Frank Pallone, Jr. was sworn in for his 17th full term in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 3, 2021. Pallone represents New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, which includes most of Middlesex County as well as the Bayshore and oceanfront areas of Monmouth County.
Throughout his career, Pallone has fought to make health care more affordable and accessible, protect and strengthen Medicare and Medicaid, and make the country’s food system safer. Pallone has fought to protect New Jersey’s environment, and ensure that all residents can enjoy the National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook. He has also championed issues that are important to the state's commercial and recreational fishing industries.
Hurricane Sandy
Many towns in the Sixth District were devastated by Superstorm Sandy, and many individuals, families, businesses, and communities are still recovering. Congressman Pallone fought hard for a robust Superstorm Sandy Emergency Relief Package to provide aid so New Jersey and other affected states could rebuild from the devastation caused by the historic storm. In total, the aid package that passed appropriated $60.1 billion to affected states to recover and rebuild. These funds have financed important flood control and beach renourishment projects in the Sixth District, as well as reimbursing the state and local governments for costs caused by the storm.
While New Jersey has made progress to recover from Sandy, much work remains to be done. Congressman Pallone has continued to work hard to support New Jerseyans as they continue to recover from the storm. He helped introduce the bipartisan SAFE NFIP Act to reform the National Flood Insurance Program to make it work for policyholders, not against them. His legislation would increase affordability, invest in mitigation efforts, cap the profits of flood insurance companies, and reform the appeals process to serve the needs of policyholders.
Congressman Pallone continues to monitor the rebuilding process and work with federal agencies to make sure funds are getting to New Jersey as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Community Health Centers
Community Health Centers provide vital health services to the local community, particularly to those who may not access health care otherwise. In New Jersey, there are 23 federally-funded Health Center organizations that serve 511,947 patients through a combined 144 delivery sites.
Congressman Pallone is proud to support community health centers so they may grow and expand. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, community health centers in Congressman Pallone’s district leveraged $7,245,311 in federal investments and served approximately 63,135 patients in 2016.
Gaming
In 2017, Congressman Pallone introduced the Gaming Accountability and Modernization Enhancement Act, which would repeal the federal prohibition on sports betting and allow states to legalize online gambling. It does not create a federal framework for gambling and instead allows states that choose to legalize and regulate sports betting and/or online gambling to do so.
The bill would legalize sports betting in New Jersey and introduce a new source of revenue, potentially amounting in billions for New Jersey in revenues. A state-wide ballot measure to amend New Jersey’s state constitution to allow sports gaming was overwhelmingly supported by New Jersey citizens by a 2-1 margin.