From NJ Spotlight News:

Vice President Harris appeared with Governor Phil Murphy and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka to discuss federal funding efforts to replace contaminated lead pipes in the City of Newark.

Harris highlighted the city’s successful project and promoted the Biden Administration’s commitment to clean drinking water for all Americans.  The new $1.2 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure law includes $1 billion to help New Jersey replace 350,000 lead water pipes in the next five years.

“The urgency to get it done was very close to me,” said Baraka, who described the challenge of the lead pipe crisis in his own home during his wife’s pregnancy.

The NJGOP quickly pounced on the event, citing the absence of key battleground congress people in a federal election year.

Tom Szymanski, Executive Director of the New Jersey Republican Party (“NJGOP”), offered the following statement in response to Vice President Kamala Harris’ visit to New Jersey: 

“On behalf of all New Jersey Republicans: welcome to the Garden State, Vice President Harris! Stay as long as you’d like and come back often,” said Szymanski.

He continued: “With just 37% of Americans holding a favorable view of Harris – thanks to the Biden Administration presiding over the worst increases in crime and inflation in decades – the real question is: where are Tom Malinowski, Mikie Sherrill or Josh Gottheimer today?”

U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-10) was proud to attend the event.

“It was an honor to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris to our district again and congratulate Newark Mayor Ras Baraka for the successful replacement of water pipes throughout the city,” the congressman said. “I have worked diligently to get more than $53 million for the removal of lead-contaminated water pipes and fought to get $55 billion added to the new Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to replace lead water pipes nationwide.

“When I heard about Newark’s water issues, I contacted the Environmental Protection Agency and asked them to make sure the city had enough bottled water.  Then I helped hand out bottled water to Newark residents at the Bo Porter Sports Complex and the Boylan Street Recreation Center.  I introduced the Test for Lead Act earlier to establish stronger water tests for lead in schools.  It is now public law and helping to protect students from lead-contaminated water nationwide.  This is a great day for Newark because no issue is more important than clean drinking water.”

Others in attendance included:

U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker

U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone

Speaker Craig Coughlin

Senator M. Teresa Ruiz

Assemblywoman Angela McKnight

Assemblywoman Eliana Pintor Marin