SECAUCUS AND BEYOND – Former President Bill Clinton on Friday endorsed U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-Paterson) over U.S. Rep. Steven Rothman (D-Englewood) in what has been a close primary battle for the 9th Congressional District.
Pascrell and Rothman went head to head after redistricting forced portions of Congressional Districts 5, 8, and 9 to combine into two districts. Secaucus and Kearny are the only Hudson County municipalities in the new 9th Congressional District. The primary is June 5.
“I know Bill Pascrell, and he is the fighter we need to support President Obama,” President Clinton said in a press statement. “Bill helped write President Obama’s health care law, he’s a leader protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, and he never stops fighting for the middle class. Nothing is more important to Bill than creating jobs in New Jersey. I saw that in the eight years we worked together to build unprecedented prosperity for America. We can’t afford to lose his ideas, energy, and experience just when they’re needed most.”
“I am honored to have the support of Bill Clinton,” Pascrell said. “Fighting side by side with President Clinton, our nation achieved tremendous prosperity and a balanced budget. Today, the Republicans are promoting the same George Bush policies that ended President Clinton’s era of prosperity – special interest tax breaks, tax cuts for the wealthy, cuts in education and job training, all leading to record deficits. Those policies failed, but the Tea Party Republicans want to bring them all back and that’s why I’m running, to stop the Tea Party.”