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Congressman Rothman has always believed that the key to continuing America's prosperity in the future is ensuring that our children have an A+ education today. He supported the bipartisan education reform bill passed by Congress recently and he believes the federal government should help local communities build new schools and renovate old ones so property taxpayers are not saddled with the entire cost. He also supports reducing class sizes for our nation's students.
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Highlights
Judiciary Subcommittee Holds Hearing on the School Safety Enhancements Act
April 17, 2008 Today, Rep. Rothman testified before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security in favor of the School Safety Enhancements Act. This legislation would expand Rothman's successful Secure Our Schools program, passed into law in 2000, which is a federal matching grant project to help local governments afford security equipment and training in their schools. Read more.School Safety News: Record column on the Moore family's fight for answers and the passage of Phylicia's Law (Apr. 16)
Congressman Rothman Introduces "Phylicia's Law"
December 2007 Rep. Rothman has introduced Phylicia’s Law, a bill to require public schools to have safety plans and security procedures in place for school-run, overnight, off-premises field trips.
The legislation is named in honor of Phylicia Moore, an 18-year-old student from Teaneck who died this past April while on a school-sponsored service trip to Ghana. Phylicia’s parents, Douglas and Lola Moore (pictured at top), joined Rothman outside of his Hackensack office on Monday, Dec. 3 to announce Phylicia’s Law. Read more.
Related News: Editorial Board Endorses "Phylicia's Law"
Rothman Presents Kevin Williams of Secaucus with Congressional Gold Medal
July 2- Congressman Rothman presented Secaucus High School student Kevin Williams with the Congressional Gold Medal Award on June 19. Mr. Williams was recognized for his leadership in the community and commitment to serving others. Read more.
Congressman Greets Teaneck's T'Keyah Turnbull in Washington, DC
June 30, 2008 Last Thursday, June 26, Rep. Rothman welcomed T'Keyah Turnbull, a rising senior at Teaneck High School, to his D.C. office. T'Keyah thanked the Congressman for steps he has taken to make college more affordable. This July, for example, students will begin to see interest rates on their federal student loans decrease by 0.8% thanks to legislation Rothman helped pass, the College Cost Reduction and Access Act. Read more.Young Leaders from North Jersey in DC:
* Lyndhurst's Rebecca DeMuro
* Englewood's Vincent Basaldua
* Leonia's Hyun Jung Yoo
* Fort Lee's Sharon Kim, Winner of the Annual Peace Essay Contest
Welcoming 8th Graders from the Maywood Avenue School to D.C.
June 18- Earlier this month, on June 4, Congressman Rothman welcomed eighth graders from the Maywood Avenue School to Washington, D.C. Meeting on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, the students asked their Congressman about a host of issues, including gas prices, vaccines, local emergency medical services, foreign aid, the war in Iraq, and the 2008 Presidential election. Read more.Welcoming 8th Graders from Englewood's Moriah School to D.C.
June 9- Last Thursday, Rep. Rothman welcomed 88 students from the Moriah School of Englewood, NJ to the nation's capital. Gathering beneath the dome of the U.S. Capitol Building, the eighth graders questioned the Congressman about a host of issues, ranging from the upcoming Presidential election to global warming to a typical day in Congress. View photo.
Rothman Welcomes Carlstadt Students to Washington
May 22- Congressman Rothman recently welcomed 50 eighth graders from Carlstadt Public School to the nation's capital. eeting on the steps of the U.S. Capitol for an hour, the students asked Rep. Rothman about a host of issues, including the environment, efforts to clean-up the Hackensack Meadowlands, foreign affairs, and the 2008 Presidential election. View larger photo.
Congressman Rothman Hosts 2008 Congressional Art Competition
May 19, 2008 Rep. Rothman recently hosted the 2008 Congressional Art Competition at the Bergen Performing Arts Center and announced the winners. First Place was awarded to Elizabeth Carp of Leonia, a student at Bergen County Academies. Second Place went to Barbara Yang of Leonia, also a student at Bergen County Academies. And Maria Arevalo of Saddle Brook High won Third Place. Read more.Rothman Welcomes New Jersey Education Advocates to D.C.
May 9, 2008 Earlier this month, Rep. Rothman met with New Jersey Education Association Director Walter Krichling and East Orange Education Association representative Amy Hanks Scott. Read more.
Rothman Commends National Language Arts Teacher of the Year from Leonia
May 8, 2008 Congressman Rothman congratulates Leonia resident Janet Glass on earning the prestigious 2008 National Language Teacher of the Year award. Glass, a teacher of Spanish at the Dwight-Englewood School for 20 years, has received numerous honors over the years for her work. The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages named Glass the 2008 National Language Teacher of the Year after a rigorous nationwide competition. Read more.
Fair Lawn Students Discuss Foreign Affairs and More with their Congressman
March 27, 2008 Before holding 13 Listening Sessions in New Jersey, Rep. Rothman took time to host a similar forum with Fair Lawn High School students on the steps of the U.S. Capitol. Foreign affairs dominated the nearly hour-long discussion. "These young people are already trying to tackle major issues and I came away from our meeting even more optimistic about the future of our great nation," said Rothman. Read more.Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates Testifies before House Science Committee
March 13, 2008 Yesterday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates testified before the House Science & Technology Committee, answering questions from Congressman Rothman and his colleagues throughout much of the morning and into the afternoon. "I was most struck by Gates' strong appeal to Congress to fully fund the America COMPETES Act," said Rothman. "This new law makes a significant commitment to our country's future by investing in math and science education and federal research. I will continue to vigorously advocate for funding of the America COMPETES Act." Read more.
Rothman Hosts Read Across America" Event at Washington Elementary in Lodi
March 12, 2008 Rep. Rothman recently hosted a "Read Across America" event in Lodi, reading Dr. Seuss' timeless book, The Lorax, to the fourth grade classes of Ms. Maria Benanti and Ms. Jennifer Sciameca at Washington Elementary School. "It is our collective responsibility as parents, teachers, neighbors, and elected representatives to ensure that our children thrive in our public schools, and the Read Across America program is an excellent resource to help us reach that goal," said Rothman. Read more.
Meeting with the New Jersey Parent-Teacher Association
March 5, 2008 Last Thursday, Congressman Rothman met with members of the New Jersey Parent-Teacher Association's. Following their discussion, Rothman said: "Teachers and parents are on the front lines of the battle to mold young people into healthy and happy adults. I am grateful to the New Jersey PTA for their continued efforts to ensure that all of our state's young people have the opportunity to succeed in life." Read more.Student Leaders Meet Their Congressman
March 5, 2008 On Thursday, February 28, 2008, Congressman Rothman welcomed Alberto Alarcon of Leonia and Cristina Lara of Fair Lawn to his office in the nation's capital. Both young people were in town for the National Young Leaders Conference. The event was organized by the Congressional Youth Leadership Council and focused on inspiring young people to achieve their full leadership potential.Meeting with Alberto Alarcon | Meeting with Cristina Lara
Supporting Community Colleges
Feb 19, 2008 Last week, Rep. Rothman met with Bergen Community College President Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan and Board of Trustees Secretary Cid Wilson. The college officials thanked Rothman for securing $272,600 to support the work of BCC's Center for Suburban Criminal Justice. They also discussed BCC's plans to build a new campus in southern Bergen County and the importance of federal student financial aid. Read more.Historic College Aid Bill Sent to President
September 18, 2007 Today, the Democratic-led Congress sent historic college aid legislation to the President’s desk for his signature. “We live in a global economy and New Jersey students need a college education to compete. For too many years, college tuition has gone up and up while federal need-based financial assistance – like the median family income – has been stagnant. That situation is finally beginning to change thanks to new Congressional leadership that has made college access and affordability a priority,” said Rothman. Read more about this accomplishment.
New Direction Congress Making Progress for the American People
November 1- Today, Rep. Rothman joined Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, dozens of Members of the House Democratic Caucus, and community leaders to highlight the remarkable progress the 110th Congress has made for the American people. Read more.Honoring Varian Fry: 'American Schindler' from Ridgewood, NJ
October 16, 2007 On what would have been the 100th birthday of Varian Fry, a Holocaust hero from Ridgewood, NJ, Congressman Rothman this week introduced a Resolution honoring Fry and his courage. During World War II, Varian Fry saved the lives of 2,000 Jews and other anti-Nazi refugees in Occupied France. Read more.
In Support of Religious Freedom
September 25, 2007 Today, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously approved Rep. Rothman's legislation (H.Res.25) calling on the Board of Directors of the National High School Mock Trial Championships to accommodate students of all faiths to allow them participate in this annual competition without violating the practices of their religion. Read more.Rothman Acts to Bring New Jersey More Cops, Safer Schools
May 16, 2007 During National Police Week (May 13-19, 2007), Rep. Rothman is supporting legislation to put 50,000 more police officers on our nation's streets by restoring the successful COPS hiring grants program. He will also re-introduce an even broader version of the School Security Enhancements Act of 2007, which has been revised to require institutions of higher education to develop an annual campus safety response plan, as well as expand his Secure Our Schools initiative. Read more.Second Annual American Mock Trial Invitational a Success
May 11, 2007 On Friday, May 4th, Rep. Rothman spoke about the importance of religious freedom and tolerance in our country at the 2nd Annual American Mock Trial Invitational at the New Jersey Law Center at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, NJ. The New Jersey State Bar Foundation and the North Carolina Academy of Trial Lawyers established the AMTI in May 2006 to permit high school state mock trial champions with weekend religious obligations to compete in a national forum. Read more.Legislation Advances to Provide Scholarships to Math and Science Teachers
April 25, 2007 Rep. Rothman, a member of the House Science and Technology Committee, voted for legislation to ensure that the U.S. has an abundance of qualified, well-equipped math and science teachers in grades K-12. The bill, "10,000 Teachers, 10 Million Minds" Science and Math Scholarship Act (H.R.362), authorizes additional science scholarships for educating math and science teachers and amends current program requirements based on recommendations by the National Academy of Sciences. Read more.
Congressional Art Competition
April 16, 2007 The 2007 Congressional Art Competition recently took place at The Williams Art Center in Rutherford. The largest district art competition since Rothman took office ten years ago, over 87 students competed for top honors. “I applaud the 16 participating high schools for their dedication to arts education. At a time when many music and arts programs are struggling, these schools have shown a true dedication to a well-rounded curriculum,” said Rothman. Read more | View photosSchool Security Enhancements Act of 2007 Introduced
February 15, 2007 Today, Rep. Rothman and Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) introduced the School Safety Enhancements Act of 2007, which expands Rep. Rothman's successful Secure Our Schools initiative. Secure Our Schools is a federal matching grant project to help local governments afford security equipment and training in their schools. Read more | At A Glance: Key Provisions of the Bill
Signing the Pledge for America's Schoolchildren
February 5, 2007 Last week, Rep. Rothman signed the Pledge for America’s Schoolchildren during a meeting with the New Jersey School Boards Association. In the pledge, Rep. Rothman declares his long-standing support for improving the No Child Left Behind Act, funding education for students with disabilities through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement (IDEA) Act, and helping local school districts provide students with 21st Century skills and knowledge, including math, science and technology. Read moreVote to Cut Interest Rates on Student Loans
January 17, 2007 Today, Congressman Rothman voted to cut interest rates in half on subsidized student loans for undergraduates over the next five years. The College Student Relief Act is expected to cut the cost of college for approximately 5.5 million undergraduate students and their families. New Jersey is expected to be one of ten states with the highest average student savings in the nation, according to an analysis of the bill by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. Read more.
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