The House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act on May 15th—with no help from Rep. Chris Smith, who voted against it—which includes extending enhanced unemployment benefits through January 2021, funding for the United States Postal Service, critical support for our frontline workers, funding for our state and local governments, and increased safe and secure voting. The Republican-led Senate blocked this bill and has offered nothing to help our suffering small businesses and families for over two months. Now enhanced unemployment has ended, New Jersey families and people across our country are struggling to pay their bills, and we are facing the worst economic crisis in my lifetime—all while we continue to battle a pandemic. Our economy shrank by 32.9% from April through June—nearly four times the worst quarter previously recorded during the Great Recession. Simultaneously, we have a President who is attacking the validity and safety of voting by mail and working to undermine our faith in our electoral process.

This is wrong. These constant attacks on our democracy combined with the unwillingness of our elected officials to help our suffering families and small businesses is why people are fed up with our government, and this is why we must vote for change in November.

Americans need economic relief now, there is not a moment to spare. The federal government must take immediate action to provide an economic stimulus that funds state and local governments so they can support their communities, allows schools to safely reopen whether that is virtually or in limited capacity, provides PPE and all necessary resources to our frontline workers, addresses any and all remaining gaps in covid-19 testing and treatment, extends enhanced unemployment benefits, and adequately funds the United States Postal Service—an agency that is explicitly included in the United States Constitution.

Rep. Chris Smith refuses to stand up to President Trump, and while the rest of our congressional delegation fights for New Jersey, Smith voted against the HEROES Act and is apparently indifferent to our suffering. New Jersey’s 4th District deserves a leader who will put country before party and who will stand up for our fundamental rights as Americans. As the next Representative in NJ-04, I will protect and defend our Constitutional rights and work tirelessly to ensure that we have access to the resources we need before, during, and after a global crisis.

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