#rep. Bill Pascrell

[politijohn]

Source

Source

Source

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), age 87, is running for re-election

Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), age 85, is also running for re-election

The gerontocracy continues to run itself into its own grave…

[posttexasstressdisorder]

He was one of the good ones, to be sure...

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Paul V. Fontelo at Roll Call:

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a New Jersey Democrat first elected to the House in 1996, died on Wednesday, his office announced on X. He was 87 and would have been the oldest member of the House if reelected in November.  “Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and the people he loved,” the post said. “Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He is now at peace after a life time devoted to our great nation America.” A veteran of New Jersey’s brand of politics who dominated his home Passaic County, Pascrell was known for his pugnacious demeanor in promoting tax enforcement and ensuring “tax fairness” for all income levels. To achieve that, “everybody’s got to pull on the rope the same,” he said.

An Army veteran and one-time semi-professional baseball player, Pascrell was a teenager when his uncle took him to his first ward meeting in the city of Paterson, then a factory town with a thriving textile business. The rough-and-tumble political arena left an impression on Pascrell. “There’s a lot of fist fights … I’m gonna like this,” he recalled in an interview. “I did. I stayed with it since I was 16 years old.” While he saw far fewer physical melees between parties in Congress, Pascrell said he stuck by the lessons he learned from his first exposure to politics. “See it through or else don’t start it,” he said. And when you are in a fight, “never yield.” In the 118th Congress, Pascrell was the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee, having previously spent more than two years as the panel’s chairman. He and fellow Ways and Means Democrats scored several victories in the final months of the previous Congress, including enacting a major tax and social spending budget reconciliation law and, after years of legal battles, acquiring six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns in the lame duck session after the 2022.

Pascrell waged a long campaign to tax “carried interest,” a form of compensation for investment fund managers that is not taxed like ordinary income, a situation he called a loophole that allows rich individuals to avoid fair taxation. He repeatedly introduced legislation to change inheritance rules as well. His bill on the so-called stepped-up basis would have changed existing tax law so that when someone dies and passes on property, the inheritor would pay capital gains taxes based on the fair market rate of the inherited assets, with a few exceptions. Pascrell’s position on the Ways and Means Committee also gave him a platform to fight to restore deductions for state and local tax payments, which Republicans capped in their 2017 tax law. The cap on the SALT deduction hit people in the top income brackets hardest, but in states with high local property and income taxes such as New Jersey, it was also felt by less wealthy families. As a result, Pascrell framed his tax proposals as benefiting the middle class.

Representing a manufacturing-heavy district, he was a close ally of labor unions and focused on ensuring that countries trading with the U.S. complied with international labor standards.  One recurring bipartisan cause for Pascrell was research on and treatment of brain injuries. Inspired by the plight of a constituent, he co-founded the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force in 2001. The issue took on added importance after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks because of a spike in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with wounds from improvised explosive devices.  Pascrell was born in Paterson, N.J., where his Italian immigrant grandparents settled. His father worked for the railroad. The first member of his family to go to high school, Pascrell was an all-state third baseman, played semi-professional baseball for a team in Clifton and tried out for the Philadelphia Phillies after finishing his schooling in the early 1960s. 

New Jersey Congressman Bill Pascrell (D-NJ) died today at the age of 87.

[madamspeaker]

Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Bill Pascrell (9th May, 2023)

[ausetkmt]

Stanford University published a working paper earlier this year that revealed a glaring racial disparity in audits of Black taxpayers. The study prompted some lawmakers to urge the agency to conduct an internal investigation into how it determines which taxpayers to audit.

On Monday (May 15), the IRS confirmed the suspicion that it has a racially biased audit selection system.

“While there is a need for further research, our initial findings support the conclusion that Black taxpayers may be audited at higher rates than would be expected given their share of the population,” IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel wrote to the U.S. Senate.

Rep. Bill Pascrell, a New Jersey Democrat on the House Way and Means Committee, said he and his colleagues raised concerns in March about the over-audits of Black taxpayers. The committee oversees the federal tax system.

“IRS is making strides but extra audits of Black Americans is disgraceful and must end,” Pascrell tweeted.

The Stanford study estimated that the IRS audits Black taxpayers at three to five times the rate of non-Black taxpayers. Since the agency doesn’t collect data about taxpayer race, it appears the disparity stems from the agency targeting people who claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), a benefit for low-wage workers that has a high rate of mistakes.

“We are deeply concerned by these findings and committed to doing the work to understand and address any disparate impact of the actions we take,” Werfel wrote, adding that the agency is “dedicating resources” to figure out why its automated audit selection produces a disparity.

CBS News reports that the agency intends to use some of the $80 billion it received through the Inflation Reduction Act to understand the problem, which the Stanford study suggested that it stemmed from the agency’s flawed artificial intelligence algorithm.

Werfel said his office will update the lawmakers on a regular basis on its progress toward fixing the problem.

[inexable]

Nellie Pou's Unexpected Rise: Democracy in Action or Party Politics?

The swift succession of Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) by State Sen. Nellie Pou has stirred an interesting debate. The process was a whirlwind — spurred by state law — but it saw party bosses essentially coronate Pou as the Democratic nominee for the 9th Congressional District. On one hand, Pou's extensive record and her role in empowering New Jersey's Hispanic communities seem to make her a worthy successor. Yet, critics argue this expedited process sidelined democratic choice in favor of party control. Do you think this selection process reflects the best of political pragmatism, or does it underline the need for more democratic methods in candidate selection? Share your thoughts!

[mediamonarchy]

https://mediamonarchy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240829_MorningMonarchy.mp3 Download MP3 Badger culls, fatally struck and the protection of children + this day in history w/super snakes and our song of the day by Neal Fox on your #MorningMonarchy for August 29, 2024. Notes/Links: Scientists tied to chemical industry plan to derail PFAS rule on drinking water; Michael Dourson receives funds from chemical makers and plans to develop and publish studies that benefit firms https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/aug/27/scientists-chemical-industry-derail-pfas-regulation-drinking-water Baby’s first junk food: How companies prey on new parents https://archive.is/tMC0G Alain Delon’s family overrule wish to kill dog late French actor wanted to be buried with; The French actor, who died on Sunday aged 88, wanted his 10-year-old Belgian malinois, Loubo, to be buried with him. https://news.sky.com/story/alain-delons-family-overrule-wish-to-kill-dog-late-french-actor-wanted-to-be-buried-with-13200382 🗣️ “As predicted, the BBC’s badger cull documentary contained little more than the opinion of its presenter – Brian May.” https://x.com/FarmersWeekly/status/1828399504363594128 Video: Brian May badger documentary furore – Fieldsports News, 21 August 2024 (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyE_Z_hxzsE Serge Gainsbourg – “Aux Armes Et Cætera” (w/Sly & Robbie // Vinyl // Audio) https://www.discogs.com/release/26978558-Gainsbourg-Best-Of-Gainsbourg-Comme-Un-Boomerang // https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aux_armes_et_c%C3%A6tera_(album) // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPJWZILeLzU Footballer dies aged 27 after collapsing on pitch https://news.sky.com/story/juan-izquierdo-uruguayan-footballer-dies-aged-27-after-collapsing-on-pitch-13204583 Retired Marine general died of embolism at California base he once commanded By all accounts Mullen was very fit. Died of ‘natural causes’, a pulmonary embolism, at the age of 59. Also suddenly and unexpectedly. https://archive.ph/l01AK WWE icon Sid ‘Vicious’ Eudy dies aged 63 https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxle0vxkyxo Family shares additional information on Sid Eudy’s passing https://www.postwrestling.com/2024/08/27/family-shares-additional-information-on-sid-eudys-passing/ Video: WWE remembers Sid Eudy (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-zWhsifV34 Scott Thorson, Liberace’s Lover and Key Witness in Wonderland Murders Trial, Dies at 65 https://archive.ph/95dhd Roger Cook, ‘This Old House’ Star, Dies at 70 https://people.com/roger-cook-dead-this-old-house-star-age-70-8700450 Sven-Goran Eriksson, first foreign manager to lead England, dies at age of 76 https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/clyw3lze152o Mariah Carey’s mother 87 and sister 63 die on the same day https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2yd454nzvo Totally not corrupt NJ politician Bill Pascrell cacks out in office at 87 https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/21/politics/new-jersey-rep-bill-pascrell-dies/index.html Mum who wrote a book for grieving children goes on trial for husband’s murder; Kouri Richins denies lacing her husband’s cocktail with five times the lethal dose of fentanyl. https://news.sky.com/story/mum-who-wrote-book-for-grieving-children-after-her-husbands-death-will-stand-trial-for-his-murder-13204528 Phil Lewis: Drag queen who inspired It’s A Sin TV series dies https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg58gege81no Death of woman on 1st day of Burning Man festival under investigation https://apnews.com/article/death-burning-man-festival-nevada-3d9f9883cfef4036c506c38b6cad87a0 Someone is *cleaning*house* this week… Mike Lynch’s co-defendant in US fraud trial ‘fatally struck’ by car while jogging https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/19/mike-lynchs-co-defendant-in-us-trial-fatally-struck-by-car-while-jogging Video: Yacht tragedy: Co-accused in Mike Lynch fraud trial died just days earlier (Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWbilSEXAuA The Last Shadow Puppets – “Separate And Ever Deadly” (Vinyl // Audio) https:/...

[recentlyheardcom]

Bill Pascrell, longtime N.J. congressman and fierce Trump critic, dies at 87

WASHINGTON — Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, whose career in rough-and-tumble New Jersey politics spanned four decades and who in his later years became known for his sharp barbs against Donald Trump, died Wednesday, his family said in a statement on his official X account. He was 87. “It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather,…

[3acesnews]

Bill Pascrell, fiery New Jersey Rep., dies at 87

[wanderervenom]

From CNN: Longtime New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell dies at age 87

Longtime New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell dies at age 87

[bnewschannel]

New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell dead at 87

http://dlvr.it/TCBtwx

[posttexasstressdisorder]

As United States Postal Service letter carriers face increasing violence and assaults on the job, the police officers who could protect them have been sidelined by the government, a new Raw Story investigation revealed.

With letter carrier robberies skyrocketing by 543 percent between 2019 and 2022, the issue has spurred a bipartisan group of Congress members to introduce legislation aimed at providing more secure mailbox equipment and better protecting letter carriers.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), who introduced the Protect our Letter Carriers Act last week, said Raw Story's investigation should urge Congress to turn the bill into law.

“The concerns highlighted in this story only increase the urgency needed in Congress to pass the bipartisan Protect our Letter Carriers Act," Fitzpatrick said in a statement to Raw Story. "The United States Postal Service must have the resources to update its outdated arrow keys and harden mailboxes. We must also increase the prosecution and lengthen sentences of individuals arrested for assaulting and robbing letter carriers. I will do whatever is necessary to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to pass this crucial piece of legislation.”

A 2020 statute reinterpretation by the Postal Service curtailed uniformed postal police officers' ability to patrol the streets where mail crimes typically occur, restricting them to working on postal property such as post offices and distribution centers. Meanwhile, the number of postal police officers overall has shrunk from a high of more than 2,600 in the 1970s to about 450 officers today.

In a phone interview with Raw Story, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said mail theft is "rampant" in her district and is an issue she's heard about across the country from her colleagues. Postal police officers aren't currently "doing any good being confined to postal property," Norton said.

"The spike in mail crime only reinforces my notion that we need to have postal police go wherever the crime is," Norton said.

If postal police officers began patrolling the streets again, there would be "a better chance of restricting crimes for the Postal Service," said Norton, who is a co-sponsor of the House version of the Postal Police Reform Act alongside Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), Ken Calvert (R-CA) and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).

Calvert himself lost nearly $10,000 in campaign cash last year because of mail theft, Raw Story first reported.

"I think the bill has a good chance of passing not only because of what we're experiencing in the district but because this issue is nationwide," Norton said.

There's a Senate version of the Postal Police Reform Act, as well, introduced by Sens. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Susan Collins (R-ME), along with 10 other co-sponsors, including Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD).

“Postal carriers routinely deliver lifelines to Marylanders and others across the country. They should not be left vulnerable to dangerous situations that leave them and mail recipients in potential danger – from theft and the lost items," Cardin told Raw Story in a statement. "This is a growing problem that Congress should address, preferably in partnership with the USPS.”

Read Raw Story's full investigation: Letter carriers face bullets and beatings while postal service sidelines police

[macwantspeace]

"All hail Dear Leader!" Just to make it clear, for the dozenth time this year, he says all effort is for the former guy. “Everything that we do in the House of Representatives should be in the best interests of getting Donald Trump re-elected.” Later in the article: The comments led Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. to respond online soon after, “Elected Republicans think their #1 job in office is helping Donald Trump. Not aiding the people, not protecting America, serving Trump. The Republican Party is unfit to govern America and doesn’t give a damn about you.” I just noticed that Saturday, May 4, is another election in San Antonio. We had March, and April run-offs. This is for a brand new office. I had to look it up. Director of Appraisal District. Somehow it's three directors. I found a local news site that described the candidates. One was endorsed by Heritage Foundation [nope]. One ran as a republican for council [nope]. Other choice was harder. But the one I picked boosted Stinson Airport on the south side. That's local private traffic. So, I start to say slowly, I will march on over to vote. And every chance I will go vote. Because those "lower" jobs get involved in doing the bigger business. And as Rep Nehls makes clear, "they don't give a damn about you."

[mx-defying]

Swifties go to Washington!

We are so grateful to Representative Bill Pascrell’s willingness to meet with our contingent of Swifties in DC! He was a strong advocate against the 2010 merger of Ticketmaster & Live Nation and he has stayed a strong advocate for fans’ consumers rights.

Rep. Pascrell is a co-sponsor of the BOSS & SWIFT Act and you can learn more about the bill on his website: https://pascrell.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5369

For details on how to contact your legislators and more- check out our website: https://www.takedownticketmaster.com/take-action

[kp777]

By Brett Wilkins

Common Dreams

Jan. 12, 2024

"We cannot allow House Republicans to ram through their closed-door commission that is designed to fast-track cuts to the benefits hardworking Americans rely on," asserted Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr.

Decrying Republican plans for "ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors" via a so-called fiscal commission, more than half of U.S. House Democrats on Thursday urged congressional leaders to scrap plans to fast-track the controversial panel.

Fiscal commission legislation being considered by the House Budget Committee "would create a process in which legislating would be done by a small group of individuals behind closed doors" to pass a law "that cuts benefits and calls for an up-or-down vote without hearings, and that is unamendable," 116 House Democrats led by Reps. John Larson (D-Conn.) and Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) wrote in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.).

The lawmakers continued:

There is no shortage of legislation that will improve the fiscal standing of the United States while directly benefiting the public. Democratic proposals include legislation that would extend Social Security's solvency for another generation while expanding benefits the American people rely on—benefits that haven't been expanded in more than 50 years. It is Congress' responsibility to conduct the oversight and recommend enhancements to solvency or cuts, and it should be done in the open and not behind closed doors.

In a statement, Larson said that "we cannot allow House Republicans to ram through their closed-door commission that is designed to fast-track cuts to the benefits hardworking Americans rely on, like Social Security."

"If they want to have debates about policy that directly impacts the lives and livelihoods of Americans families, we should have these discussions out in the open for our constituents to see and be a part of," he added.

While House Republicans claim the purpose of the proposed fiscal commission is to control the $34 trillion national debt, Democrats have expressed skepticism regarding their true intentions, noting that GOP lawmakers have dramatically increased the debt via tax cuts for corporations and rich Americans in recent years.

In November, House Republicans proposed cuts to Internal Revenue Service funding that would slash federal revenue by $27 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office. A 2023 analysis by the Center for American Progress found that tax cuts approved during the George W. Bush and Trump administration have added $10 trillion to the national debt this century.

Social Security, meanwhile, does not add to the long-term federal deficit because the program is required by law to pay benefits from an internal trust fund and is prohibited from borrowing.

"Republicans are not serious about the deficit. They are not even serious about governing. They are serious about only one thing, and that is ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors," said Schakowsky. "A so-called fiscal commission would fast-track cuts to vital benefits Americans rely on."

"Social Security benefits are already modest—only about $21,384 a year, yet Republicans want to put these hard-earned benefits at risk," she added. "We must expand Social Security benefits, not cut them."

"Republicans are not serious about the deficit. They are not even serious about governing. They are serious about only one thing, and that is ripping away Social Security from seniors behind closed doors."

Republican presidential candidates have openly expressed willingness to slash Social Security, a stance still viewed as the deadly "third rail" of U.S. politics. While GOP front-runner and former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis have attacked rival Nikki Haley, a former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador, for openly advocating slashing the program and raising the retirement age, Trump told the World Economic Forum in 2020 that he would consider cutting benefits "at some point," while DeSantis said he would "revamp" Social Security.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-N.J.), who signed the letter, called Social Security "one of America's great success stories."

"It stands as a monument to decency and dignity, and is a birthright of hardworking Americans, yet it has been under attack," Pascrell said on the House floor Wednesday night. "The Republican Study Committee proposed slashing Social Security benefits by $718 billion and the GOP leadership wants to create a so-called 'fiscal commission'—a wolf in sheep's clothing."

Other critics have likened Republicans' proposed fiscal commission to a "death panel." The proposal is deeply unpopular, with more than 80% of U.S. voters opposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare. Advocates applauded House Democrats for standing against the proposal.

"They recognize it for what it is—a scheme to slash Social Security behind closed doors," Nancy Altman, president of the advocacy group Social Security Works, told Common Dreams.

"Democratic leaders in both the House and Senate should make it clear that a commission is a poison pill, something they will never accept under any circumstances," Altman continued. "Social Security and Medicare are earned benefits. They should never be negotiating chips."

"Instead of a closed door commission, the House should hold an up or down vote on the Social Security 2100 Act," she added. "This legislation increases Social Security's modest benefits and ensures the expanded benefits can be paid in full and on time for decades to come."

Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)—the nation's largest federal workers' union—said in a statement that "a fiscal commission would give a small group of lawmakers and nonelected individuals enormous power to recommend cuts to Social Security and other popular programs without any ability for the public to weigh in."

"If Congress is serious about preserving Social Security, Medicare, and similar programs for future generations, then it needs to have an honest discussion about how to do that—not pawn off these decisions to a secret group behind closed doors," Kelley continued.

"With just a week before government funding runs out for various departments including Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, [Housing and Urban Development], and Transportation, Congress should focus on passing full-year funding for these and other government programs instead of trying to pawn off its tough decisions to an exclusive commission," he added.

Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.