Rep. Mikie Sherrill Says She’ll Push These 5 Bills In 2023

NEW JERSEY — The “SALT” deduction. Mental health counseling for military veterans. Auto theft prevention. Women’s health care. And expanding “labor representation” on the federal and state levels. These are some of U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill’s legislative plans for 2023, the Democratic congresswoman recently announced.

Last week, Sherrill unveiled her “Jersey Strong” agenda, which includes the first five pieces of legislation she will be introducing in the 118th Congress. Sherrill defeated Republican challenger Paul DeGroot and Libertarian candidate Joseph Biasco in the 2022 general election. See Related: Watch Mikie Sherrill's Election Night Victory Speech in NJ-11

“As we embark on a new Congress, I remain committed to finding common ground and delivering real results for New Jersey families,” Sherrill said.

“Over the next two years, I will continue to listen to the concerns of my constituents, respond with thoughtful legislation, and work to build bipartisan coalitions in order to achieve meaningful progress,” Sherrill added. “These bills reflect my priorities for the new Congress and my district: providing tax relief, increasing public safety, growing the middle class, supporting our veterans, and expanding affordable health care.”

According to a statement from Sherrill’s office, the slate of bills include the following:

• Saving the SALT Deduction – “Congresswoman Sherrill will introduce the Middle-Class Tax Relief Act, bipartisan legislation that will provide significant relief from the unfair double taxation of the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap to millions of New Jersey families and eliminate one of the largest marriage penalties in the tax code.”
• Taking Care of our Veterans – “The Congresswoman will reintroduce bipartisan legislation that would expand access to Vet Center mental health counseling across a wide breadth of American communities, including for veterans in North Jersey.”
• Reining in Auto Thefts – “Representative Sherrill will reintroduce the Auto Theft Prevention Act written in conjunction with state and local law enforcement in New Jersey. This bipartisan legislation will provide state and local law enforcement agencies with federal grant funding to help them combat auto thefts and stolen vehicle trafficking.”
• Optimizing Women's Health Care – “Congresswoman Sherrill will introduce the Heart Health Enhancement through Access to Research and Training (HEART) Act to expand our knowledge of cardiovascular health to better diagnose, prevent, and treat illnesses in women and ensure women’s health needs are not overlooked. Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death for all women and for women of color, there is a higher risk of cardiac events than for all other groups.”
• Nominating More Labor Representatives – “Representative Sherrill will reintroduce the Expanding Labor Representation in the Workforce System Act, legislation that will expand the level of labor union participation on state and local workforce boards, which allocate workforce development and job training funds.”

The recently redrawn 11th District includes the following municipalities:

Essex – Belleville, Bloomfield, Cedar Grove, Fairfield, Glen Ridge, Livingston, Maplewood, Millburn, Montclair (part), North Caldwell, Nutley, Roseland, South Orange, West Caldwell

Morris – Boonton, Boonton Township, Butler, Chatham, Chatham Township, Denville, Dover, East Hanover, Florham Park, Hanover, Harding, Jefferson, Kinnelon, Lincoln Park, Madison, Mendham Twp (part), Montville, Morris Plains, Morris Township, Morristown Town, Mountain Lakes, Parsippany-Troy Hills, Pequannock, Randolph, Riverdale, Rockaway, Rockaway Township, Victory Gardens

Passaic – Little Falls, Totowa, Wayne (part), Woodland Park

FUNDING COMMUNITY PROJECTS IN NJ-11

Last week, Sherrill recapped 14 community projects throughout the district that she pushed for in the House Appropriations Committee Fiscal Year 2023 bill, which was signed into law in December.

The projects were submitted by state or local governments, government-adjacent organizations, and nonprofits. Read More: Sherrill Seeks 15 Community Projects To Pitch For Federal Bucks

See more information about each project here. The list includes:

• Boonton Reservoir Improvement Project
• Borough of Madison Affordable Housing Development
• Chatham Police Department Public Safety Information Sharing Technology Improvement Project
• Collinsville-Tucker Park Improvement Project (Morris Township)
• Community EMS Physician Response Expansion Initiative at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
• Family Promise of Morris County’s Housing is Healthcare for Economic Development Project
• JSDD: Life | Home | Tech Project (Essex and Morris County)
• McBride Avenue Roundabout Project (Woodland Park)
• Morristown Medical Center Emergency Department Renovation and Expansion Project
• Pump Station No. 4 Sanitary Sewer Redirection Project (Parsippany)
• Rand Well PFOAS and Perchlorate Treatment (Montclair)
• Student Scholarships to Offset the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic at William Paterson University
• Whippany River Regional Improvement Initiative (Hanover Township, East Hanover, Parsippany, and Florham Park)
• Whippany River Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Feasibility Study (Morris County)

Send news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.