New Jersey — 8th District

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports affordable housing and middle-class tax relief

Menendez focuses on lowering living costs for working families by expanding housing supply, addressing supply chain bottlenecks, and targeted tax relief. He supports $10 billion for an Affordable Housing Access Program and $65 billion to fix public housing backlogs. He also advocates for raising the federal minimum wage to $15, addressing student debt, and restoring the full SALT deduction.

• Proposes creating over 1 million affordable homes through nearly $10 billion for an Affordable Housing Access Program with mass-transit links.
• Advocates for $65 billion to address capital needs backlogs in public housing.
• Supports raising the federal minimum wage to $15 and restoring the full SALT tax deduction.
• Voted Yea on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 and Nay on the Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023.

“Increases in housing, transportation, food, and other costs have made it more difficult than ever before for many working families in our district to make ends meet.”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports codifying Roe and expanding ACA

Menendez strongly supports expanding access to the Affordable Care Act and lowering coverage costs for families. He advocates for codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law to guarantee reproductive freedom nationwide. Additionally, he supports repealing the Hyde Amendment, protecting access to medication abortion, and removing FDA restrictions on mail-order abortion medication.

• Pledges to codify Roe v. Wade to protect fundamental reproductive autonomy.
• Supports repealing the Hyde Amendment to enable low-income women to access abortion care.
• Urges the FDA to lift restrictions on obtaining abortion medication through the mail.
• Advocates expanding federal funding for children's hospitals to deliver mental health services.

“Codify Roe v. Wade and restore a woman's fundamental reproductive right to have autonomy over her own body—period.”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports expanded transit funding and Gateway Project

Menendez prioritizes modernizing New Jersey's infrastructure through federal funding. He advocates for the multi-billion-dollar Gateway Program to replace century-old rail bridges and tunnels along the Northeast Corridor. He also supports electrifying public transit infrastructure and maximizing federal allocations from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

• Supports full federal funding for the Gateway Program to upgrade critical rail links.
• Advocates electrifying public transit infrastructure, including investments in electric buses and charging stations.
• Fights for full funding for District 8 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act.

“Secure funding and federal support for the largest critical infrastructure project in the country, the Gateway Program, which will create thousands of jobs while replacing century-old bridges and tunnels that have the potential to cripple the Northeast Corridor”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports universal preschool and childcare cost caps

Menendez advocates for federal programs to lower early education costs for working families. He supports capping childcare expenses at 7% of family income and providing universal preschool access. He also pushes for expanding the Child Tax Credit and fully funding federal child nutrition programs.

• Supports legislation to cap childcare costs at 7% of income for many working families.
• Advocates for universal preschool for all families.
• Pushes to expand and extend the Child Tax Credit and fully fund child nutrition programs.

“In Washington, I will support legislation that expands and extends the Child Tax Credit, caps child care costs at 7% of income for many families, and implements universal preschool for all families.”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports clean energy transition and environmental justice

Menendez calls for aggressive federal action on climate change, citing the severe impacts of storms like Tropical Storm Ida on New Jersey. He supports cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and investing $500 billion in the clean energy economy. He also champions environmental justice for majority-minority communities that bear disproportionate burdens of pollution.

• Supports cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
• Advocates for providing half a trillion dollars for a clean energy economy and residential energy transition rebates.
• Champions the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator Act to address environmental justice in vulnerable communities.

“Champion environmental justice through the Clean Energy and Sustainability Accelerator Act so that majority-minority communities are no longer forced to shoulder the burden of pollution and climate change.”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports union rights and PRO Act

Menendez strongly supports organized labor and worker protections. He pushes for federal legislation to protect collective bargaining rights, including the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act. He also promotes apprenticeship programs to train workers for well-paying union jobs.

• Supports passing the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act.
• Advocates for federal union apprenticeship programs to prepare workers for high-paying careers.
• Pledges to defend union rights for fair wages, safe working conditions, and worker dignity.

“I strongly believe Congress must pass critical legislation like the PRO Act and the Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act to protect the right to organize.”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports strict gun regulation and assault weapon ban

Menendez favors federal gun safety legislation to curb gun violence. He advocates for re-enacting the Federal Assault Weapons Ban and expanding background checks to private firearm sales. He also supports Ethan's Law for safe storage mandates and closing purchasing loopholes for felons and abusive partners.

• Supports re-enacting the Federal Assault Weapons Ban.
• Advocates expanding background checks to cover private gun sales.
• Supports safe firearm storage legislation, including Ethan's Law.

“As your representative in Congress, I will fight to: Increase the scope of background checks so that Americans are no longer able to buy guns from private sellers without any safety measures in place; Re-enact the Federal Assault Weapons Ban...”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Supports federal voting rights legislation

Menendez strongly opposes state-level voting restrictions and supports federal legislation to guarantee voting access. He champions the Freedom to Vote Act and the For the People Act. He also voted against Republican-led voter ID and citizenship verification legislation.

• Supports passing the Freedom to Vote Act and the For the People Act.
• Voted Nay on the SAVE Act (H.R. 22), which required documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections.

“Enact comprehensive voting rights legislation, such as the Freedom to Vote Act and the For the People Act”

Robert Menendez Jr.

Opposes restrictive border enforcement bills

Menendez opposes Republican immigration enforcement bills and border restrictions. In Congress, he voted against the Secure the Border Act of 2023, the Laken Riley Act, and DUI-related deportation legislation. He also voted against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.

• Voted Nay on the Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2).
• Voted Nay on the Laken Riley Act (S.5) requiring detention for certain non-citizens arrested for theft offenses.
• Voted Nay on H.R. 875 regarding DUI grounds for deportation/inadmissibility.
• Voted Nay on impeaching DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas (H.Res.863).

“I have been on the frontline of the battle for the soul of our nation and have put it all on the line to defend our freedoms and the promise of America.”