy includes his bipartisan legislation, the Empowering States to Protect Seniors from Bad Actors Act, which passed the House this year, to create a new Senior Investor Protection Grant Program to support state enforcement agencies and task forces charged with protecting and educating seniors on financial fraud, as well as his bipartisan, bicameral legislation, the Senior Security Act, which passed the House last year. The Senior Security Act will create a Senior Investor Taskforce at the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to strengthen protections and safeguards for senior investors.
