Dear Neighbor,

If we want resilient communities in Middlesex and Monmouth, Kristi Noem has got to go.

It’s no secret that our district has frequently been on the frontlines when extreme weather hits. From storms battering the Atlantic coast and Bayshore, to flash floods throughout the area, we know the toll these disasters take on our communities and the importance of the federal government having our back.

But under DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, FEMA has been gutted and mismanaged so badly that on her watch 70 people, including 21 schoolchildren, were washed away in the Texas floods last summer. Meanwhile, states like Washington and New Mexico are now grappling with the aftermath of flooding while FEMA barely has staff to operate. It’s only a matter of time before New Jersey is hit with an extreme weather event and FEMA is nowhere to be found.

And what does Kristi Noem want to do? Cut even more staff from an agency that’s already on life support.

That’s why I’ve led my colleagues in calling for Kristi Noem to be fired. She’s making America a more dangerous place and leaving us unprepared for the next disaster.

Read more here.

And this week, I secured $4 million in federal funding for infrastructure projects in our district! Without this federal funding, these municipalities would have to raise local taxes, or delay these upgrades altogether. Now, our communities can stay strong and healthy without shifting the burden onto local taxpayers.

For Red Bank and Matawan, I secured $2 million for these municipalities to remove lead pipes from their local water systems. Lead pipes and service lines are a well-documented public-health hazard, and this funding would help both communities remove these pipes and provide safer, cleaner drinking water for their citizens.

In Asbury Park and Perth Amboy, I secured $2 million for the cities to upgrade their water treatment infrastructure.

In Asbury Park, $1 Million will go towards a new screening system at the City of Asbury Park’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, helping the city avoid discharges into the Atlantic Ocean, particularly during the busy summer season when failures can disrupt tourism and pose environmental risks.

In Perth Amboy, $1 Million will strengthen the Runyon Water Treatment Plant’s ability to address “forever chemicals” and other emerging contaminants in local water sources and help the city comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements for managing those contaminants.