WOODBRIDGE – State Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and the author of legislation creating NJ FamilyCare, a health care access program for the uninsured, today blasted the 156 federal lawmakers who voted against an override of President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides matching funds to State programs for uninsured kids:
“Today is a sad day for advocates seeking to provide access to quality health care for uninsured kids. Efforts to override President Bush’s ill-thought veto on SCHIP have failed to gain the necessary 2/3 vote in the House, and a bipartisan plan to increase funding to the necessary health care program for those in need appears to be dead.
CHERRY HILL – Senator John H. Adler today said it would be a “tragic mistake” to deploy thousands of New Jersey National Guard troops to combat areas of Iraq when the part-time soldiers are needed at home to ensure domestic security.
“The men and women of our National Guard belong in our home state, keeping New Jersey families safe from terror and helping out in times of floods and other disasters,” said Senator Adler, D-Cherry Hill. “Our part-time troops should be assigned to do what they do best – help out during American emergencies.”
TRENTON – Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex) issued the following statement today after the U.S. House of Representatives failed to muster enough votes to override President Bush’s veto of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP):
“Just like President Bush, House Republicans are clearly out of touch with reality. Once again they’ve been successful in stomping on the hopes of hardworking families and the needs of our children. It’s amazing what little regard they have for the sacrifices these families make every day – should we keep the electricity on or should we eat? Should we pay for health insurance or put gas in the car so we can get to work?
Sweeney-Turner Bill Allowing Public Entities To Develop Wireless Broadband Infrastructure Is Now Law
TRENTON – A bill sponsored by Senators Steve Sweeney and Shirley Turner to authorize local entities to develop wireless broadband infrastructure and contract with private Internet service providers to establish wireless community networks was signed into law today by Governor Jon Corzine.
“With the creation of the World Wide Web came access to a wealth of information that can be available at your fingertips, if you have Internet access. All too often, however, the high cost of Internet service acts as a deterrent, preventing families from accessing the valuable research tool,” said Senator Sweeney, D-Gloucester, Cumberland and Salem. “Internet services and home computing are rapidly becoming necessities, not luxuries – especially if we want our students to be able to compete for educational opportunities.”
“In its relatively short existence, the Internet has revolutionized the way we gather information. While access to this information is truly helpful, it is not always affordable,” said Senator Turner, D-Mercer. “Studies have shown that service costs of government-maintained wireless broadband networks are often half of what is paid for private internet access. Because they are able to take advantage of economics of scale, local municipalities are able to negotiate better prices for internet service than individual consumers, which helps keep the prices low for residents.”
CHERRY HILL – Senator John H. Adler made the following statement today as he once again called upon New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to all vote in favor of overriding the President’s veto of the SCHIP Reauthorization Act:
“If President Bush and Congressional Republicans have their way, working class families will be unable to get their children into pediatricians offices like the one I stand in front of today.
METUCHEN – Senator Barbara Buono and New Jersey State AARP President Sy Larsen today sent a letter to Governor Jon Corzine, urging him to act during the lame duck legislative session on a bill requiring hospitals to put increased infection-control practices in place to help prevent the spread of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or (MRSA), a drug-resistant strain of bacteria.
The letter comes in response to a Journal of American Medicine (JAMA) report released yesterday, which outlined the danger of MRSA and other drug-resistant staph infections.
CHERRY HILL – Senator John Adler will be joined by Governor Jon S. Corzine and Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez tomorrow as they call on all of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation to vote to override President Bush’s veto of the SCHIP Reauthorization Act.
The three will discuss the impact to New Jersey’s FamilyCare program if the override vote fails at 11:30 a.m. in front of the office of Dr. Flo Rosen at 600 Rt. 70 West in Cherry Hill.
DUMONT – Senator Joseph F. Vitale, D-Middlesex, the Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement today regarding the Committee’s hearing on the federal State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and President Bush’s recent veto of legislation reauthorizing federal funding for uninsured children:
“Today, members from both sides of the political aisle came together and said in one clear, bipartisan voice that the federal SCHIP program, which helps New Jersey meet its obligation to uninsured children, must be reauthorized and coverage of uninsured kids must be expanded.
“President Bush’s abandonment of uninsured, working poor families is absolutely unconscionable, and it’s up to Congress to override the presidential veto and stand up for the uninsured.
DUMONT – Senator Loretta Weinberg, D-Bergen, a member of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement regarding the Committee’s hearing today on Congressional efforts to override President Bush’s veto on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides federal matching funds to State efforts to provide health care coverage for the uninsured:
“Thanks to the President’s veto of legislation to reauthorize the SCHIP program, New Jersey is on the verge of a potential health care crisis, which can only be alleviated through Congressional action.
DUMONT – Senator Ellen Karcher, D-Monmouth and Mercer, the Vice Chair of the Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee, issued the following statement regarding today’s hearing on Congressional efforts to override President Bush’s veto on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), a program which provides federal funds to State efforts to offer health care access to the uninsured:
“NJ FamilyCare, which relies heavily on federal funds to accomplish its mission of providing health care access to the uninsured, is in jeopardy due to the federal Administration’s failure to recognize the importance of SCHIP. We need Congress to take a stand for the uninsured, and reverse the President’s veto, in order to continue quality care for those in greatest need.
DUMONT – The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens Committee and the Assembly Human Services Committee will hold a joint hearing on Monday at 9:30 a.m. to receive testimony from invited speakers concerning the impact on New Jersey if Congress fails to override President Bush’s veto to limit the expansion of SCHIP–the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
The meeting will be held at Dumont Borough Hall at 50 Washington Avenue in Dumont.
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner joined Governor Jon Corzine today as he signed two of her bills that would reform the Disadvantaged Youth Employment Opportunities Council and differentiate driver’s license suspensions due to parking tickets from those caused by moving violations.
The bill first signed bill, S-2010, will require the Disadvantaged Youth Employment Opportunities Council to report directly to the State Employment and Training Center (SETC). It would also add three members to the Council – the Executive Director of the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education and two representatives of county vocational-technical schools.
EDISON – Senator Barbara Buono today said the Cleveland school shooting is another tragic example why New Jersey needs to implement her proposed “Safe Schools and Communities Violence Prevention and Response Plan Act,” as a comprehensive, pro-active strategy to avert mayhem in our schools.
“Eight years after the mass murder of the Columbine students, we are faced with yet another school shooting committed by a troubled boy from Cleveland,” said Senator Buono, D-Middlesex. “Unless we begin to address the root causes that drive individuals to commit violent acts, no amount of metal detectors, security guards or cameras will prevent such homicidal behavior.”
PATERSON – Senator John A. Girgenti today urged residents to show support for saving Barnert Hospital which could close next month unless a buyer is found to save the facility which has been a staple of health care support on the city’s Eastside for nearly 100 years.
“I’m very concerned about the gaping hole in community health care which would be created if Barnert Hospital closes,” said Senator Girgenti. “And, I am also concerned about the families of the more than 600 dedicated professionals who work at Barnert.”
TRENTON – Senator Shirley K. Turner, a leading legislative advocate for safer communities, today said the Corzine Administration should expand its anti-gang, anti-violence initiatives by using federal homeland security funds to add police street patrols.
“The terror in our communities is coming from violent street gangs, not al-Qaida,” said Senator Turner. “We should be helping towns cope with violence by putting more police on the streets.”