Category: US Senate

Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), a senior member of the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee, today questioned witnesses during a hearing about countering China and advancing United States national and economic security.

“At a time of increasing challenges from adversaries seeking to threaten the international order, from my perch as Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, I am increasingly of the view that the United States has to lead the creation of an economic alliance among like-minded countries. [We must] provide a framework for cooperative action in response to military aggression, violations of sovereignty, economic coercion, and retaliation by adversaries,” said Sen. Menendez. “While I welcomed the G7 leader’s statement calling for the creation of a new Coordination Platform on Economic Coercion to promote cooperation within and beyond the G7, I think we have to go further.”

[CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE SENATOR’S FULL REMARKS]

During the hearing, Sen. Menendez announced he is in the process of drafting new legislation that would direct the Administration to create a common economic defense mechanism with U.S. allies and partners that would counter economic coercion, build supply chain resilience, promote stronger export controls, and protect critical technologies. He received commitments from U.S. Treasury and Commerce officials to work together in crafting this critical legislation to counter China.

In addition, the Senator raised concerns about the lack of outbound investment oversight in sensitive industries and its potential to harm our national security.

“[The] lack of outbound investment oversight in sensitive industries has the potential to harm our national security and hamper the competitiveness of U.S. industry because of our technical prowess, capital, and the unique know-how that access to the U.S. capital markets provides. The President’s budget requested funding to support the establishment of such an outbound investment review mechanism by executive action,” added the Senator.

Finally, Sen. Menendez also requested information about what steps the Administration is taking to target enablers of Putin’s inner circle and war-making capabilities, including such enablers in the People’s Republic of China.

“I commend the Administration for the unprecedented range of sanctions it has imposed on Russian actors in response to the invasion of Ukraine, and while I believe we need to focus on enforcement, we need to address the fact that China continues to enable Putin’s war machine,” concluded the Senator.

Sen. Menendez has long advocated for the United States to develop a comprehensive strategy and renew instruments of American economic statecraft to address challenges posed by China’s anti-competitive, predatory economic policy. The Senator’s Economic Statecraft legislation would overhaul U.S. competitive economic diplomacy so the federal government is better equipped to outcompete China in five strategic domains of the 21st century – infrastructure, energy, technology, international financial institutions, and global resilience.

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker (both-D-N.J.) announced a $400,000 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) grant awarded to the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program (NJMEP) based in Cedar Knolls, NJ from the U.S. Department of Commerce NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. The grant enables the NJMEP to provide the technical assistance and optimization improvements to New Jersey’s small to mid-sized manufacturers while establishing a supply chain intelligence network for manufacturers in the state of New Jersey based on legislation the Senator successfully passed in Congress and which President Biden signed into law.

“As an integral part of the backbone of New Jersey’s economy, supporting manufacturers across the state creates a gateway for growing the state’s economy and providing New Jersey’s families and businesses with greater economic opportunity,” said Sen. Menendez. “With the $400,000 in federal funding, the New Jersey Manufacturing Extension Program will ensure that small and medium sized manufacturing companies remain connected to over 140,000 U.S. producers and suppliers, assisting companies and entrepreneurs across the state to innovate and thrive. I will continue to advocate for smart, cost-effective public-private partnerships that help create good paying jobs and pave the way for a prosperous future for New Jersey’s manufacturing industry.”

“This funding will empower NJMEP to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers in our state while strengthening domestic supply chains nationwide. I’m proud to see this federal investment in our manufacturing sector to create more resilience and growth in our supply chains,” said Sen. Booker.

“COVID-19 showed our country what happens when supply chains aren’t transparent. The United States felt tremendous pressure when borders closed, and state and federal governments couldn’t locate domestic manufacturers to support the country’s critical needs during the pandemic. Not only was PPE difficult to source, but private industry could not quickly pivot to finding new raw material suppliers. At the national level it was identified that progress had to be made to create a more resilient and transparent national supply chain,” said CEO of NJMEP, Peter Connolly. “NJMEP secured a grant to support NIST MEP’s effort of developing a National Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network here in New Jersey. NJMEP is utilizing these funds to bring on Supply Chain experts to the team, implement the latest supply chain technologies, and give New Jersey manufacturers access to these technologies at no cost for as long as possible. Manufacturers can start taking advantage of this network now and learn more about the benefits by visiting NJMEP.org/Connex. Without taking these steps, the country will not be ready for the next global disruption.”

With these funds, the NJMEP program will be able to:

1. Provide support for national supplier scouting and optimization services to ensure every MEP supplier scouting request receives a response
2. Use a national database to support MEP supplier scouting and optimization of 140,000+ U.S. manufacturers and suppliers that features in-depth search capacity based on production capabilities, processes, certifications, materials, industry sectors, and capability statements
3. Strengthen internal personnel configurations to support the MEP with timely processing of all supplier scouting requests
4. Prioritize supply chain optimization activity within industries most relevant to New Jersey, including wind, medical device manufacturing, and the Department of Defense supply chain, among others
5. Increase awareness by New Jersey OEMs and manufacturers of the relevance and utility of the National Supply Chain Optimization and Intelligence Network

As a long-standing supporter of the NJMEP, Sen. Menendez successfully secured the unanimous Senate passage of his National Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Supply Chain Database Act, which President Biden subsequently signed into law. The law will help establish a national database with information about the interconnectivity of manufacturers in the United States supply chain. The database will help prevent future supply chain disruptions by offering manufacturers key information as they make decisions on how to retool in critical areas to meet the demand for key products, such as defense supplies, food, and medical devices. In 2022, Sen. Menendez also joined with representatives of the NJMEP, the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce, and other business leaders to discuss the CHIPS Act and urge its passage. The legislation provided $52 billion in subsidies to incentivize U.S. computer chip manufacturing and semiconductor production and decrease dependence on foreign manufacturers.

In 2017, Sens. Menendez and Booker announced a total of $3.7 million to the NJMEP in Cedar Knolls to help manufacturers in the state grow and compete in the marketplace. The grants were awarded through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NIST Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) program. MEP centers form a nationwide network of proven resources designed to assist small and mid-sized U.S. manufacturers create and retain jobs through innovative strategies, process improvements and green technology.

The NJMEP is a not-for-profit entity that was established in January 1996, with the USDOC’s approval, through the efforts of Dr. Saul Fenster, then President of the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), Dr. Donald Sebastian, Executive Director of the Center for Manufacturing Systems (CMS) at NJIT, and Dr. Jay Brandinger, then Director of the Commission on Science and Technology. The NJMEP is one of 59 MEPs across the United States that is working to support the manufacturing sector by delivering technical and business assistance resulting in substantial savings and growth.

For a copy of the Federal Assistance Information Sheet, click HERE.

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Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Bob Menendez

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month comes to an end, U.S. Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) reflects on his Second Annual Celebration hosted at Fort Lee High School earlier this month. Through the commemoration of the cultural, economic, and social contributions and achievements of the AAPI community in New Jersey and the nation, Mayor of Bergenfield, Arvin Amatorio, the Asian American Youth Council, and the Philippine Nurses Association of NJ were honored with awards of recognition.

Created last year to celebrate and honor New Jersey’s diverse AAPI community, the event recognizes the AAPI community’s many contributions to the fabric of America and reaffirms that Asian American history is American history by telling the stories of the AAPI journalists, entrepreneurs, elected leaders, teachers, doctors, and hard-working families all across the Garden State.

“It was great to host the 2^nd Annual Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Celebration at Fort Lee High School in celebration of the immense contributions they have made to New Jersey and the nation,” said Sen. Menendez. “With more than 22 million individuals in America tracing their roots to more than 20 countries, the AAPI community is an integral part of our nation’s tapestry. Asian-American history and culture is American history and culture, and each of us, in every neighborhood and community, has a role to play in learning history, in shopping locally, and in providing supportive spaces that celebrate AAPI Americans every single day.”

Mayor of Bergenfield, Arvin Amatorio, served as the event’s keynote speaker and received the Excellence in Public Service Award for blazing his own trail in his commitment to create spaces that highlight the history, culture and impact of the AAPI community in the United States, and for inspiring the North Jersey community to raise their voices in advocacy.

The Asian American Youth Council was presented with the Youth Award for its hard work in raising awareness about political rights, nurturing influential leaders, and uniquely blending their talent and passion to enrich America’s society and history through their civic and educational action. The Philippine Nurses Association of New Jersey was presented with the Community Service Award for their leadership in the nursing field and mission of service to give back to the Filipino community through humanitarian and socioeconomic projects.

Ernabel Demillo, an Emmy-award winning broadcaster, journalism educator and host of Asian American Life, served as the event’s Master of Ceremonies. Aya Ishida, Japan-born jazz vocalist and composer, performed the National Anthem, and the event featured cultural performances by the Filipino School of N.Y. and N.J., K-MZ, a K-pop music group, and Kulture Kool, an Indian performing arts group.

Last year’s honorees included Assemblywoman Ellen Park, who received the Excellence in Public Service Award; Balpreet Grewal-Virk, who received the Community Service Award; Amber Reed of AAPI Montclair, who received the Volunteer Award; and Livingston AAPI Youth Alliance, who received the Youth Award.

Click HERE to access photos from the event.

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Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia and Counterterrorism, on Tuesday chaired a hearing on the FY 2024 budget request for the Middle East and North Africa with Barbara Leaf, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, and Jeanne Pryor, Deputy Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for the Middle East, United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

In his opening remarks, Murphy said: “This is, of course, a region where the bulk of our assistance dollars go. Since 1946, the Middle East and North Africa has received $372 billion of U.S. assistance. That’s equivalent to the regions of Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America combined. So it’s worth asking if this investment, this pretty massive investment has achieved its strategic objectives. And if not, why not?

“And here’s a more pointed question. Seventy percent of the aid for this region is security assistance. So what’s been the return on that investment? For instance, do we have more reliable security partners today? Do we have more democracy in the region? Do we have less conflict? I don’t know that any of the answers to those questions is a definitive yes. So it is possible that the primary outcome of much of this assistance has been to simply enable dictatorships that use the military more often for domestic repression than countering external threats…[I]’d argue that too much of our assistance today is locked in decades-old assumptions about the region while the sand is shifting under our feet and the region is changing rapidly,” Murphy continued.

Murphy highlighted his concerns that the FY24 budget does not reflect American values: “This budget cuts funding for democracy assistance in Tunisia while leaving support for the military largely unchanged. It essentially carries on business as usual with respect to the $1.3 billion that Egypt gets with some minimal conditions attached to it. Makes no real fundamental change in our relationship with Gulf countries despite their deepening commitment to political repression. I worry that this budget doesn’t communicate the values that we share in that it doesn’t make any significant changes to the way in which we flow dollars to countries that either have worsening human rights records like Tunisia or countries that have shown no meaningful commitment to change like Egypt despite the fact that we attach occasional conditionalities on top of the dollars year after year.”

On reopening the U.S. embassy in Libya, Murphy said: “The budget request includes a request for a 6.6% increase in worldwide security protection dollars for additional local guard forces and the potential resumption of a diplomatic presence inside Libya. Obviously we’ve been trying to supplement from Tunisia our activities and diplomatic efforts in Libya, but it does seem time that we bring back a physical presence there.”

On reports that Saudi Arabia’s conditions for normalized relations with Israel include security guarantees from the U.S., Murphy said: “Undeniably, a normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel would be a pivotal and immensely positive development. In many ways a sort of certification of a detente that has been underway for years, but we should be actively engaged in trying to help make that happen. One of the requests that have been reported in open source reporting is that the Saudis are seeking a defense guarantee from the United States, some kind of security guarantee. And I guess the only question I would ask right now is to simply confirm that any security or defense guarantee provided to Saudi Arabia would be submitted to Congress for ratification. That’s obviously something that can’t be done without congressional consent.”

Click Here to Watch the Full Hearing 

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Joe Manchin

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