At today’s highly-anticipated House Homeland Security Committee hearing on “Radicalization in the U.S. Muslim Community,” U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) argued against the dangers of stereotyping the entire Muslim community in the name of protecting the homeland. “When we don’t understand people we’re all, all of us, bound to characterize and to stereotype. Reasonable people will conclude ... Read more »

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today released the following statement in response to reports that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down as Egypt’s president. “As I’m watching the developments in Egypt surrounding Hosni Mubarak’s stepping down as the nation’s president, I cannot help but feel an immense pride for the Egyptian people. The public demonstrations the world has watched during the recen... Read more »

Bonded by a common belief that a punishment should fit the crime, U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) joined with Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA-4) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY-9) and leaders of the Jewish community to call upon President Barack Obama to grant clemency to Jonathan Pollard. Pollard was a former civilian intelligence analyst who was convicted of spying for Israel. He received a life ... Read more »

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today denounced Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for his address to the United Nations in which he characterized the tragic terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 as an American conspiracy to “grip” the Middle East and “save the Zionist regime.”“The conspiracy theories President Ahmadinejad indulged in dishonor the memory of the thousands of people of who w... Read more »

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today reacted to a television news report of an apparent security breech at Newark Liberty International Airport’s Terminal C. “We are still gathering the facts about how security measures have or have not been enforced around Terminal C. But these images that have been broadcasted are alarming,” said Pascrell, one of the original members of the House Homelan... Read more »

U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) today released the following statement in reaction to Hamas’ shooting of four Israelis on the eve of new Mideast peace talks. “I unequivocally condemn the recent attack by Hamas terrorists in the West Bank that left four Israeli citizens dead. This brutal and senseless attack was perpetrated by thugs and killers with no respect for life and no desire for peac... Read more »

Today, Rep. Pascrell (D-NJ-8) wrote to President Obama, along with 337 of his Congressional colleagues, expressing support for Israel's right to defend itself in the wake of last month's flotilla incident. Additionally, Congressman Pascrell sent a supplemental letter to the President outlining his views on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the Administration's progress towards securing a last... Read more »

Buoyed by strong bipartisan support, the House Homeland Security Committee today unanimously approved legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8) aimed at providing a national plan of prevention and preparedness against weapons of mass destruction attack in the United States. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Prevention and Preparedness Act of 2010 (H.R. 5498) passed the committ... Read more »

The U.S. House of Representatives today voted to include an amendment to the 2010 National Defense Authorization bill authored by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ-8). The amendment would ensure that the same method of cognitive testing for service members is used before they are deployed and after they return home. “It is simply unacceptable that the Department of Defense thinks they can identi... Read more »

The recent attempted attack in Times Square reminds us as a nation that the threat of terrorism continues to be real and our vigilance must be everlasting. We can take pride in the fact that our local, state, and federal authorities responded effectively to the plot of Faisal Shahzad and apprehended him before he fled the country. However, we must also be aware of the fact that our enemies contin... Read more »