First Responders Stand with Menendez, Back Senator for Re-Election

‘Menendez has always had our backs … We need fighters in Washington to protect us from people like Bob Hugin’

Jersey City, NJ – Backed by dozens of firefighters and police officers in the shadow of the World Trade Center, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez today reinforced his commitment to helping New Jersey’s first responders get the federal resources they need to keep their communities and residents safe.  The Senator was publicly endorsed by the Port Authority Police Benevolent Association (PBA), Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ), and Firefighter Mutual Benevolent Association (FMBA).

“When our streets are safe, our neighborhoods thrive, and when our neighborhoods thrive, they attract new jobs and opportunity.  Likewise, every time our firefighters save a life, they save a family, and every time they stop a fire from spreading, they save a community.  That’s why I’ve been standing up for first responders ever since the people of Hudson County elected me to Congress in 1992,” Sen. Menendez told the gathered firefighters and police officers.  “Whether it’s helping New Jersey hire and train more police officers and firefighters, standing up for 9/11 first responders, or defending your right to organize, I will always have your back.  This November, the stakes have never been higher, and your support has never mattered more.”

After 9/11, Bob Menendez earned national recognition for his leadership in reforming the country’s intelligence systems and ensuring that high-risk states like New Jersey receive their fair share of security funding, and has worked to improve the security of our bus, rail and public transit systems.  The Senator has also consistently fought for New Jersey’s first responders—from helping prevent layoffs to creating new first responder jobs and fighting for more funding.   He has and continues to fight back for New Jersey’s middle class.

“The men and women of our department rely on Senator Bob Menendez to ensure we have the tools and resources to properly protect the public.  Senator Menendez has always had our backs,” said Port Authority PBA First Vice President Frank Conti.  “In the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in American history, it was Senator Menendez who stood shoulder to shoulder with those sick and dying from the toxins of ground zero. He fought for the funding to ensure proper treatment not only for police officers, firefighters, iron workers, laborers, and operating engineers, he fought for funding for everyone affected.  Senator Menendez has been the champion of working men and women and needs to be re-elected to continue that fight.”

Sen. Menendez was the original author of the James Zadroga Act, named after the New Jersey native and NYPD detective who died from 9/11-related health issues, which he first introduced in 2006.  He was an original cosponsor of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act which created the World Trade Center Health Program to provide treatment and benefits to eligible emergency responders and recovery and cleanup workers that responded to the 9/11 attacks, while reopening the Victim Compensation Fund (VCF).  He has since fought for the law’s extension.

“As we look at who will be fighting to protect the first responders, let’s look at Senator Menendez’ opponent, Bob Hugin,” Conti continued.  “Multiple myeloma is a rare blood cancer.  Multiple Myeloma has been directly linked to the toxins in the air of Ground Zero after 9/11.  One of my own PAPBA members died of multiple myeloma directly caused by his exposure to toxins working on rescue and recovery at the World Trade Center.  Bob Hugin was the head of Celgene when it raised prices over 100 PERCENT on Revlimid, a drug to treat multiple myeloma. Celgene paid Hugin tens of millions of dollars because of decisions like raising the price of Revlimid.  Those millions of dollars Hugin made off the backs of working men and women are now being used to attack Senator Menendez.  We need fighters in Washington to protect us from people like Bob Hugin.”

The Senator has long advocated for providing federal funding to our local fire departments.  He cosponsored the AFG and SAFER Program Reauthorization Act of 2017 (S.829).  The Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs are focused on protecting the public and the nation’s fire service.  Since 2006, New Jersey fire departments have received more than $246.4 million in SAFER funding to hire, recruit and retain firefighters to ensure proper staffing levels and more than $118.7 million to acquire equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, training and other resources.

“Senator Bob Menendez has and continues to be a strong advocate for firefighters and their families,” said Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey President Dominick Marino.  “Being a former mayor in New Jersey, he knows the importance of firefighter staffing and equipment.  That’s why he has fought to secure federal funding through Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) and equipment through Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) programs.  Most recently Senator Menendez sponsored legislation to establish a National Firefighter Cancer Registry program.  Senator Menendez has always had the firefighters back and the firefighters have his back in this election.”

Sen. Menendez leads the annual appropriations funding letter funding for the COPS Hiring program to help local law enforcement bolster their community policing efforts.  Under the COPS Hiring Program, New Jersey police departments received $103.2 million which they used to hire 570 police officers since 2008.

“Senator Menendez has proven over and over that he’s a true friend to law enforcement who we can always count on.  Without the Senator’s leadership and effectiveness at securing millions of dollars in federal funding we would not be able to maintain our full complement of officers, and that’s helping us keep Hudson County safe,” said Hudson County Sheriff Frank X. Schillari.  “I’m honored to support Senator Menendez and look forward to continuing to work closely with him.”

Earlier this year, Sen. Menendez passed landmark legislation he authored creating the first ever National Firefighter Cancer Registry to monitor and study the incidence of cancer in firefighters with the goal of using that data to design better procedures to protective gear to prevent firefighters, who are often exposed to dangerous toxins and carcinogens, from developing cancer.  He then passed legislation providing $1 million in funding for the Centers for Disease Control to get the registry started.

“Bob Menendez has been and will continue to be a fierce and clear voice for New Jersey’s first responders.  Making sure New Jersey firefighters have the resources needed to keep the communities we protect safe is priority one for Senator Menendez,” said FMBA President Ed Donnelly.  “The stakes have never been higher.  Priority number one for our members is to make sure we send him back to Washington to continue advocating on behalf of NJ first responders.”

Sen. Menendez has continually fought for robust, increased funding for Homeland Security Grant programs that provide critical resources for New Jersey.  In FY17, he secured for New Jersey: $8,337,000 from the State Homeland Security Program; $20,034,000 from the Urban Area Security Initiative; $8,370,698 in Emergency Management Performance Grants; $3,814,953 from the Nonprofit Security Grant Program; $3,606,228 from the Port Security Grant Program; and $21,799,373 from the Transit Security Grant Program.