Worried residents calling legislators
State's Dems in DC cite actions of Trump, Musk
By: Katie Sobko
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey
..... "Call your congressman" is an old saw that's been used for generation - but it has rarely, though, that seems to have changed.
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With the start of the second Trump administration, though, that seems to have changed.
..... In the wake of the slew of executive orders signed by President Donald Trump and actions taken on his behalf by people like Elon Musk, New Jersey residents have become increasingly vocal about their concerns about the direction in which the country is headed.
..... More than half of the state's delegations in the House of Representative and both senators confirmed that since January 20 [2025] - inauguration Day - there has been a significant uptick in calls form constituents.
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The state's senior senator, Cory Booker, said his office has "fielded thousandth of calls in respond to the administration's actions."
..... "New Jersey ans are concerned," Elon Musk's role in government and the slew of cuts to essential services he is directing, and the administration's lack of action to lower costs."
..... Booker went on to say he has heard from all sorts of industries and groups that could affected by Trump's executive orders and the actions Musk has taken, such as nonprofit groups unsure if they will have to reduce services to people in need, small business and industry leaders unsure of the scale of the impacts of trump's tariffs, and municipalities that have had to indefinitely pause critical infrastructure projects or wait to purchase essential equipment - like new firetrucks and body armor - because they can't count on federal funding for these purchases and projects.
..... His colleagues Senator Andy Kim has also been inundated with calls about the funding freeze and what it means for programs in New Jersey.
.... Representative Pallone, the longest-serving member of the delegation, said his office has seen an "unprecedented surge in calls and emails" since Trump was sworn in for the second time.
..... Nearly 8,000 message have been sent to his office, Pallone said, which far exceeds the previous volume, with most opposing Trump's agenda.
..... He said Trump is :undermining essential services - safe roads, clean water, food safety and public safety itself - creating relentless uncertainty," and the "instability is terrifying for people who rely on federal program they paid into, like Social Security and Medicare just to get by."
..... He went on to say that "Trump does not have an overwhelming mandate" and cause the Republicans' majority in Congress is so small, they need Democrats to govern.
..... "The more we speak out about the impact of these policies on real people, the hard it becomes for them to ignore the consequences of these actions," Pallone said before encouraging everyone affected by the Trump administration's funding freeze to go to his website to share their experiences.
..... The number of calls has multiplied for Representative Mikie Sherrill as well. A typical week yield about 200 calls, but her office received more than 1,400 In a recent week. [02/14/2025] She hosted a telephone town hall earlier this month [02/2025] fro 700 constituents.
..... New Jerseyans are deeply concerned Elon Musk's unlawful takeover of our democratic institutions," Sherrill said. "I've heard from seniors who are afraid that Trump and Musk want to play polices with their Social Security checks, service and child care providers worried about the future of their federal funding, federal workers concerned about being laid off, and engaged citizens wondering what they can do to protect our democracy."
..... She urged "each and every New Jerseyans to keep showing up," because "both in the court of law and the court of public opinion," Trump "has had to backtrack on some of his most harmful decisions."
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It's not just members who have been around for several terms hearing form around for several terms hearing from residents, either. One of the newest lawmakers sent to Washington from the Garden State is Representative LaMonica Melver.
..... She has been a vocal critic of the Trump funding freeze as well as the ICE raid in her district last month. [01/2025] People are concerned about Head start, food assistance programs, domestic violence shelters and other vital programs.
..... "This is an attack on the livelihood of the American people," McIver said. "If you're angry about what's happening with Trump and Musk - you should be. Channel that anger by calling your federal election officials to let them know what you think and how you feel."
..... McIver encouraged resident to get involved because "now is not the time to stand on the sidelines."
..... While the feedback from within her constituency has been overwhelmingly positive, there have been people from outside of the region taking issue with McIver's criticism of Trump and Musk.
..... Her office confirmed that those calls have been "personal attacks on the congresswomen and are not focused on policy."
..... McIver told the New Jersey Globe that she has been "getting called everything Online except a child of God - me being overweight, me being Black and ghetto, you name it ... it's honestly pretty nasty and disgusting. And I can see the Trump followers have .... Nothing about my leadership, nothing about policy, nothing about my experiences, just about my appearance and where I come from."
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Representative Nellie Pou's office has been flooded with calls and messages from residents "expressing deep dismay and anger about reports that the head of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency Elon Musk controls access to sensitive U.S. Treasury records."
..... "These records contain sensitive financial data on American citizens and businesses. your personal data should not be put at risk by an unelected billionaire and a team of unknown and unvetted computer programmers," Pou said. "The basic rights of Americans should never be violated."
..... Representative Rob Menendez said he has seen a "substantial increase in outreach from constituents" in the last few weeks.
..... "From immigration to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security, people in the 8th Congressional District are uncertain about what the future holds and concerned about Elon Musk's influence on the federal government," he said.
..... Menendez went on to say he has visited the Elizabeth Detention Center to oversee ICE and tried to do the same at the Treasury Department.
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Representative Bonnie Watson-Coleman's office estimates there has been a tenfold increase in calls, mostly form people concerned about Trump and Musk freezing accounts, Musk having access to their informational Treasury and Social Security, and Trump's remarks on Gaza. she hosted a recent tel-town hall to address those concerns.
..... Representative Tom Ken Jr., did not disclose whether his office has received increased call volume since Trump was inaugurated or what topics have been most frequently mentioned in miscommunications since then, but he did say "New Jerseyans want the federal government to secure. America's borders, support law enforcement to protect our communities, and ensure responsible government spending that reflects their priorities and meets their vital needs."
..... Kean received more than $600,000 in donations from Musk's PAC during his reelection bid last fall [[2024]
..... Representative Donald Norcross, Jeff Van Drew, Herb Conaway, Chris Smith and Josh Gottheimer did not respond to request for comment.