Watson Coleman’s work in the House centers on her belief that, in the United States of America, there’s a floor below which we should never allow any child, any family, any person to fall. Knowing that millions struggle every day just to make ends meet from the first to the last of the month, her legislative work seeks to bridge the gap for these Americans, making sure that the richest nation in the world doesn’t allow millions to live below the poverty line; doesn’t allow vulnerable groups to suffer the fallout of environmental violations; doesn’t allow profit margins to define the standards or the motivations for incarceration; and doesn’t allow bias to push everyday needs like car insurance out of reach for working families.
Before serving in the New Jersey Assembly and US Congress, I worked for the New Jersey Department of Transportation as the Director of the Office of Civil Rights. While addressing transportation challenges in New Jersey, safety, equity, and economic growth were among my top priorities. As your Congresswoman, it is an honor and a privilege to continue promoting those values while serving you in Washington.
I serve on the House Appropriations Committee and am New Jersey’s only congressional appropriator in either house of Congress. My work on that committee includes serving on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Subcommittee, where I remain committed to addressing the safety and needs of the most vulnerable Americans. I will always fight to ensure that the Department of Transportation receives the necessary funding to ensure safety on our roads and rails.
I also serve as Chair of the Homeland Security Committee’s Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security. In 2022, I introduced the Securing Air Travel Act. With gun seizures at airports on the rise, my bill would keep our skies safe by imposing minimum monetary penalties for repeated violations at TSA checkpoints. Additionally, in 2018, I introduced the Surface Transportation and Public Area Security Act of 2018, which would require the Department of Homeland Security to address emerging threats to our surface transportation system.
Our transportation policies should benefit all Americans, so I make sure to prioritize equity in my legislative work. In 2019, I introduced the Prohibit Auto Insurance Discrimination Act to stop auto insurers from considering discriminatory, non-driving-related factors when reviewing applications for insurance. I vow to continue fighting for transportation legislation that puts safety first and benefits all communities.