House Considering Amendments to Support Dairy Farms During COVID-19, Boost Oversight of Veterans Homes, Invest in Veterans’ Health Care, Combat Toxic Algae in NJ Lakes, Protect Kids from Vaping, Invest in Holocaust History Education

WASHINGTON – This week, the House will be considering amendments introduced by U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) to:

• Encourage Congressional support for family-owned dairy farms in Northwestern New Jersey, which are facing economic challenges due to the pandemic;
• Provide resources to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs Inspector General to ensure proper compliance of state-run veterans homes, including the Paramus Veterans Home;
• Boost investment for medical care at non-VA facilities, to continue the fight for greater access to health care for North Jersey veterans;
• Address the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) impacting many North Jersey lakes and harming our recreation, local businesses, and residents;
• Prohibit funds from being used to promote the sale of vaping and dangerous e-cigarette products which can harm our children; and
• Increase resources for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s outreach services and education on anti-Semitism.

“I’m proud that the House will be considering my pieces of legislation to support North Jersey agriculture during this difficult time, to ensure veterans have the care and access to medical services they all deserve, to protect our local lakes and recreation industry from toxic algae, to protect our kids from vaping, and to better educate Americans about the history of the Holocaust,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5).

Gottheimer’s amendments include:

• Supporting NJ Dairy Farms: Supporting resources to assist family-owned dairy farms — the backbones of the rural economy in Northwestern New Jersey — which are facing massive challenges due to the pandemic. Dairy farmers have suffered more than $5.7 billion in losses due to the crisis, and encouraging Congressional support for the Agricultural Marketing Service will help dairy farmers survive.

• Ensuring Compliance at State-Run Veterans Homes: Providing more resources for the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, to investigate and ensure proper compliance at state-run veterans homes — like the disaster-stricken state-run New Jersey Veterans Home at Paramus, where 81 residents and 1 staff member tragically died from a coronavirus outbreak. This provision will provide much stronger federal oversight of these facilities and will help protect our veterans.

• Investing in Health Care for Veterans: By boosting investment for medical care at non-VA facilities, this continues Gottheimer’s fight for greater access to health care for veterans in North Jersey — who can be referred to local hospitals, imaging centers, and clinics for care.

• Addressing Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs): This provision addresses the Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) impacting many North Jersey lakes and harming recreation, local businesses, and residents, by ensuring a U.S. Geological Survey be reported to Congress on ways to combat toxic HABs like those found in Greenwood Lake and Lake Hopatcong.

• Protecting Kids from Vaping and E-cigs: This provision prohibits any funds in the bill from being used to promote the sale of vaping and dangerous e-cigarette products which can harm our children — to help save lives and protect families by combatting the youth vaping epidemic.

• Educating on the Holocaust and anti-Semitism: Increased investment for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum’s outreach services will help more Americans learn about the history of the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, and other forms of hatred, bigotry and intolerance.

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