Dear Neighbor,

This week, I joined my fellow appropriates to kick off the annual government funding cycle process. The New Jersey delegation celebrated the swearing-in of newly elected Congresswoman Analilia Mejia (NJ-11) and met with Governor Sherrill as we focus on making New Jersey the best state to live, work, and play in. I’m looking forward to seeing you at our Congressional Art Competition’s awards ceremony on Saturday to celebrate our district's young artists!

Trump and Drones
Tucked into Trump's absurd $1.5 trillion Pentagon request is a $54.6 billion drone budget. A 24,000% increase over last year. There’s no coincidence that his sons, Eric and Don Jr., have gotten into the drone business recently. When the President and his family members are financially tied to companies seeking lucrative defense contracts in an industry shaped directly by the president’s policies, the conflict is obvious. When national security policy and the president's family business interests move in the same direction, it’s time for us to demand answers: whose interests are actually being served?
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Just last month, I said this in my Trump Corruption World Tour series. This is exactly the kind of profiteering that ethics rules are meant to prevent. For any other president, this would be a monumental scandal. For this president, it’s business as usual. Either way, we will continue calling it out and will inevitably hold him accountable.

Appropriations
This week, I spent much of my time in the Appropriations committee as we debated government funding for the next fiscal year.

One in particular amendment stood out. My colleague, Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, introduced an amendment that seemed pretty simple and common sense. His amendment would have ensured that no President, now or in the future, would be able to settle a personal lawsuit against a federal agency he oversees. It seems straightforward to me. No person appointed by a President and who owes their job to that president should be allowed to spend taxpayer dollars agreeing to a settlement with that same president.

Every Republicans on the committee voted down that measure, while President Trump is suing the IRS, the Treasury, and the Department of Justice for over $10 Billion. A few weeks ago, I laid out this glaring and costly conflict of interest.

Congressional Arts Competition Ceremony
Please join us this Saturday from 1-3PM at Artworks Trenton as we celebrate the wonderful work from young artists in our district. 

The winners will have their art displayed in the Capitol Building and my offices on Capitol Hill and Ewing.

Welcoming Congresswoman Analilia Mejia
This week, the New Jersey delegation welcomed my friend Analilia Mejia who replaced Governor Mikie Sherrill as the Congresswoman representing the 11th District. 

Analilia is a true fighter for the working class and defender of democracy. I look forward to working with her on behalf of New Jerseyans.

We also had the opportunity to welcome the Governor back to Congress for a meeting with our delegation.

As we face many issues both in our state and across the nation, before us is a critical opportunity for positive change for our state. We will continue to work closely together to bring costs down and keep our communities safe.

Service Academy Info Session
The application period for the 2026–2027 Service Academy nomination cycle is now open. This year’s submission period has been accelerated to ensure all nominations are completed and submitted on time during this transition period. The deadline to apply is Monday, June 25 at 5:00 PM, and applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis due to the shortened window.

If you’re interested in applying, I encourage you to attend one of our virtual information sessions to learn more about the process and what’s required. Sessions will be held today, Friday, April 24 from 4:00–5:00 PM and Tuesday, May 5 from 4:00–5:00 PM.
 

RSVP HERE.

All application materials must be submitted digitally as individual PDF documents and sent together in a single email by the deadline. Completed applications should be emailed to AcademyNominationsNJ12@gmail.com. 

For more information about the Service Academy nomination process, please visit, watsoncoleman.house.gov/services/service-academy-nominations.

America 250
This week, I published an opinion piece with my fellow A250 Caucus member, Congressman Mike Lawler of New York, where we discussed the American ideal of service. During this Semiquincentennial year, America250 is honoring our proud legacy of serving our neighbors. The America Gives initiative is challenging nonprofits, corporations, faith groups, schools, youth groups, public institutions, and the like to help make 2026 the largest year of service in American history. On Saturday, May 16, 2026, all 350 million Americans will have the chance to make this vision a reality. America Gives is organizing Good Neighbor Day America, a nationwide coordinated day of in-person and virtual service.

Hybrid Office Hours
As a reminder, you can stop by my Hybrid Office Hours on Thursday, May 7, from 11 am to 2 pm, at the Old Bridge Public Library or online. If you're having issues with a federal agency, my office is happy to assist you.