‍POLITICAL ENDORSEMENT PRESS RELEASE

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Contact Information:

Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ)

Matthew Caliente, President

mcaliente@newjerseyfirefighers.org

Release Date:
October 26, 2024

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PFANJ ANNOUNCES 2024 ENDORSEMENTS FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

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Trenton, NJ – October 26, 2024 – The Professional Fire Fighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ) commends our congressional delegation for their significant contributions to improving the well-being and working conditions of firefighters and first responders across the country. Citing their impact on our state’s first responders President Matthew Caliente and the Executive Board are pleased to announce the endorsement of the following members of Congress:

• Donald Norcross (D), New Jersey’s 1st Congressional District
• Chris Smith (R), New Jersey’s 4th Congressional District
• Frank Pallone Jr. (D), New Jersey’s 6th Congressional District
• Nellie Pou (D), New Jersey’s 9th Congressional District
• LaMonica McIver (D), New Jersey’s 10th Congressional District
• Bonnie Watson Coleman (D), New Jersey’s 12th Congressional District

“The PFANJ has made a commitment to our members that our endorsements will not be about party affiliation, rather our lawmakers’ commitment to the careers of our state’s first responders and the safety of the communities we protect,” said President Caliente. “We continue to support those who support us, and we look forward to working with the newest members of our congressional delegation to improve the lives of our members and their families.”

Our endorsed candidates are directly responsible for passing legislation in the House that benefits our members and their departments, including:

• Fire Grants and Safety Act: provides for a 5-year reauthorization for the US Fire Administration, the Assistance to Firefighter Grants (AFG) Program, and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) Program. These grants $750 million each fiscal year for fire departments across the country.
• Discharge Petition to call for vote on Social Security Fairness Act of 2023: repeal the WEP/GPO and end the unfair penalty that hurts thousands of retired first responders every year.

Our delegation continues to work on the following legislation that has been introduced in this congressional session for our members and their families:

• Restoration of SALT Deductions: expansion of State and Local Tax deduction cap to end the double taxation that has disproportionately hurt middle-class families in New Jersey easing the financial burden of the high cost of living on New Jersey’s first responders.
• Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023: recognizes first responders’ occupational cancer deaths as occurring in the line-of-duty and provides death benefits to their survivors.
• Firefighter Investments to Recognize Exposure to Cancer Act (Fire Cancer Act): provide federal investments so that all firefighters across America can access multi-cancer early detection tests and other preventative tests at no out-of-pocket cost for firefighters.
• Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act: ensures firefighters and emergency medical workers have the right to work with their employers to address concerns related to working conditions.
• Protecting Firefighters and Advancing State-of-the-Art Alternatives (PFAS) Act: drives the development of next-generation protective gear.

These candidates for Congress join those lawmakers endorsed in the PFANJ’s initial slate of endorsements earlier this year:

• Jeff Van Drew (R), New Jersey’s 2nd Congressional District
• Josh Gottheimer (D), New Jersey’s 5th Congressional District
• Tom Kean, Jr. (R), New Jersey’s 7th Congressional District
• Rob Menendez (D), New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District
• Mikie Sherrill (D), New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District

The Professional Firefighters Association of New Jersey (PFANJ), was established and chartered as a State Association by the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) on October 29, 1929. It is a member of the AFL-CIO. The PFANJ represents nearly 3,500 Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians, Instructors, and Dispatchers though its over 60 locals. This includes over 3,000 of New Jersey’s approximately 6,000 professional firefighters. Its local affiliates represent first responders who work in dispatch centers, academies, airports, fire districts, suburban municipalities, and the state’s largest and busiest urban fire departments.

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