Dear Neighbors, 

This week, the House voted on important funding bills. I reintroduced a bill to regulate the online marketplace for firearm ammunition and celebrated Martin Luther King Day in our district. Next week, I look forward to seeing you all back in the 12th for our first town hall of the year and other community events.

In this week's e-newsletter:

1. Status on Funding Bills
2. Our Next Town Hall
3. The Stop Ammunition Sales Act
4. Reflecting on MLK Day
5. February Passport Clinic

Fate of the Funding Bills

Minibus
On Thursday, I voted for the fiscal year 2026 Minibus, a package of appropriations bills that, among other things, includes stabilizing funding for the Office of Minority Health, maternal and child health programs; critical investments in our highways, roads, and bridges; and rules to protect renters and prevent the evictions of over 4 million households. I was able to get safeguards included in the package to prevent arbitrary cuts to Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration grants, as seen last week.

While the Defense Department’s budget is far too large and in need of an audit, there is far more good in this bill than bad, and this package restores many of the vital programs and services that Republicans had sought to deprive our communities.

In addition, over $13 million in funding was included or restored for 11 important projects in our district.

DHS
What I refused to vote for, however, was the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. I voted NO because the bill failed to address the very real problems at the out-of-control Immigration and Customs Enforcement that has made meeting arbitrary quotas and filling detention hall beds its priority over the safety and civil rights of law-abiding residents. Until real reforms are made that respect the safety and security of our communities, I cannot vote to provide further funding toward a seemingly lawless agency.

Join Us for a Town Hall Next Week!

I look forward to seeing many of you this coming Wednesday, January 28, at 6PM for a community conversation on healthcare, affordability, DHS enforcement, and more. It'll be held at the Suzanne Patterson Center at 45 Stockton St, Princeton, NJ.

A lot has happened since we last met. RSVP now so I can answer your questions and hear your feedback at our first town hall of the new year.

The Stop Ammunition Sales Act

This week, I reintroduced the Stop Online Ammunition Sales Act in order to place limits and safeguards on the online market for ammunition. The bill would require federally licensed ammunition dealers to confirm the identity of individuals who arrange to purchase ammunition over the internet by first verifying a photo I.D. in person.. 

It would also require ammunition vendors to report any sales of more than 1,000 rounds within five consecutive days to the U.S. Attorney General if the person purchasing ammunition is not a licensed dealer.

For years, we've watched the toll of gun violence grow while Congress fails to act. The numbers tell a devastating story, but behind every statistic is a family and a community grieving their loss. 

Regulating online ammunition sales is a commonsense step to countering the number of mass shootings we see every year. Public safety must come before convenience for an unregulated market.

Reflecting on the Memory of MLK

On Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, I had the honor of speaking at the 50th Anniversary of the Frontiers International Plainfield Area Martin Luther King Breakfast. In a speech in Chicago in 1967, Dr. King identified three evils, what he called the “triple-pronged sickness of racism, materialism, and militarism” that “has been lurking in our body politic from its very beginning.” This sickness has been chronic, lingering to this day. It is our responsibility to fight back and inoculate our culture against racism, materialism, and militarism. We must reject these three evils and stand in that discomfort. When we stand up together, we stand with MLK.

February Passport Clinic

My office will be teaming up with the Mercer County Clerk to hold a passport clinic at the West Windsor Branch of the Mercer County Library on Thursday, February 19 from 2PM-6:30PM. We can help renew an expired passport, apply for a new passport, and even take your passport photo. RSVP today!

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