Noticias

The House voted on its version of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) this evening – and on several key amendments from New Jersey’s members of Congress along with it.

One amendment concerning Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County, authored by Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), was successfully added to the bill. Another from Rep. Chris Smith (R-Manchester) on offshore wind, however, surprisingly failed in the face of opposition from a small cohort of moderate Republicans.

Thanks to a series of other amendments added to the bill by Republicans, final passage of the historically bipartisan bill proved to be contentious: it passed 231-196, with seven of New Jersey’s nine Democrats voting against it. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) voted in favor, and Sherrill herself was not present for votes this evening.

Over the summer, Sherrill and most of her New Jersey colleagues sent a letter to top Defense Department officials criticizing a relocation proposal that would gut Picatinny Arsenal, a key military installation in the western reaches of Sherrill’s district. The department’s plan, the representatives wrote, would jeopardize 1,000 jobs and nearly $1 billion in funding while also undermining military effectiveness.

Under an amendment Sherrill added to the NDAA today, the Army would have to complete a report on a key part of that plan – moving around $500 million in ammunition research and development away from Picatinny – submit that report to Congress by next November, and wait for another six months before moving ahead. The amendment, which Sherrill’s office argued would give the Army additional time and information to realize the downsides of its proposal, was approved on a voice vote.

“With today’s action, Congress is making clear that the Army cannot quietly move ammunition research and development funding elsewhere without first reporting on the impacts and giving us the chance to evaluate them,” Sherrill said in a statement.

Smith, meanwhile, has long been a crusader against wind development off the Jersey Shore, and has successfully pushed for a number of bills and amendments over the years to combat it, including the commissioning of a Government Accountability Office study on offshore wind’s impacts that was released earlier this year.

Smith’s NDAA amendment that came up today would have required the Secretary of Defense to certify that offshore wind projects will not interfere with radar capabilities before they can proceed – a key concern for the congressman, who has repeatedly expressed worries that offshore wind turbines will disturb military ships and planes.

“Even somebody who is strongly in favor of ocean wind should want to know if our radar – for civilian aircraft, for vessels; this is focused primarily on aircraft, military and civilian – is going to be disrupted,” Smith said prior to the vote. “The answer right now is capital Y-E-S, with exclamation points.”

The amendment, however, ran aground when a 16-member cohort of Republicans, some of whom have been known to break with their party on environmental issues, voted against it. The amendment failed 209-224; all present New Jersey Democrats opposed it, and all three New Jersey Republicans supported it.

Two other New Jersey congressmen, Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-Tenafly) and Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), also inserted amendments into the bill on unanimous votes. Gottheimer authored four amendments, including one pushing back on International Criminal Court arrest warrants for U.S. and allied military personnel and another increasing funding for the National Defense Education Program; Kean’s amendment updates the definition of “conventional ammunition” to include unmanned aircraft like drones.

And as members of the House Armed Services Committee, Sherrill and Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden) were part of the process of writing the bill in the first place; the bill passed out of committee back in July on a 55-2 vote, fitting a longer trend of bipartisan NDAA committee work followed by a more partisan debate on the House floor.

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Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist and media personality, was shot and killed during an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday. University officials say no suspect has been arrested in the killing of Kirk, an ally of President Donald Trump and the founder of Turning Point USA, the country’s top youth conservative group.

Below are statements from New Jersey officials on the killing (many came before the announcement that Kirk had died):

Gov. Phil Murphy: “Horrified by the shooting of Charlie Kirk today in Utah. We must unequivocally condemn political violence. Please pray for Charlie, his wife, and children.”

Senator Cory Booker: “We must call politicial violence what it is: evil and an attack on our most fundamental values. The shooting of Charlie Kirk today in Utah must be condemned by all. My heart is with Charlie Kirk, his family, and all those who are impacted.”

Senator Andy Kim: “Simply abhorrent. There is no justification for political violence. We all must condemn this attack on Charlie Kirk.”

Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair), the Democratic nominee for governor: “There is absolutely no place for political violence in this country. My thoughts are with Charlie Kirk, his loved ones, and the community at Utah Valley University. The perpetrator of this abhorrent act should be brought to justice.”

Former Assemblyman Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican nominee for governor: “There must be zero tolerance for political violence and harsh punishment for the perpetrators of it. Pray for Charlie Kirk and his young family.”

Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-Dennis): “Absolutely heartbroken. America lost a true patriot today. God bless Charlie Kirk, and my prayers are with his family and all who loved him.”

Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing): “This is truly horrific. We must forcefully reject all political violence. There is no place for it in our country. Bill and I are praying for Charlie and his family.”

Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield): “Praying for Charlie Kirk, his family, and the law enforcement officers who responded to the scene. Political violence has no place in our country. The perpetrator must be held accountable.”

Rep. Herb Conaway (D-Delran): “I unequivocally condemn the attack on Charlie Kirk. The truest sign of our right as Americans to freedom of expression is tolerating opinions you don’t agree with. Using political violence to settle our differences is never the answer and will only divide us. I pray for Charlie Kirk’s family and the students of UVU.”

Rep. Donald Norcross (D-Camden): “Political violence is never acceptable. The shooting of Charlie Kirk must be condemned. I’m thinking of Charlie Kirk and the entire Kirk family during these troubling times.”

Rep. Frank Pallone (D-Long Branch): “I was shocked and appalled to hear the news of Charlie Kirk’s shooting today. We as a country cannot afford to normalize political violence and gun violence. American democracy is based upon the principle of peaceful, respectful disagreement.”

Rep. Rob Menendez (D-Jersey City): “We must all unequivocally condemn the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk. Gun violence and political violence must have no place in our country. My thoughts are with his family, friends, the UVU community who witnessed this horrific act and our entire country in this moment. Let this be a clarion call for our nation: we must work together to heal our division and prevent these tragedies from ever happening again.”

Rep. Nellie Pou (D-North Haledon): “I condemn the heinous shooting of Charlie Kirk. Political violence is against everything America stands for and is never acceptable. I pray for him and for his family.”

State Sen. Parker Space and Assemblymembers Dawn Fantasia and Michael Inganamort, Republicans from the 24th legislative district: “We are overwhelmed with sorrow and outrage over the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He was a driven and articulate advocate who stood firmly for his convictions—and no one should ever be silenced, let alone killed, for their political beliefs or for engaging in public discourse. Our hearts go out in prayer and solidarity to his wife, Erika Frantzve, and their two young children, as well as every life he impacted in his powerful but tragically abbreviated journey. May they find strength in the love he inspired and in the principles he so bravely championed. Justice must be served, and political violence must never prevail in our nation.”

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The insurance firm at the center of Tuesday’s comptroller report that alleged the George Norcross-founded company has violated disclosure laws and improperly influenced public contracting processes.

Acting Comptroller Kevin Walsh said Conner Strong & Buckelew and affiliated firms steered public contracts toward themselves via conflicts of interest. A spokesperson for Norcross, a Democratic South Jersey power broker, called the report politically motivated and vehemently denied wrongdoing.

Conner Strong & Buckelew and PERMA, the two companies at the center of the report, struck back on Wednesday. In a statement, the companies accused the comptroller of bullying and intimidation, breaching legal protections, deceptive practices, and obstructing the procurement of contracts during the investigation.

“The OSC’s report falsely claims the Funds operate with little oversight, insulting the work of volunteer Fund Commissioners and exposing the OSC’s bias,” the companies said. “What began as a routine review of RFPs for TPA services secretly morphed into a full-scale fishing expedition, complete with fabricated interpretations of state law.”

The companies said they are demanding that the governor appoint a special counsel “to review and investigate the missteps and heavy handed actions” of the comptroller. They also asked the Legislature to “rein in this rogue agency.”

“As the State Health Benefit Plans collapse, the OSC has instead sought fit to attack a solution that has proven to be successful for over 3 decades. As you will see, the OSC does not understand what Funds do. Their positions are oftentimes at odds with current law, inserting personal preference where State statute should apply,” the companies said.

Conner Strong & Buckelew is one of the country’s 20 largest insurance brokerage firms. The comptroller’s office said the findings came after a routine review of HIF procurement proposals. The HIFs at the center of the investigation represent some 40,000 local government employees and about 109,700 total enrollees.

The report says municipalities in the state are allowed to form health insurance funds (HIFs) to provide health insurance to employees and pool risk across a whole region to lower costs. The report found Conner Strong & Buckelew and its “alter ego,” PERMA, “improperly gained control” over HIFs’ contracting processes, allegedly competing for and winning the same government contracts they helped write.

“CSB and PERMA purport to be separate, independent entities linked only by a parent company. CSB generally serves as program manager, acting as broker and underwriter for insurance funds, while PERMA is contracted as the administrator, managing day-to-day operations for HIFs. … [The report] found, however, CSB and PERMA function as one entity, with PERMA under CSB’s supervision, sharing leadership and employees,” the report’s announcement states.

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The Republican Governors Association has reserved $355,000 in TV ads so far to boost Jack Ciattarelli’s campaign in New Jersey through an RGA-connected super PAC, Restore NJ.

Vote-by-Mail ballots go out on September 20.

The Democratic Governors Association has reserved $20 million in TV ads, which is more, to help Mikie Sherrill win. The DGA is already up on the air with an ad that rips Ciattarelli for considering an increase in the sales tax.  Ciattarelli has punched back on that, accusing the ad – and Sherrill’s response – to be dishonest.

Reservations don’t constitute dollars spent, and there is no assurance that the DGA won’t spend less – or more  — and the RGA could increase their budget.

Four years ago, the RGA sat the race out and watched Ciattarelli unexpectedly come within three points of unseating the Democratic incumbent, Phil Murphy.  The RGA relied on advice from former Gov. Chris Christie, who told them Ciattarelli couldn’t win.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, the RGA chairman, visited New Jersey a month ago to raise money for Ciattarelli.

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