New Congressman: Repealing The Affordable Care Act Would 'Create Chaos'

Rep. Josh Gottheimer understands that there are a lot of ingredients to New Jersey's 5th Congressional District.

The district covers the northern part of the state, going from very urban Bergen County to very rural parts of Sussex, Morris and Passaic counties. Three-quarters of the district's population lives in Bergen County.

"You've got all the ingredients here, now we have to see if we can make them all work together," Gottheimer said.

Gottheimer, a father of two from Wyckoff, is a former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton. During his first few weeks in office has been presented with such important issues as repealing the controversial Affordable Care Act, a move that he said would "create chaos for everyone."

“There’s no question the Affordable Care Act needs major improvements, such as eliminating the Cadillac Tax and Medical Device Tax, but repealing the law without any plan in place could dramatically increase health care premiums, create great uncertainty in the marketplace and upend benefit programs."

Gottheimer said he wants to improve the district's infrastructure, including its "crumbling roads and bridges."

"I believe the job of being a congressman is helping people at all levels, from making sure a pothole is fixed, to ensuring there is money available for our firefighters to receive the training they need to help those in need," Gottheimer said.

Gottheimer was appointed to the House Financial Services Committee. The committee has jurisdiction over banking, insurance, international finance, housing, securities and exchanges.

“The finance industry represents a major part of our local economy in the 5th Congressional District, including realtors, community banks, investment funds and many other businesses," Gottheimer said. "The Committee on Financial Services covers many issues of vital interest to my constituents, helping businesses small and large access the capital they need to grow and create jobs and protecting consumers."

Gottheimer also wants to make sure that district constituents see a lot more of the money they pay out in taxes returned to them. For every $1 that is sent to Washington, D.C., 33 cents are sent back to the district.

"I saw that as a resident and taxpayer and I was very frustrated with it," Gottheimer said. "That is one of the reasons I decided to run. I believe we can do a lot to improve this district. I want to roll up my sleeves and get started."

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Photo: Rep. Josh Gottheimer at a campaign event. — Courtesy of Josh4Congress