Pallone Joins Storm and Fire Survivors in D.C. to Demand Disaster Relief Funding, Permanent Recovery Solutions & More News

NJ 6^th District Congressman Calls on Congress to Pass $98.6 Billion Disaster Supplemental and Authorize Permanent Recovery Program

Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) joined storm and fire survivors at the U.S. Capitol.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone Jr. (NJ-06) joined storm and fire survivors at the U.S. Capitol to push for comprehensive and equitable disaster recovery solutions. Pallone joined advocates, organized by the New Jersey Organizing Project, in calling for the permanent authorization and full funding of the U.S. Department of House and Urban Developments (HUD)’s Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program and swift passage of the $98.6 billion disaster supplemental request submitted to Congress by the Biden Administration in November.

“Our recovery system is broken and families are waiting far too long for help,” said Congressman Pallone. “The White House’s disaster supplemental outlines the urgent resources needed to address recent and past disasters, from Hurricanes Helene and Milton to the Maui wildfires. Passing this funding package, alongside permanent authorization of the Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program, will ensure survivors can rebuild faster and more equitably. Think of FEMA as the first responder who puts out the fire, and Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program as the team that rebuilds the house.”

The White House’s $98.6 billion request includes funding for recent disasters like Hurricanes Helene and Milton, the Maui County wildfires, and Midwest tornadoes, as well as addressing unmet needs from prior disasters. The funds would also support infrastructure, housing recovery, and other critical needs to help impacted communities rebuild stronger.The Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery program bridges gaps in federal disaster aid, helping communities recover homes, infrastructure, and local economies. Currently, Congress must authorize funding after each disaster, creating delays that leave survivors in limbo. Permanent authorization would eliminate these delays, ensuring resources are immediately available after disasters strike.

In September, Pallone and bipartisan lawmakers sent a letter to FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell urging the Biden-Harris Administration to apply the agency’s updated disaster aid rules retroactively to cover all disasters declared since January 2021, ensuring survivors of recent catastrophes receive equitable support. At today’s event, survivors from New Jersey and across the country, including Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Texas, North Carolina, and Louisiana, shared stories of delayed recovery and bureaucratic hurdles.

“Disaster survivors need immediate resources after a disaster. As a Hurricane Ida survivor, I’ve endured three years without heat, with no lifeline to recover. If recent FEMA assistance changes had been in place, I could have secured temporary housing while repairing my home. Congress must act now to make these FEMA changes retroactive and help survivors of disasters since 2021, like my family and me, finally rebuild and recover,” Julia Morales Abbud, Hawthorne NJ, Hurricane Ida Survivor.

“After a disaster, which itself is horrific and traumatizing to go through, help and funding needs to come urgently, or families and communities will continue to see the negative consequences for years. My family and I have been struggling to get by and keep a roof over our heads with what we have, and to add to it, we’re eating the cost of a rental on top of a mortgage on a still unlivable, storm-damaged home. Making these changes retroactive for New Jersey Hurricane Ida survivors, who are still living in crisis, will be a game changer. If we could have gotten rental assistance I might not have had to move away from family. The framework for help is in place, Congress just needs to get it across the finish line and make the changes retroactive,” Colleen Kane, Lambertville NJ, Hurricane Ida Survivor.

Pallone Elected Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee for the 119th Congress

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today after the House Democratic Caucus unanimously elected him Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee for the 119th Congress:

“It’s an honor to be elected to once again serve as the lead Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee. I look forward to continuing to work together to deliver for the American people, protect the progress we’ve made, and hold the incoming Trump Administration accountable.

“I will fight vigorously to defend all that we have accomplished together in recent years, including historic health care enrollment, lowering prescription drug prices, combating the climate crisis, and investing in American infrastructure and manufacturing. Committee Democrats will not back down from lowering everyday costs for American families, growing our economy, protecting consumers, and leading the clean energy transition. I’ll also continue to seek bipartisan consensus in order to advance meaningful legislation that will make a difference in the lives of the American people.

“I am grateful to my Democratic colleagues for once again entrusting me to lead this Committee and look forward to getting to work.”

The Energy and Commerce Committee is the oldest continuous standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It was established in 1795 to regulate interstate and foreign commerce. Today, the Committee has the broadest jurisdiction of any authorizing committee in Congress. It legislates on health care; health insurance; biomedical research and development; food safety; clean air and climate change; safe drinking water; national energy policy; nuclear facilities; electronic communications and the internet; privacy, cybersecurity, and data security; consumer protection and product safety; travel, tourism, and sports; interstate and foreign commerce; and other areas.

Pallone, Menendez Secure Win for New Jersey Community Voices with Passage of Updated Harbor and Tributary Study

Language Will Ensure Community Input for Major Federal Flood Control Decisions While Speeding Up Work on Small and Medium Sized Projects

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Rob Menendez (NJ-08) announced the inclusion of an updated New York-New Jersey Harbor and Tributary Study (HATS) in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA 2024). The study, which was first authorized in 2013 as a response to Hurricane Sandy, aims at improving flood protections and storm resiliency. The new language ensures community feedback remains central to federal decisions on major flood control construction while ensuring that small and medium sized non-controversial projects may proceed in the near term.

Pallone and Menendez led efforts since last year to ensure HATS was prioritized in WRDA 2024. When the Corps released the initial results of its study in Summer 2023, Pallone and Menendez embraced community feedback that smart planning required greater consideration of the different causes of flooding, green infrastructure solutions, and more opportunities for community input. The updated authorization marks a significant achievement for the region’s safety and sustainability.

“Planning for climate change impacts is complicated. The inclusion of an updated Harbor and Tributary Study that centers community voices in the Water Resources Development Act is a critical step toward safeguarding New Jersey’s future. This success reflects over a year of deliberation with the Corps and community advocates to find a path forward that prioritizes the long-term resiliency of our region to stronger storms while balancing community considerations and the need to move some projects forward in the near term. I’m grateful to my colleagues for working together to deliver real results for families and businesses,” said Pallone.

“Increasing resiliency in our infrastructure is vital to the future of our communities. In order to make the investments necessary to protect New Jersey’s coastlines from floods, storm damage, and additional environmental risk factors, it’s crucial that we continue to push the Harbor and Tributaries Study forward and begin the work as soon as possible. I’m grateful that we’ve achieved that goal in this legislation, and I’ll keep working alongside my colleagues to deliver continued progress for those we represent,” said Menendez.

“The New York and New Jersey Harbor and Tributaries study within the Water Resources Development Act gives the Army Corps the opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan to address multiple types of flooding that threaten our communities and national parks here. With record floods and more frequent and severe storms making roads impassable, trapping people in their homes and damaging Sandy Hook’s diverse and sensitive shoreline, this bipartisan support could not come soon enough!” said Lauren Cosgrove, Northeast Campaign Director at the National Parks Conservation Association. “We are grateful for Congressman Pallone and Congressman Menendez’s leadership and the support from the NY-NJ delegation in taking action to address all of our flooding concerns, which will save lives, expedite projects and save taxpayer money. All of which will improve the quality of life for all that live and work here, and millions more that visit Gateway National Recreation Area’s trails, beaches and wildlife.”

“Regional planning for coastal resilience around the NY/NJ Harbor region is critical to the protection of homes, property and natural habitat. The initial USACE HATS study was a big step toward such a plan, but had major inadequacies. We thank Congressmen Frank Pallone, Rob Menendez and the bipartisan congressional delegation for addressing these flaws and securing crucial language in this legislation that centers community input, accounts for a fuller array of flood risks, adds green infrastructure that maintains a healthy estuary, and allows beneficial small projects to proceed unimpeded,” Greg Remaud, Baykeeper & CEO, NY/NJ Baykeeper.

The Harbor and Tributary Study will equip the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to address coastal flooding, storm surges, and environmental concerns in the New York-New Jersey region. With increased frequency and severity of weather events, the study represents a vital tool in protecting both lives and livelihoods while advancing innovative and sustainable flood management strategies.

Pallone Urges Fair Treatment for New Jersey Fishing Industry in Striped Bass Management

NJ 6th District Congressman Pushes for New Jersey to Be Regulated as a Separate Region from Neighboring States

 Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. sent a letter today to Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) Executive Director Bob Beal, advocating for fair treatment of New Jersey’s fishing industry under the proposed 2025 Atlantic Striped Bass management measures. Pallone stressed the need to rebuild striped bass stocks while ensuring New Jersey’s fishing industry is not unfairly penalized compared to neighboring northern states.

In his letter, Pallone called on the ASMFC to regulate New Jersey as a separate region, highlighting that the fish do not arrive along the Jersey Shore from the North until November and December – the time of the ASMFC’s proposed closures. This would mean New Jersey would carry the full brunt of the reduction for states to the north of it. He noted that similar frameworks where New Jersey is regulated as a separate region have successfully rebuilt Summer Flounder stocks and could serve as a more equitable model for striped bass management.

“Meeting the stock rebuilding deadline of 2029 is important to the future of the species, as well as the industry and culture that depend on healthy stocks of Atlantic Striped Bass. A more appropriate framework to achieve shared goals would be to regulate New Jersey as a separate region. It is my understanding that the Atlantic Striped Bass Board is currently considering fishing closures to achieve a 14 percent reduction for a region that reaches from Massachusetts to New Jersey in November and December – my state’s best season. It is critical that the Board consider that the fish do not arrive from the North along the Jersey Shore until this time of year. As a result, the seasonal closure would wholly benefit our northern neighbors at the expense of New Jersey’s industry and culture. This is simply unfair,” Pallone wrote.

Pallone’s advocacy comes as the public comment period for the ASMFC’s proposed measures closes today. The commission is expected to announce its final decision at its December 16 board meeting.

In response to Pallone’s letter, Tom Fote, Legislative Chairman for Jersey Coast Anglers Association and New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs, said, “We aren’t saying whether we should be doing cuts or staying status quo at this time, but if we are doing anything then we agree with the Congressman that New Jersey should be its own region and not grouped with the other states.”

Jim Hutchinson, Managing Editor at The Fisherman Magazine (New Jersey, Delaware Bay edition), said, “I want to personally thank Congressman Pallone for addressing the inequities in the striped bass options which could have grave socioeconomic impacts on our recreational fishing community in New Jersey. Any changes to the 2025 season at this point, especially those presented by the Board during their December 5^th webinar, may lead to a less equitable opportunity for New Jersey anglers and cause undue harm to our recreational fishing industry.”

Full text of Pallone’s letter is below and linked here:

Dear Executive Director Beal,

 I write to share my feedback regarding the Atlantic Striped Bass Board’s recent announcement of changes to the species’ 2025 management measures. Specifically, I am concerned that the State of New Jersey may be regulated in a group with other states, which would make stock rebuilding measures more difficult and unnecessarily penalize New Jersey’s fishing industry.

 Meeting the stock rebuilding deadline of 2029 is important to the future of the species, as well as the industry and culture that depend on healthy stocks of Atlantic Striped Bass. A more appropriate framework to achieve shared goals would be to regulate New Jersey as a separate region. It is my understanding that the Atlantic Striped Bass Board is currently considering fishing closures to achieve a 14 percent reduction for a region that reaches from Massachusetts to New Jersey in November and December – my state’s best season. It is critical that the Board consider that the fish do not arrive from the North along the Jersey Shore until this time of year. As a result, the seasonal closure would wholly benefit our northern neighbors at the expense of New Jersey’s industry and culture. This is simply unfair.

 Several years ago, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission regulated New Jersey as a separate region to equitably achieve Summer Flounder stock rebuilding efforts and I believe that remains an appropriate model for Atlantic Striped Bass management measures. As its own region, New Jersey can achieve the necessary cuts without causing disaster. 

 I hope you will agree that this framework will help us achieve both environmental and economic goals. Thank you for your consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

 Sincerely,

 Frank Pallone, Jr.

MEMBER OF CONGRESS

Pallone, Van Drew Secure Hot Spot Erosion Study for NJ Shoreline in Bipartisan National Water Infrastructure Bill

‘Hot spot’ erosion threatens homes, businesses, and $50 billion in economic activity at the Jersey Shore

Washington, D.C. – Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) and Jeff Van Drew (NJ-02) today announced the inclusion of their New Jersey Shore Hot Spot Erosion Mitigation Study in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA). This study will address hot spot erosion—localized areas of accelerated sediment loss that leave beaches, dunes, and nearby properties dangerously exposed to storm surges and flooding. Hot spot erosion occurs when geography and currents collide to focus wave action and energy on a narrow part of a beach.

The inclusion of this study builds on a March 1, 2024, letter authored by Pallone and Van Drew to the Transportation and Infrastructure’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, which called for urgent action to address the impacts of hot spot erosion along the Jersey Shore. The study directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify the most erosion-prone areas, assess their impact on existing federal shore protection projects, and propose tailored solutions to ensure the long-term effectiveness of these investments.

“Hot spot erosion isn’t just about losing sand—it’s about losing the first line of defense for New Jersey families and businesses against storms and flooding,” said Congressman Pallone (NJ-06), the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. “The Jersey Shore generates over $50 billion in annual economic activity and supports tens of thousands of jobs. This study will help pinpoint problem areas and develop solutions to protect our coastline, preserve our economy, and ensure the safety of our coastal communities.”

“The Hot Spot Erosion Mitigation Study is a promise to safeguard our coastal way of life and the natural beauty that defines our beloved South Jersey,” said Congressman Van Drew (NJ-02). “We must take a novel approach to protect our coastline from the harmful effects of coastal erosion. This new program gives the U.S. Army Corps the tools they need to implement innovations to address this challenge.  As this bill becomes law, I am committed to executing its implementation and continuing my efforts to secure a stronger future for both South Jersey and the entire country.”

The New Jersey Shore Hot Spot Erosion Mitigation Study will analyze specific areas of rapid sediment loss, evaluate the impact on federally funded shore protection projects, and recommend solutions. These may include the construction of physical structures such as seawalls, groins, or breakwaters, or adjustments to renourishment schedules to address the unique challenges posed by erosion hot spots.

The study aims to protect more than 100 miles of New Jersey’s coastline, which supports $100 billion in property and tens of thousands of jobs. Hot spot erosion has increasingly undermined federal investments in shore protection projects, making targeted solutions critical to maintaining the state’s resilience against severe weather and sea-level rise.

WRDA, passed every two years, authorizes essential water infrastructure projects nationwide.