You have been elected with 51.7% of the vote in your district, what do you do now?

Congressman John Adler

Since arriving in Washington, DC, freshman Congressman John Adler (NJ-3) has been assigned to the House Committee on Financial Services and Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee’s subcommittees for Capital Markets, Domestic Monetary Policy, and Oversight and Investigations as well as the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, and will serve on the subcommittees for Economic Opportunity and Oversight and Investigations. In the three short months since being sworn in, Congressman Adler has sponsored H.R. 746 that would help veterans and seniors. It would provide $500 tax rebate to retired or unemployed veteran and seniors who are not covered under the tax rebate provided by the stimulus package. The bill has been referred to the Veterans Affair Committee, subcommittee on Health, and the House Ways and Means committee where it waits for a hearing to be held.

In addition to H.R. 746, Congressman Adler has introduced with Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr., (NJ-6) The Flexibility in Rebuilding American Fisheries Act of 2009. This bill addresses some of the concerns created under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which was originally passed in 1976 and was amended in 1996 and reauthorized in 2006. This bill would create flexibility in the timeline created by the Magnuson-Stevens Act for the ending of overfishing in areas labeled as overfished to allow for the rebuilding of the fishery. Therefore, areas that are showing improvement will be given an opportunity to adjust the timeline to minimize economic harm on fishing communities such as those that exists along the Jersey Shore.

Congressman Adler has also shown that he understands the importance of listening to his constituents. He has obtained more than $6 million from the economic recovery package for Burlington and ocean counties to be used for energy efficiency and conservation projects, which will also help with job creation. Finally, he wants to meet with constituents directly at times and locations that are more convenient for them through his Congress at Your Corner program. He has made numerous visits back to his district to meet with constituents to discuss what is on their minds.