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Bill Pascrell

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Bill Pascrell
File:Bill Pascrell Official.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 8th district
Assumed office
January 3, 1997
Preceded byBill Martini
Mayor of Paterson
In office
July 1, 1990 – January 3, 1997
Preceded byAnna Lisa Dopirak
Succeeded byMartin Barnes
Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 35th district
Member of the New Jersey House of Representatives
In office
January 1, 1988 – January 3, 1997
Preceded byVincent Pellecchia
Succeeded byNellie Pou
Personal details
Born (1937-01-25) January 25, 1937 (age 87)
Paterson, New Jersey
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseElsie Pascrell
Residence(s)Paterson, New Jersey
Alma materFordham University
OccupationEducator
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Army
Years of service1961-1967

William J. "Bill" Pascrell, Jr. (born January 25, 1937) is the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 8th congressional district, serving since 1997. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Paterson and includes most of Passaic County and suburban Essex County.

Early life, education, and academic career

The grandson of Italian immigrants, Pascrell was born in Paterson, New Jersey and attended St. George’s Elementary School, and in 1955 graduated from St. John the Baptist High School, during which he was elected Student Council President. Pascrell later went on to attend Fordham University in New York where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Master’s degree in Philosophy.

Pascrell spent 12 years as a high school teacher in Paramus, New Jersey, during which he taught several courses including Psychology, before being hired as a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Previously, Pascrell was appointed to Paterson Board of Education, where he served as President of the Board. He also served as Board of Trustees of Passaic County Community College.

Early political career

State Assembly

Pascrell was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1988, eventually rising to the position of Minority Leader Pro Tempore.[1] He won his seat in 1987 with 34% of the vote.[2] He won re-election in 1989 (36%),[3] 1991 (29%),[4] 1993 (31%),[5] and 1995 (33%).[6]

Mayor of Paterson

In 1990, Pascrell ran for Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey a seat that had been left vacant by the death of the city's sitting mayor, Frank Xavier Graves, Jr., two months prior to the election. Pascrell won with 51% of the vote in a nonpartisan four candidate election.[7] He won re-election in 1994 with 46% of the vote in a three candidate nonpartisan election against Martin Barnes and Thomas C. Rooney, Jr.[8]

Pascrell was mayor of Paterson while he served as an Assemblyman (a practice that many New Jersey politicians followed for many years, but has recently been outlawed).

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

In 1996, Pascrell ran for New Jersey's 8th congressional district and defeated Republican incumbent Bill Martini 51%-48%, a margin of 6,249 votes. Pascrell was likely helped by Bill Clinton's easy victory in New Jersey in that year's presidential election.[9] After that, he never won re-election with less than 62% of the vote.

2012
Main article: United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey, 2012

After redistricting, Pascrell's home was placed in the newly redrawn New Jersey's 9th congressional district. Fellow Democrat U.S. Congressman Steve Rothman has decided to move into the 9th and challenge Pascrell in the primary. Rothman was placed in a Republican leaning district against Republican Scott Garrett.[10] Rothman currently represents 53% of the new 9th, as Pascrell represents 43% of the CD.[11]

Pascrell defeated Rothman in the Democratic primary on June 5, capturing approximately 60% of the vote.

2012 Election Controversy

Rothman's candidacy in the 2012 primary race reportedly devolved into a highly competitive proxy war over Israel, between the state’s pro-Israel community and a growing constituency of Arab voters who have accused a sitting congressman of putting Israel’s interests before America’s. Aref Assaf, president of the New Jersey-based American Arab Forum, published a column in the Newark Star Ledger titled, “Rothman is Israel’s Man in District 9” in which he wrote:

“As total and blind support becomes the only reason for choosing Rothman, voters who do not view the elections in this prism will need to take notice. Loyalty to a foreign flag is not loyalty to America’s [flag].”[12]

Arabic-language campaign posters produced by Pascrell supporters reportedly encourged the “Arab diaspora community” to elect Pascrell, “the friend of the Arabs.” The poster touted the race as “the most important election in the history of the [Arab American] community.”[13][14][12]

Susan Rosenbluth, publisher of the New Jersey-based Jewish Voice and Opinion wrote that "a number of Arab-American constituents have come out with outrageous attacks on Rothman," and commented that "I haven’t heard a dual loyalty charge for years.” She also sharply criticized Pascrell for remaining silent and refusing to condemn the charges of dual loyalty.[14][15][16][17]

Tenure

Pascrell is the first New Jerseyan to serve on the House Committee on Ways and Means in 10 years.

Pascrell was one of the original members of the Homeland Security Committee, eventually rising to the post of ranking Democrat on the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. He has a particular interest in fire safety, and authored the bill that created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which gives federal grants directly to all fire departments, including volunteer fire departments, which he calls "the forgotten part of the public safety equation".

He was also a member of the House Transportation Committee, where he worked to modernize roads, bridges, airports and mass transit systems. He has secured funding for reconstructing various dangerous roads and bridges throughout New Jersey, including bringing attention to the Route 46 corridor. In addition, he has helped craft legislation to renew federal surface transportation programs, providing funding toward New Jersey Transit. The new legislation tackled projects of rail expansion between Passaic and Bergen counties, bridge construction throughout Route 46, and the establishment of a bike-pedestrian path in South Orange.

Pascrell is an Italian American and has been outspoken about the representation of Italian-Americans in the media regarding what he sees as negative stereotypes in shows such as HBO's The Sopranos. His Italian heritage was questioned by comedian Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report, who alleged in an interview that Pascrell could not truly be of Italian descent because Italian surnames must end with a vowel. Pressed by Colbert for an example of an Italian surname ending in a consonant, Pascrell responded with "Sole".[18]

During Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2009 Working on a Dream Tour, Pascrell asked for investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice into the practices of Ticketmaster and TicketsNow in regard to sales of tickets to the tour's New Jersey shows.[19] Pascrell subsequently introduced proposed federal legislation, titled the "BOSS ACT" (Better Oversight of Secondary Sales and Accountability in Concert Ticketing), which would require primary ticket sellers to disclose how many tickets were being held back from sale, prohibit ticket brokers from buying tickets during the first 48 hours on sale, and prohibit primary ticket sellers, promoters, and artists from entering the secondary market.[20] In 2012, problems again arose during the first ticket sales for Springsteen's 2012 Wrecking Ball Tour. Ticketmaster said web traffic was 2.5 times it's highest level for the year. Shows were selling out within minutes and many tickets at much higher prices appeared on resale websites such as StubHub less than an hour after the onsale time. Pascrell again responded saying saying he would reintroduce the BOSS ACT bill to Congress. [21][22]

After the death of a young boy in his district who returned to playing football without having fully recovered from a concussion sustained earlier in the season in October 2008, Pascrell introduced the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act (the ConTACT Act), which has received the endorsements of the National Football League, the National Football League Players Association, and the Brain Injury Association of America. The legislation brings together a conference of experts to produce a consensus set of guidelines for the treatment and care of concussions for middle and high school students. It also provides funding for schools' adoption of baseline and post-injury neuropsychological testing technologies.[23]


In January 2011, Congressman Pascrell responded to the Tucson shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords by stating, "[t]here's an aura of hate and elected politicians feed it, certain people on Fox News feed it."[24]

Committee assignments

Caucus Memberships
Party leadership
  • Regional Whip

Electoral history

New Jersey's 8th congressional district: Results 1996–2010[25][26]
Year Democrat Votes Pct Republican Votes Pct 3rd Party Party Votes Pct
1996 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 98,861 51% William J. Martini 92,609 48% Jeffrey M. Levine Independent 1,621 1%
1998 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 81,068 62% Matthew J. Kirnan 46,289 35% Jeffrey M. Levine Independent 804 1% *
2000 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 134,074 67% Anthony Fusco, Jr. 60,606 30% Joseph A. Fortunato Independent 4,469 2% *
2002 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 88,101 67% Jared Silverman 40,318 31% Joseph A. Fortunato Green 3,400 3%
2004 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 152,001 69% George Ajjan 62,747 29% Joseph A. Fortunato Green 4,072 2%
2006 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 97,568 71% Jose M. Sandoval 39,053 28% Lou Jasikoff Libertarian 1,018 1%
2008 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 155,111 72% Roland Straten 62,239 27% Derek DeMarco Libertarian 1,487 1%
2010 Bill Pascrell, Jr. 88,478 63% Roland Straten 51,023 36% Raymond Giangrosso Independent 1,707 1%
*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1998, Stephen Spinosa received 762 votes; Bernard George received 722 votes; Thomas Paine Caslander received 625 votes; and José L. Aravena received 318 votes. In 2000, Viji Sargis received 983 votes.

References

  1. ^ "Rep. Bill Pascrell's Website"[dead link]
  2. ^ "NJ General Assembly 35 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 03, 1987. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "NJ General Assembly 35 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 07, 1989. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "NJ General Assembly 35 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 05, 1991. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "NJ General Assembly 35 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 02, 1993. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ "NJ General Assembly 35 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 07, 1995. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ "Paterson, NJ Mayor Race". Our Campaigns. May 08, 1990. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "Paterson, NJ Mayor Race". Our Campaigns. May 10, 1994. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  9. ^ "NJ District 8 Race". Our Campaigns. Nov 05, 1996. Retrieved 2012-06-09. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ "U.S. Rep Steve Rothman's challenge to Bill Pascrell is bad for N.J., U.S." The Star-Ledger. December 30, 2011. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  11. ^ "Dems to square off to stay in Congress". Daily Record. Retrieved 2012-06-09.[dead link]
  12. ^ a b Rothman is Israel's man in District 9 by Aref Assaf, Newark Star Ledger, February 19, 2012.(original column by Assaf)
  13. ^ Defeating the Jewish Alinskyites by Caroline B. Glick, Jerusalem Post, June 7, 2012.
  14. ^ a b Jersey Roar - Democratic House primary turns into ethnic proxy war over Israel by Adam Kredo, Washington Free Beacon, June 1, 2012.
  15. ^ Pascrell (Still) Won't Repudiate anti-Semitic Slurs by Joel Himelfarb, Investigative Project on Terrorism, June 4, 2012.
  16. ^ Pascrell Stays Silent on Dual-Loyalty Slur by Alana Goodman, Commentary Magazine, February 24, 2012.
  17. ^ UPDATE: Pascrell backer: Rothman is a 'patriot,' but campaign won't condemn Assaf by Zach Silberman, Washington Jewish Week, February 23, 2012.
  18. ^ "Laugh, and the Voters Will Laugh With You, or at Least at You", The New York Times, February 26, 2006
  19. ^ "Springsteen ticket glitch has pol calling for federal probe". Newsday. Associated Press. 2009-02-03. Retrieved 2009-02-07. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ McGlone, Peggy (2009-06-01). "The BOSS ACT rewrites rules on ticket sales". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2009-06-21. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  21. ^ Fixmer, Andy (January 27, 2012). "Ticketmaster Says Scalpers System as Springsteen Goes on Sale". Businessweek. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  22. ^ Feldman, Emily (January 28, 2012). "N.J. Rep. Calls for Gov't Oversight Following Springteen Ticket Glitch". NBC New York. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
  23. ^ "Congressman Pascrell Testifies Before House Judiciary Committee Hearing on Head Injuries Related to Participation in Sports". Congressman Bill Pascrell. October 28, 2009.
  24. ^ Jackson, Herb (January 9, 2011). "NJ lawmakers shocked by shooting of Congresswoman Giffords, others at public event". The Record.
  25. ^ "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved 2008-01-10.
  26. ^ "Candidate Returns for House of Representatives for November 2010 General Election" (PDF). state.nj.us. November 29, 2010. Retrieved 2012-06-09.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from New Jersey's 8th congressional district
1997–Present 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
129th 		Succeeded by

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