Josh Gottheimer

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Reclaiming my time. Just one question on that. Do you feel now that the three are still insecure? And are you concerned about them?

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Reclaiming my time. Does the gentleman agree that we should have them back in immediately, again, to talk to them and find out if they have made progress?

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. The whole point is that, because they are still insecure, we better let people actually have access to their data all the time. That is what this bill does, so they can find out, instead of having to pay 10 bucks or 15 bucks every time to see if these sites are secure. That is my concern. I thank the gentleman. I think we are good.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, just one point I want to bring back up, if I may. I want to thank my friend for his comments, and I appreciate his work and our efforts together here. The one point about the Social Security number that I want to raise is, the bill requires a study at the GAO to see what the best answer is, whether if that is a Federal identifier number or a Social Security number, whatever the best answer is. I know we spent a lot of time talking about this. I, too, am very concerned with making sure that we have the best possible outcome to protect people and protect their information. So if the GAO comes back and says that we need to develop a new Federal identifier so that we keep it separate from the Social Security number, then, to me, that would be the best outcome. That is exactly why the bill requires the GAO to study this. Again, just one other point, if we are concerned about current security and cybersecurity.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. I yield to the gentleman from North Carolina.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I thank Mr. Riggleman for his points. He is a good friend, and I respect him deeply. I disagree here, respectfully. The whole point of this is to protect consumers. Giving consumers more data to have access to about themselves and to understand their own credit scores and their own credit history and have more transparency into their own lives does not hurt them; it helps them. That is exactly what we are doing today, so that if you are hacked, if you are one of the millions of Americans whose credit is stolen every single day and you are trying to put your credit life back together, not by your own making, because someone did it to you, and they are opening accounts and doing things to you, what this legislation will do is help you. Instead of having to spend hours chasing down the three bureaus and hoping that they actually do what they say they are going to do and put your credit back together, so that when you want a house and a mortgage, or you want a car, and you want to do the things that you have worked very hard to build your credit for, someone else who stole your credit won't be able to undermine that. That is what this bill does. One point, just to clarify this important point that the ranking member made. The bill does not mandate the collection of Social Security numbers. It simply requires that credit bureaus match the information they already have on file to ensure that Jane Doe in Illinois who defaults on her payments does not impair the credit of Jane Doe in Indiana. One of the biggest reasons consumers have errors in their files is because of the mixed files when negative information is assigned to the wrong person. It is, once again, another reason why we need a place for consumers to go to get free access to their reports, to file complaints immediately, to contest issues when they see them, and to make sure their credit isn't sold off to someone else right underneath them. That is the point of this. And why we are having a GAO study is to make sure we find the best way, the most secure way, to do this going forward. This legislation protects consumers; it protects Americans; and it doesn't look out for the oligopoly. We need more competition there. It looks out for the American consumer, and that is the point.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as a proud cosponsor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Congressional Black Caucus, led by my friend, Chairwoman Karen Bass, New Jersey's great Senator Cory Booker, and others for their work on this landmark legislation. The need for serious structural reform cannot be clearer as our country mourns the murder of George Floyd, just one of the most recent instances of a long, painful history of violence and discrimination against African American men and women in our country. Right now we are witnessing an outpouring of support from all communities, from all backgrounds, a collective movement working to end bigotry and hatred, to advance racial equality, fighting the scourge of racism that has held a grip on our country for far too long, and affirming, yes, that indeed Black lives matter. We should all be inspired by the overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations all across this country calling for justice, a freedom which is a cornerstone of our Nation. To make real change, we must continue to work together. Mr. Speaker, I urge every one of my colleagues to join me in supporting this important bill.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for her excellent leadership. I thank Mr. Roy for his great bipartisan work and my dear friend, colleague, and fellow problem solver, Dean Phillips, for his remarkable leadership on this important piece of legislation. He did it the way he believes we all should govern, and that is working across the aisle. I am grateful for what he did on the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, which was supported by the Problem Solvers Caucus, 50 strong--25 Democrats and 25 Republicans. Mr. Speaker, I have heard over and over again from businesses in my community in northern New Jersey that they are so grateful for the PPP Loan Forgiveness Program and all of the jobs and businesses it helps protect. But they need more flexibility with the formula and timeframe. They need more time with the loan and more flexibility on how to spend it, from salaries to rent. Mr. Speaker, I am proud that this bipartisan legislation does exactly that: helps the 131,000 small businesses in New Jersey that have been helped by the PPP Loan Forgiveness Program. And I am equally grateful for the bipartisan TRUTH Act, which demands more transparency and accountability for every single dollar that is loaned out from the Small Business Administration to our businesses. I am glad that that legislation will pass here later today and that we will know where all the loans have gone. Mr. Speaker, New Jersey's economy, including all of our small businesses, want to make sure their businesses can stay open at the end of this pandemic. They want to keep their workers. They want to keep giving back to our communities. They want to grow their businesses and give back to our great State. But they need our help. This bill does that, and I am hoping the Senate acts quickly to take it up.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today as Congress adapts for this pandemic so that we can represent our constituents and shape legislation during this crisis and do so safely in line with CDC guidelines. This resolution includes remote committee participation and proxy voting, which are essential reforms during this pandemic and key to giving the American public the accountability and transparency they deserve. I am hoping remote floor debate and voting are next, and this paves the way. The Supreme Court is doing it, and so can we. State legislators, including Oklahoma, and in my State of New Jersey, and legislators around the world are doing it. We are behind here, and it is time we step up. There is nothing extreme about working this way and adapting during an emergency, just like all Americans have. I am very grateful to Chairman McGovern, my good friend, a true statesman and institutionalist, and Representative Lofgren, who has done an incredible job, for working with us in the Problem Solvers Caucus, with Democrats and Republicans, as we have continued making strides towards a truly remote system. This debate and work are key for my district in north Jersey, which is at the epicenter of this crisis. Today's bill also includes full reinstatement of the SALT deduction, giving New Jersey a long-needed tax cut, something I have been fighting for for years. It also helps small businesses make ends meet, for workers who aren't sure they will get another paycheck, and for every other single county and community so they can support teachers, cops, EMS, and firefighters. But it starts with making sure our system is built so we can do it, and today's proposal does just that. We should all support this legislation to defend this institution, to protect it, and to ensure that accountability and transparency in this institution lives on forever in the greatest country in the world. I know we will get through this together if we put country ahead of party.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, this week, coronavirus impacted my north Jersey community in a heartbreaking way. Our thoughts are with the loved ones of Bergen County resident John Brennan, New Jersey's first life lost from coronavirus. Mr. Brennan was a lifetime horse trainer, a fixture at Yonkers Raceway, and a remarkable individual. As of this morning, New Jersey now has 22 other presumed positive cases, several in my district alone. North Jersey's hospitals and frontline medical professionals are working to contain the outbreak and keep our residents safe. I commend our counties and hospitals in New Jersey's Fifth District--New Bridge, Valley, Atlantic, Hackensack Meridian, and Holy Name--for working so hard and working together and for holding daily calls to coordinate efforts to help combat the spread of the virus. This week, I led members of our congressional delegation to ask the CDC when New Jersey should expect to receive confirmation of our pending presumed positive cases. We still have not received CDC confirmation of the tests that have been sent to the agency. I know the CDC is working diligently to fight this crisis, but gaps in testing confirmation hinder our ability to mitigate the spread. Now is the time for our country to come together--our great hospitals, the CDC, all levels of government--to ensure all Americans are safe. There is nothing partisan about this moment. We must, as a country and as government, come together to fight the coronavirus and keep our families safe.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, this morning, hardworking families across northern New Jersey woke up, made breakfast, and wished each other good-bye before leaving for work or school. But our thoughts are with one family that was unable to be together this morning, this Sowore family from Haworth in Bergen County. That is because Yele Sowore, a husband, father, and neighbor, remains in Nigeria awaiting the outcome of his pending trial. For months, members of the New Jersey delegation, including Senator Menendez and Senator Booker, have been closely following Mr. Sowore's case and working together with the Haworth community to advocate on behalf of our neighbor and friend. We were relieved when, in December, after months of detention, Mr. Sowore was finally released on bail. But we continue to urge the Government of Nigeria to follow its own laws and to do the right thing: providing Yele with the due process rights he deserves. I want to recognize Yele's family, especially his wife, Ope, who has dealt with a trying situation with extraordinary courage and determination. As Representative of the Fifth Congressional District, I am very proud to stand beside Yele's many friends and neighbors throughout north Jersey whose hope is that he will soon be able to be reunited with his family. We are thinking of him, praying for him, and I will not stop working until he comes home.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 3621, the Comprehensive CREDIT Act of 2020. According to my good friend from New Jersey Tom Bracken, who is the president and CEO of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce: ``Everyone needs to be evaluated properly regarding their ability to secure credit.'' Individuals want to be confident that the due diligence involved in evaluating their credit worthiness is accurate. Now, here is the problem that my amendment is trying to solve, a problem Americans face every single day. There are a handful of credit bureaus in the United States that are deciding Americans' fate in a black box on whether they should get access to credit or not--whether they should get, or how much they should be paying for a car, a house, a loan to send their children to college, a rate on a credit card, and how much they can receive for a small business loan. Houdini himself couldn't figure out how these scores are calculated. And here is the rub: Each of these companies comes up with a magic number, your credit score. Last week, The New York Times reported that one of the controllers of that black box is developing a new credit model to decide our financial fates in, and that this new model may lower the scores for 40 million Americans. Yes, this new model--just to say this again--may lower the scores for 40 million Americans who work every single day to keep their credit scores high. These are hardworking people in our communities who are going to be penalized after spending years doing everything right. But they are going to change those scores based on external factors that have nothing to do with them and how hard they have worked to keep their credit scores up. Not only does your score determine your ability to obtain credit at a fair price, but they are also used by countless sectors, from insurance companies to landlords and even employers, to decide if you are welcome or not. These changes could harm 40 million Americans, again, even though they have done absolutely nothing wrong. These changes could cost people thousands of dollars in higher-priced credit, or worse yet, result in the denial of a job, apartment rental, or ability to buy a home. I am focusing on working to expand credit access to the millions of credit-invisible Americans, consumers who have no credit history. Now, many of these new creditworthy consumers are going to wake up and find that the rules they thought they were playing by are changing because of economic forecasts that they have no control over. My amendment is simple. It will allow for a level of oversight to review any potential model changes to ensure that they are not being done arbitrarily, if the changes decrease the credit scores for Americans. If it is found that there is no justification for the changes, the models can be blocked from deployment. The review is not mandatory, giving flexibility for the market to work on their own approach to make sure that Americans who work hard and care about their credit health are not being whacked for doing the right thing. This amendment is an important safeguard for consumers who all too often are left holding the bag when it comes to their credit scores. I am proud to offer this amendment today that will protect consumers and make sure that no one's credit scores get docked arbitrarily after they have played by the rules. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense amendment. Again, this is not about being able to price for risk and make sure that we don't set the right scores and rates. This is about arbitrarily changing someone's score simply because there is macro outside externalities that have nothing to do with them or their behavior, and suddenly, they wake up one day and their credit scores are really changing their lives and having a significant impact on them. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the ranking member for his leadership. We work together quite often, and I know we disagree on this one. The challenge I have here is you have just a couple companies that control, through this black box, all this information that no one can figure out how they get your score and how the score is developed. It is completely arbitrary. People are working really hard to try to get their scores up so they can get a loan, so they can get a mortgage, and just to make their lives better. They work really hard at it. It just doesn't make any sense to me to have this arbitrary change in the number that no one can understand. Again, you just have a few people sitting in a room somewhere making this decision. The idea would be to make sure there is some sort of review, so that if a few people just go make this decision without any real competition--I am a pro-business Democrat--they go off and make this decision in this room somewhere, it really can affect every aspect of your life. Suddenly your credit goes down, and now they want to bring your credit down again, these credit scores down and change the number, with nothing to do with your own behavior at all. It is just that they decided this on externalities. So I agree with the ranking member that we should always make sure that we are circumspect here and we allow the markets to play out. But in this case, this isn't the market with competition. In this case it is arbitrary, and there should be review. In the review you can have a perfect review and in the end it would be that, okay, this makes sense. I can see why we need to make these changes. I understand why we need to do this. And, of course, price for the risk here, and that makes sense. But in this case you can't just be someone in the back room making a decision and then you wake up one day, you have done nothing wrong and they had a huge impact on how much you are paying for your credit, how much you are paying to take out a loan, if you own a small business to take out a loan, or get a lease for a car, things that affect your life every single day. That is really what we are talking about here. So I appreciate the ranking member's concerns, but I think in this case it is very focused. It is to really ensure that you don't have an oligopoly with all control. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, it sounds like we are finding a place of common ground here where we certainly need more competition in this space, and the fact that the gentleman said big data and other externalities being brought to bear, I am looking forward to working with him on that because I think certainly we have got to make this better.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I am humbled to be here this evening to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day and, this year, the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I would like to recognize all of my colleagues and fellow members of the Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism for participating in this Special Order Hour; especially my friends, Congressman Ted Deutch, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, and Congressman Lee Zeldin, for their excellent leadership. Mr. Speaker, today we remember the six million Jews, and millions more murdered in the Shoah. We must always remember the Holocaust and recommit to learning the lessons of the attempt to eliminate European Jewry. We all have an obligation to teach future generations about this evil, and to pledge ``Never Again.'' This day is deeply significant to my family and to me. I am the grandson of a World War II veteran who fought the Nazis, and my wife's grandparents lost their entire family in the Holocaust. It is critically important that we have come together to commemorate this solemn day, not just to remember the victims of the Holocaust killed by the Nazis in gas chambers and concentration camps simply for being Jews; but also because our history teaches us that we have a responsibility to confront bigotry, hatred, and intolerance wherever it can be found. Therefore, we cannot, and must not, ignore the stunning rise in anti- Semitism and Holocaust denial across Europe, around the world and, increasingly, here at home in the United States, including the violent anti-Semitic attacks we have experienced in New York and New Jersey in recent months. Furthermore, the mounting evidence that knowledge about the Holocaust is beginning to fade should alarm us. As Elie Wiesel said: ``Indifference, after all, is more dangerous than anger or hatred.'' According to a recent survey by Pew Research Center, too many Americans know too little about the Holocaust. For instance, less than half of all adult respondents knew that approximately six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust; and just 43 percent knew that Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany through a democratic political process. Unfortunately, these findings echo a series of surveys conducted in the United States, Canada, Austria, and France in recent years, which also found significant gaps in knowledge about the Holocaust. We know how critical education, visiting a Holocaust museum, and meeting with survivors can be. That is why I am very proud to cosponsor H.R. 943, the Never Again Education Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney and Congresswoman Stefanik, to help support Holocaust education across the country. This legislation was endorsed last year by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and has been cosponsored by nearly 300 Members of Congress. And I am very pleased that the House voted to pass this legislation earlier this evening. I also believe it is more important than ever for our government to commemorate the Holocaust and educate citizens about its history. That is why I worked with my colleagues, Representatives Ted Deutch and Brad Schneider, to ensure that our country properly remembers the horrors of the Holocaust as part of the United States' commemoration of the 75th anniversary of World War II. Additionally, I am proud to be a cosponsor of the TIME for Holocaust Survivors Act, which would provide better care to approximately 80,000 survivors currently living in the United States. Finally, I am deeply grateful for, and very proud to support the critical, ongoing work of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, the U.S. State Department's Special Envoy for Holocaust Issues and for Combating Anti-Semitism, and the Holocaust Survivor Assistance Program. This past fall, a bipartisan group of Members of Congress visited the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum to tour the permanent exhibition. As President Clinton observed at the opening of the museum: ``One of the eternal lessons to which this museum bears strong witness is that the struggle against darkness will never end and the need for vigilance will never fade away.'' Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle who have gathered here today to commemorate this very solemn day. Given the rise of anti-Semitism here at home and around the world, we need leaders willing to stand up now, and to stand together against anti-Semitism, and all forms of bigotry, hatred, and intolerance, which have no place in our country or world. Together, as we talk to our families, when I talk to my children, we should always remember the victims of the Holocaust and take care of the survivors and their descendants. May God continue to bless the United States of America, watch over them; and let us always remember.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I was unavoidably detained from the floor on Tuesday, January 7, 2020. I missed roll call vote No. 01. Had I been present to answer roll call No. 01, I would have answered ``PRESENT''.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 5377 to finally deliver the tax cuts so desperately needed for families and businesses in my district in northern New Jersey. I thank Chairman Neal for his leadership on this legislation which will ultimately save the Fifth District tax filers $5.6 billion each year. That is just in my district alone. Today, I released a tax cut model to show, at every income level, the massive tax cuts that families in the Fifth Congressional District of New Jersey will see as a result of this bipartisan bill. Not only will this bill cut taxes, but it also helps increase our property values and drives economic growth, which is why the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce and the New Jersey Realtors have both come out in support of the legislation. We have to fix the mess caused by the 2017 tax hike bill in the moocher States and provide actual tax cuts for New Jersey families, first responders, and small businesses. Ever since I joined Democrats and Republicans in voting against the tax hike bill, I have been fighting to fully reinstate SALT and finally cut taxes for north Jersey families. It is time we fought back against the moocher States who literally stole $800 billion right out of our pockets. I am sick and tired of paying the bill of the moocher States. This is a huge win for New Jersey families and an actual tax cut. Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today because violent anti- Semitism continues to threaten our country, including in my home State of New Jersey. Investigations are still underway, but I was devastated to learn that the victims in a kosher market in Jersey City, New Jersey, were likely targeted because they were Jewish. All Americans should be outraged when fellow citizens are targeted simply because of their religion. The Anti-Defamation League has reported that anti-Semitism remains at near historic levels, with New Jersey ranked third in the Nation last year. We must stand together now to denounce hate targeted at anyone and prevent more violence. New Jersey stands together to honor the police officers harmed in the attack, who were doing what they do every single day, getting our backs, especially Detective Joseph Seals, a wonderful father of five beautiful children and a 15-year police veteran who gave his own life protecting his community. We mourn with his loved ones, and our prayers are with the officers and community members still recovering. Together, as one New Jersey, and as Americans, I know we can combat this hate, which has no place in our community, in the State of New Jersey, or in our country. May God continue to bless the people of Jersey City, the State of New Jersey, and the United States of America.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of my amendment to H.R. 3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act of 2019. My amendment will ensure continued innovation and research to further the development of lifesaving medicines for rare diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer's, ALS, and rare disorders. The challenge now is that, at best, only 1 out of every 20 clinical trials result in a cure. This, of course, means that manufacturers invest billions before they can find a medicine that can go to market to help save lives. They don't just bet on the winners; they have to also bet and take a lot of risks that don't turn out to succeed and get to market. America has the best medical innovators in the world. When our health is on the line, we can't stop taking those risks to make sure that we find those cures. We can't risk falling behind. My amendment provides investment in qualified clinical testing for drug applications that address unmet medical needs to treat rare and life-threatening diseases, diseases that may go unaddressed without extra incentives. My amendment requires HHS to conduct a study to identify diseases without an FDA-approved treatment and where the development of a treatment would fill an unmet medical need for these rare diseases. My amendment also requires HHS to identify appropriate incentives that would ensure the continued investment in the development of these treatments, treatments that will save lives of the children, adults, and seniors of our families. The Congressional Budget Office and other studies have shown potential reductions in the number of drug approvals each year as a potential risk of H.R. 3. This amendment helps address that concern. Targeted therapies and medicines serving smaller populations stand to lose the most from this blow to R&D. These are areas where the science is the most difficult but also the most important, such as cancers and other rare diseases. Cures for these horrific diseases could always be just around the corner, but not if we are forced to abandon what might be the next cure. While I appreciate the intention of H.R. 3 to reinvest savings in medical research, including at NIH and FDA, without this amendment, there would still be no clear answer to explain what might happen to the incredible research and development work that occurs every day in the private sector. This amendment addresses that. I know how critical NIH funding is and have consistently advocated for increasing the investment in research there. However, NIH does not manufacture medication, and neither does the FDA. The private sector, including all the research being done every day in my home State of New Jersey, manufactures the lifesaving medications that Americans rely on every single day. It is also why my Republican colleague from Michigan, Fred Upton, and I introduced bipartisan legislation this week, the Protecting America's Life Saving Medicines Act, to ensure that life sciences companies continue to invest in these innovative drugs with a tax credit for qualified clinical research, again, to ensure that this research keeps getting done and that they keep making the bets on moonshot drugs that, without those investments, might not save lives like they do today, again, in the greatest country in the world where we innovate like no one else. It is critical that we never give up hope that the next cure is within our reach. My amendment today will help us to reach the goal of curing our most life-threatening diseases. Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chair, I thank the ranking member for his thoughtful comments and his thoughts about what I think is clearly an unmet need and one we need to continue to invest in, so I thank him for his leadership, too, sir. Before I finish, let me just say that I urge all my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, because we need to keep making those investments to keep our leadership as a country when it comes to R&D innovation. It is one of the reasons why our country is so great and why so many lives have been saved and so many families and children helped. We need to make sure that we get drug prices down overall, which is why this legislation is so important, to make sure we have competition, more development of generics in the marketplace and, of course, overall the best quality healthcare in the world. It is critical for our country. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Chair, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. GOTTHEIMER

Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about an issue that is badly impacting my constituents in the Fifth District of New Jersey every single day: the cap on the State and local tax deduction, which led to a major tax hike on my district imposed by the ``moocher States.'' Right now, as congressional leadership considers year-end legislation in these last days of the year, why would they not fix the biggest tax problem of them all: the State and local tax deduction? It is time to end double taxation. I released this report last week on the impact of the SALT cap on the Garden State. It is clear, taxes in north Jersey are through the roof. People are leaving the State in droves, and our home values are plummeting because of the end of the State and local tax deduction. It is time to end that cap, and I am calling on Congress--Democrats and Republicans--to come together, to reinstate the SALT deduction this year and give a real tax cut to north Jersey. This Congress, I introduced bipartisan legislation to fully reinstate SALT, and I helped lead not one, but two bipartisan resolutions overturning the harmful Treasury regulations that kept us from deducting charitable contributions on our Federal taxes. We have to fix this and reinstate SALT this year and cut taxes for New Jersey families, first responders, and small businesses that are the backbone of our community. We simply can't afford to delay and prop up the moocher States anymore.