The requirement for the federal government to conduct a census every 10 years dates to 1790, but its integrity is in greater peril than ever before. In a nakedly political attack, the Trump administration has moved to add a last-minute question on citizenship status to the Census. The implications of this move are momentous, as it risks the undercounting of minority-rich, immigrant-driven communit... Read more »

Originally published in Washington Monthly The Larry Doby Post Office is located at 194 Ward Street in Paterson, New Jersey, across the street from my congressional office. Dedicated on August 28, 1933, by the legendary Postmaster General James Farley, the structure was one of the many built by Franklin D. Roosevelt’s administration in the throes of the Great Depression. While it may not have one ... Read more »

Originally appeared in The Hill Michael Cohen's recent public congressional testimony was a startling moment in recent history. His allegations that Donald Trump routinely evaded taxes and committed other financial fraud should result in an immediate request to the Treasury to turn over President Trump’s business and personal tax returns. According to Cohen, Trump falsely inflated his assets to ge... Read more »

Bob Menendez, D-North Bergen, is New Jersey’s senior U.S. Senator and a senior member of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee. Bill Pascrell, Jr., D-Paterson, is a congressman representing New Jersey’s Ninth District and a senior member of the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee. Read more »

Originally printed in the Washington Post In a year of congressional lowlights, the hearings we held with Silicon Valley leaders last fall may have been the lowest. One of my colleagues in the House asked Google CEO Sundar Pichai about the workings of an iPhone — a rival Apple product. Another colleague asked Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg, “If you’re not listening to us on the phone, who is?” One ... Read more »

Within hours of the announcement by General Motors that it would shutter five of its North American plants and eliminate more than 14,000 jobs, Donald Trump took to Twitter to excoriate the carmaker for its investments in China and Mexico and made promises of government retribution for the layoffs. GM’s surprise move and Trump’s caustic response to it both highlight the perils inherent in a haphaz... Read more »

For generations, America has been a beacon of light for those fleeing the worst regions of darkness. In less than two years, Lady Liberty’s torch has grown dimmer as Donald Trump’s administration shuts our doors to those seeking to become a contributing part of the American experience. What began with a travel ban has morphed into a bureaucratic war of attrition. At every turn, Trump has erected b... Read more »

Text of the article appears below: Pardons are all the talk these days. America hasn’t seen this frequency of pardon discussion since the year President Richard Nixon resigned. President Donald Trump has issued multiple surprise pardons and commutations since taking office. Those who have received clemency have very little in common other than their proximity to celebrity, support of Trump or some... Read more »

Text of the article appears below: Watching the daily deluge of reports of malfeasance oozing from this administration, I become more and more unsettled that Donald Trump wields the power of the pardon. His abusive use of pardons so far, and his allusions of implementing it to protect his allies constitute an unprecedented threat to our democracy. While the Founding Fathers were wary of an execut... Read more »

The Republican tax bill passed into law last year is one of the most reckless pieces of legislation I’ve seen come across my desk in over 20 years in office. It further enriched the wealthy and large corporations even as income inequality continues to threaten the social fabric. It provided minimal tax relief for the middle class. It will explode our nation’s debt for years to come, displacing nee... Read more »