Norcross Votes to Pay Back Federal Contractors, Boost Infrastructure Projects & Support Military, Veterans

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01) -- a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and House Armed Services Committee -- voted in favor of H.R. 3055, a "minibus" package that contains five Fiscal Year 2020 bills that fund federal departments and agencies including those related to military construction, veterans, transportation, commerce, justice, science, agriculture, interior, environment and housing.

"Every family knows their personal budget reflects their priorities. The same is true for the federal government's budget -- and House Democrats are committed to investing in our aging infrastructure, supporting military construction projects and our veterans, helping those suffering from the disease of addiction and making our schools safer," said Congressman Norcross. "We're doing what's right and addressing urgent needs by working to reform our criminal justice system, reduce gun violence and combat climate change."

The bill rightfully provides lost wages of up to $965 per week to federal contractors impacted by the December 22, 2018 to January 25, 2019 partial government shutdown. Directly after that shutdown, Norcross authored the bipartisan Fairness for Federal Contractors Act -- which is supported by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the Communications Workers of America and the AFL-CIO -- and has been calling for contractors to receive compensation just like the federal employees they work alongside.

"Federal contract workers and their families endured incredible hardship during the longest-ever government shutdown at no fault of their own -- and yet they still lost their paychecks. For months, it's been our moral obligation to these American families to provide lost wages and I'm relieved the House has finally acted," said Congressman Norcross.

In addition to contractor back-pay, as Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Building Trades Caucus, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, Vice-Chair of the Bipartisan Addiction Task Force and member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, Norcross specifically fought for military construction funding and services for our veterans, increased investments to improve our aging infrastructure, commitments to help those suffering from the disease of addiction and efforts to make schools safer.

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