SECAUCUS – U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-Paterson), held a press conference Monday at the Secaucus Junction train station to protest cuts in mass transit funding that were proposed by House Republicans in a major transportation bill last week. The $260 billion transportation bill eliminates mass transit money from the Highway Trust Fund. Mass transit currently receives 2.86 cents of the 18.4-cents-a-gallon federal gasoline tax that provides money for the Highway Trust Fund.
““New Jersey has been shortchanged and we are not going to accept that,”” said Pascrell. ““The Republican transportation bill eliminates the direct line of funding for mass transit, which puts $117.5 dollars of mass transit construction and expansion at risk. This is the first time we have ever done this.””
Pascrell is the only representative from NJ that is a member of the House Ways and Means Committee. He served for many years on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He is currently in a heated primary battle for the ninth district against Congressman Steven Rothman (D-Fair Lawn). The clash is the result of redistricting, as the U.S. Census 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.
Pascrell said that New Jersey is the fifth highest recipient of public transit dollars in the country.
This is Pascrell’’s second recent visit to Secaucus. He attended a fundraiser for Jessica Huse, a young woman who suffered a traumatic brain injury, at Meadowlands Hospital last week. Mayor Michael Gonnelli, Deputy Mayor John Bueckner, Councilwoman Susan Pirro, and Councilwoman William Clancy attended the press conference. Gonnelli has already publicly endorsed Rothman.