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Above: Gottheimer talking with Korean American group and enterprise leaders in North Jersey.
PARAMUS, NJ — U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) held a roundtable with group and enterprise leaders from the Korean American group in North Jersey to focus on work to help small enterprise, decrease taxes, hold communities protected, assist make life extra reasonably priced, and fight hate in opposition to the Asian American and Pacific Islander group.
Gottheimer was joined by leaders from the Korean American Grassroots Conference (KAGC), the Cleaners Association of New Jersey, the Korean American Realtors Association, the Korean American Law Enforcement Committee of New Jersey, the Overseas Korean Traders Association – New Jersey Chapter (OKTA NJ), the Asian Women’s Christian Association, the International Culture and Education Foundation, and the Thomas Jefferson Center of Palisades Park.
“A critical part of North Jersey’s strength is our proud Korean American community — which works every day to make the Fifth District an even better place to live, raise our families, and do business. It’s a key priority of mine to work with Korean American residents and small business owners to ensure that they never feel like their voices aren’t heard or that they have nowhere to turn. This is especially important now,” mentioned Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “We’re all joining together to help ensure our community’s small businesses are recovering from the pandemic-driven economy, that we’re making life more affordable for families in North Jersey, and that we’re standing up to fight crime and hate, to support law enforcement, and to keep all our communities safe.”
“We thank Congressman Gottheimer for his compassion and care for the small businesses across our community. The Korean American retail businesses have suffered severely from the pandemic, and we look forward to working together with the Congressman to bring more targeted support,” mentioned Yongho Lee, president of the Cleaners Association of New Jersey, a statewide group of over 1,000 Korean American dry-cleaning companies.
“Representative Gottheimer understands the grave dangers of bigoted violence threatening our community, and especially the senior citizens,” mentioned Mi Kyung Je, President and Executive Director of the Asian Women’s Christian Association, a nonprofit in Teaneck that gives social engagement and homecare providers. “We are optimistic that together with the Congressman we can close the gaps in senior services provided on the federal, state, and local level, and especially in providing transportation assistance to the elderly.”
“We appreciate Congressman Gottheimer’s support for our community, small businesses, and US-Korea trade,” mentioned Matthew H. Son, Chief Advisor and President Emeritus of the Overseas Korean Traders Association’s New Jersey Chapter. “He understands that trade and immigration policies are closely tied to the local economy here in New Jersey, and we discussed how we can bolster the trade relations to revitalize the businesses across the state.”
During the roundtable dialogue, Gottheimer and native leaders mentioned points affecting the group, together with provide chain and different pandemic-related financial impacts on Korean American owned small companies, the wave of racist, violent hate crimes in opposition to the Asian American and Pacific Islanders, and group security.
Gottheimer’s work to help North Jersey contains:
Boosting North Jersey’s return on funding: Gottheimer is dedicated to decreasing taxes and getting Fifth District residents a greater return on the tax {dollars} they already ship to Washington. Late final 12 months, Gottheimer introduced that, by working with Fifth District mayors, councils, first responders, and cities, the Fifth District clawed again $415 from Washington for each Fifth District family the 12 months prior — a 112% improve from what the District has traditionally obtained. These {dollars} assist first responders shield our communities whereas offsetting the pressure on native budgets and property tax payments.
Fighting crime and supporting legislation enforcement: Gottheimer not too long ago launched bipartisan, bicameral laws, the Invest to Protect Act, to make essential, focused investments in native police departments and be certain that cops in smaller communities in North Jersey and throughout the nation have the sources and coaching they want to hold themselves and their communities protected. The bipartisan laws is endorsed by the National Fraternal Order of Police, National Association of Police Organizations, National Sheriffs’ Association, National Troopers Coalition, New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association, and New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association. Gottheimer, in his most up-to-date reporting, additionally introduced that the Fifth District clawed again greater than $3.5 million of surplus federal gear and sources for native legislation enforcement in 2020, in addition to greater than $2.7 million in federal funding to assist rent legislation enforcement and assist our cops higher shield our communities and themselves.
Lowering taxes and making life extra reasonably priced: Gottheimer not too long ago unveiled a brand new Affordability Agenda for Jersey, which incorporates working to get gas and vitality costs down, chopping day-to-day prices like prescription drug and childcare prices, serving to lower by way of purple tape and paperwork, and chopping taxes for hard-working households, together with by reinstating State and Local Tax (SALT) deduction. Gottheimer has led efforts within the House to restore the SALT deduction, to give a right away tax lower to hard-working, center class households in Jersey.
Fixing North Jersey’s crumbling infrastructure: Gottheimer helped lead the cost to form and go the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill final 12 months, working with Democrats and Republicans to enact the best infrastructure funding in a century. This bipartisan invoice will assist construct the brand new Gateway Train Tunnel, repair our crumbling roads, bridges, rail, and NJ Transit, assist struggle local weather change, put money into our ports, broaden broadband entry to the unconnected, and get lead out of our kids’s ingesting water.
Supporting native small companies: Gottheimer not too long ago helped go the bipartisan Relief for Restaurants and different Hard Hit Small Businesses Act, to claw again sources for small companies that make use of fewer than 200 individuals, suffered a 40 p.c pandemic-related income loss, and didn’t beforehand obtain sure grants. During the peak of the pandemic, Gottheimer helped lead the Problem Solvers Caucus and a bipartisan group of Senators in writing and passing the $908 billion in COVID-19 reduction to households, small companies, and frontline employees, together with a brand new spherical of PPP sources.
Combating hate: Since taking workplace, Gottheimer has helped Fifth District homes of worship, colleges, and local people organizations claw again greater than $6.3 million in federal Nonprofit Security Grants from FEMA, to put money into safety for organizations which might be prone to a terrorist assault from homegrown and lone-wolf ISIS-inspired terrorists and white supremacists. Gottheimer helped go Rep. Grace Meng’s decision final Congress to condemn all types of anti-Asian sentiment as associated to COVID-19, and will help the decision once more this Congress. Gottheimer has additionally helped lead bipartisan efforts to work to go the NO HATE Act, which has been endorsed by the Problem Solvers Caucus that Gottheimer co-chairs, to strengthen federal legislation to fight hate speech, threats, and assaults.
Working throughout the aisle: Gottheimer serves because the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, the place he works to carry the group of 29 Democrats and 29 Republicans collectively throughout social gathering traces to discover areas of settlement on key points together with decreasing taxes, chopping medical health insurance premiums, and bettering infrastructure to assist the American individuals.
Below: Gottheimer with Korean American group and enterprise leaders
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Gottheimer’s opening remarks as ready for supply are beneath:
It’s a pleasure to converse with some unimaginable group and enterprise leaders from the Korean American group right here in North Jersey.
While at the moment is about discussing what we will do collectively to help this group, I might be remiss not to point out that simply this week, the particular delegation on behalf of Korea’s president-elect visited Capitol Hill. Korea is certainly one of America’s closest, most vital allies — sharing key values reminiscent of democracy, human rights, and free market values. Korean Americans are the bridge between the 2 nations.
Now again to Fifth District: as we deal with so many points collectively, a key a part of North Jersey’s energy is our proud Korean American group — which works day in and day trip to make this District a good higher place to dwell, increase our households, and do enterprise.
Here in Bergen, we’re proud to have greater than 60,000 individuals of Korean descent name this County residence, and Korean Americans make up greater than 20 p.c of the populations in our nice Fifth District cities, Closter and Norwood. And the energy of the group expands all through the state with greater than 100,000 New Jersey residents with Korean ancestry — the third largest inhabitants in America.
From our native elected officers to enterprise and group leaders, and to our many enterprise homeowners all through the Fifth District, it’s clear that the Korean American group is continuous to make an extremely spectacular mark on North Jersey.
That’s why I’m working so arduous in Washington, right here at residence, and throughout the aisle, to help you, your households, the companies in your communities, and all the pieces you do. It’s a key precedence of mine to work with Korean American residents and small enterprise homeowners to be certain that you by no means really feel like your voices aren’t heard or that you’ve got nowhere to flip. This is particularly vital now.
We want to guarantee that the wants of the Korean American group are heard at each degree of presidency.
I do know that the pandemic put an immense burden on small companies, many are nonetheless feeling the consequences, and at the moment’s rising prices have launched extra issues of instability.
Small companies are the lifeblood of New Jersey’s financial system, constituting 99.6% of New Jersey companies and using 1.8 million New Jersey residents. And at the very least 1 / 4 of New Jersey’s small companies are minority-owned.
I’ve heard from many locally that their companies are struggling financially, which is why I’ve launched a brand new Affordability Agenda for Jersey, to assist make life extra reasonably priced for North Jersey households. This agenda is about motion we will take proper now to assist our households and small companies with the COVID-driven affect on our financial system — to get more cash again into Jersey households’ pockets.
It contains aggressively addressing our COVID-driven provide chain disaster, together with with new provide chain laws I’ve launched, and combating our dependence on international manufacturing.
My Affordability Agenda additionally contains working to get gas and vitality costs down, chopping day-to-day prices like prescription drug and childcare prices, serving to lower by way of purple tape and paperwork, and chopping taxes for hard-working households, together with by reinstating State and Local Tax deduction.
Restoring the SALT deduction is essential as a result of it can give a right away tax lower to hard-working, center class households in Jersey.
And simply yesterday, the bipartisan Relief for Restaurants and different Hard Hit Small Businesses Act handed the House, which I voted for and cosponsored. It will claw again sources for small companies that make use of fewer than 200 individuals, suffered a 40 p.c pandemic-related income loss, and didn’t beforehand obtain sure grants, reminiscent of these from the Economic Industry Disaster program.
Many small companies, together with Korean American-owned companies, eating places, dry cleaners, salons, and actual property teams may very well be eligible for this reduction.
Now, at the same time as we get better from the pandemic, COVID had a really painful affect on many. I do know that the rise of racially-charged assaults in opposition to the AAPI group — together with proper right here in North Jersey and close by in New York, the place a lot of our residents journey for work and recreation, has many Korean Americans not feeling protected. I hear tales of residents having to carry pepper spray after they depart the home and concern letting their children exit alone.
I hear from AAPI residents that this concern has grow to be their new regular. Constantly fascinated by if it’s protected to stroll exterior alone and ensuring not to stand too shut to the sting of the subway, fearing that they stands out as the subsequent sufferer.
Across our nation, homicide charges spiked 27% in 2020. Violent crime is up, and homicides are at their highest degree in practically three a long time. I cannot stand idly by whereas our communities are beneath assault.
That’s why my door is at all times open and why my primary precedence is to do all the pieces I can to make life higher for Fifth District residents.
With group security as a objective for all of us, that is why I not too long ago launched new bipartisan and, now, bicameral laws — the Invest to Protect Act — to make essential, focused investments in our native legislation enforcement. This invoice will assist guarantee police departments with 200 officers or fewer have the sources and coaching they want to hold themselves and their communities protected.
And as we’ve seen horrific hate crimes improve, I’ve been serving to struggle in Congress to ship a transparent message: hate has no residence right here. Last Congress, I used to be proud to help Congresswoman Grace Meng’s decision condemning all types of anti-Asian sentiment as associated to COVID-19, and I look ahead to proudly supporting her decision once more this Congress, in addition to doing all the pieces I can to get up to all types of hate and bigotry.
Before I open up our dialogue, please go this alongside to those that need assistance: I perceive that English isn’t the primary language for a lot of locally, which might make most of the lengthy, authorities jargon-filled on-line processes tough. So, please name my workplace or cease in anytime and we’ll be certain to stroll you thru something you are having hassle with. That’s why we’re right here and why you employed me.
Overall, I’ve each religion — that, by working collectively, like we’re doing by coming collectively at the moment — our greatest days will at all times be forward of us.
Thank you for doing all the pieces you do to get up on your group and for making North Jersey a good higher place to dwell.
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