Could Menendez get his delegation back?

From: POLITICO New Jersey Playbook - Friday Sep 29,2023 10:57 am

Sep 29, 2023

Presented by Clean Energy Action Now! (CLEAN)

Good Friday morning!

Well, what a week. Sen. Bob Menendez arrived back in Washington D.C., on Thursday, where after pleading “not guilty” to the federal court, the senator gave his case to fellow senators in his caucus.

But it didn’t sound like senators left the meeting convinced, based on what was said — not that senators said much at all.

As Menendez remains defiant — and so far unsuccessfully manages to reel in the Senate’s trust — his own delegation seems long gone. If there was a little chance of winning back senators' support, he was not getting any members from his delegation back on board.

Sen. Cory Booker called for Menendez’ resignation on Thursday but did not comment after attending Menendez’ plea to the party.

Every New Jersey House Democrat, except Rep. Donald Payne and Menendez’ son Rep. Rob Menendez, has called for the senator to resign. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, who previously did not comment on him resigning, said she changed her mind after Menendez said he was staying.

“I just always wanted him to do the right thing,” she said. “I originally thought that the right thing was this, where I was trying to give him an opportunity to do it.”

The four New Jersey House Democrats I spoke to Thursday said Menendez had not reached out to the delegation to explain himself. But it sounds like even if he did, there isn’t much he could say to change their minds.

Reps. Andy Kim and Mikie Sherrill were two of the first people to call on Menendez to step down. The two said they could not think of anything Menendez could say to change their minds.

“I don't know what that would be,” Sherrill said. “I continue to remain steadfast in my conviction that he needs to resign.”

Kim is challenging Menendez for his seat and said Menendez’s refusal to leave is what brought him into the race.

“He's had a chance to be able to talk to his colleagues on the Senate side,” Kim said. “We'll see where that kind of goes.”

But if there is any small chance he wins back support from his House colleagues, Menendez has to move quickly.

“He’s got to tell a story now,” Rep. Bill Pascrell said. “And that could take years.”

TIPS? FEEDBACK? Email me at mmccarthy@politico.com.

POORLY TIMED TWEET OF THE DAY: “Who was the first Latino Mayor in Paterson? #HispanicHeritageMonth” — a deleted Tweet from the New Jersey Department of Education. (The answer is Jose “Joey” Torres, who was convicted on corruption charges and indicted again this past Tuesday,)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — Today for: Former Assemblymember Maria Rodriguez-Gregg, Thomas Edison State University’s Marcela Ospina Maziarz, Duane Morris’ Sharon Seyler, New Jersey Office of the Secretary of Higher Education’s Seth Levin, POLITICO’s Ryan Hutchins. Saturday (9/30) for Dem activist Nina Catrambone

WHERE’S MURPHY? Talking about storm response on WCBS880 at 9:30 a.m. and then delivering remarks at the Essex County College's West Essex Campus grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m.

PROGRAMMING NOTE — Mia McCarthy here filling in for Matt from Washington D.C.! Matt will be back on Monday with far better puns than today's Playbook, but feel free to follow @Reporter_Mia for the latest NJ delegation updates from Capitol Hill.

A message from Clean Energy Action Now! (CLEAN):

Gas companies don’t want NJ consumers to know: Efficient electric heat pumps and appliances are healthier and can save you money. Switching to electric can reduce energy bills by up to 41%. Americans bought more electric heat pumps than gas furnaces every month in 2022. Yet here in NJ, the gas lobby is working hard to mislead you. Get the real story about how going electric improves comfort, delivers cleaner air, and saves money.

WHAT TRENTON MADE

SWEENEY’S SENATE SWERVE — Steve Sweeney says no to U.S. Senate bid as he continues to weigh 2025, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Former Senate President Steve Sweeney is still mulling a statewide run for office — just not for U.S. Senate. The explosive indictment of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, the state’s senior senator, has created an opening for ambitious Democrats to run for the seat when it’s up in 2024 and speculation on replacements if he resigns before then. Sweeney is often mentioned as a 2025 candidate for governor but he quickly ruled out the possibility of a Senate bid during an event at Rowan University on Wednesday.

CWA UPDATE — Murphy's office announces tentative contract agreement with CWA, by POLITICO’s Daniel Han: Gov. Phil Murphy's office said Thursday it has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the Communications Workers of America, the state’s largest state employee union. The agreement — which still must be ratified by the union — includes 3.5 percent annual raises for the four years of the contract and “meaningful reimbursement rate increases for eye care and the addition of one day of bereavement leave each year” according to the release from the governor’s office. The deal would impact the union’s approximately 32,000 members.

— “Testa wants N.J. to be tougher on corrupt politicians”

— “Latina group floats Judge Esther Salas as possible Senate candidate”

— “GOP spending nearly $1 million to push vote-by-mail and early voting in N.J.”

— “LD-11 Flashpoint: Menendez Nightmare Prompts Gopal/Dnistrian Collision”

A message from Clean Energy Action Now! (CLEAN):

Biden's Beltway

CHRISTIE WATCH — Scott finally showed a pulse. Ramaswamy did a 180. Here's who won and lost the second GOP debate, by POLITICO staff: Ron DeSantis and Chris Christie ripped Donald Trump for skipping the second debate. He was “missing in action,” DeSantis said. Christie labeled him “Donald Duck,” which fell about as flat as you might expect. But if neither jab was likely to put a scratch on the frontrunner, what they did reveal was something more significant: the tacit recognition by Trump’s rivals that his absence from the debate stage is damaging them, relegating their primary debates to a series of confrontations at the “kiddie table.”

EYES ON EGYPT — "'We trusted him': Egyptians, human rights groups stunned by Menendez allegations," by Hannan Adely, Asbury Park Press: “Ahmed Abdel-Basit entered the office of Sen. Bob Menendez carrying reports packed with data that activists had collected over months about political prisoners and death sentences in Egypt, hoping that the senior Democratic U.S. senator from New Jersey would use his power to help them. With a group of Egyptian Americans, he met with Menendez’s staff in Washington in 2019 and 2020, asking that the senator take steps to strip foreign aid to Egypt because of systematic human rights violations. Menendez was deeply concerned about democracy and human rights, his staff told them, promising to relay their concerns.”

— “Will Menendez indictment cost Latino support?”

— “First meeting of Reparations Council lays groundwork for NJ as a ‘slave state’”

A message from Clean Energy Action Now! (CLEAN):

What’s the real story behind fossil fuel industry efforts to prevent NJ consumers’ switch to clean, safe, affordable electric heating and cooling?

Profits — plain and simple.

Gas companies know going electric is better for your health and your wallet.

But they want to squeeze every cent from consumers by lobbying legislators to limit free choice in energy sources and leave you stuck with outdated, unhealthy fossil fuel options.

Here’s the truth:

● Average NJ gas customers can save up to 41% yearly on utilities by switching to electric.
● Going all-electric and improving your insulation can save you nearly 70% per year.
● Nationally, gas appliances have been attributed to 12.7% of childhood asthma cases.
● Next year, New Jerseyans can receive up to $8,000 for a heat pump and up to $840 for an induction stove.

Legislators can put consumers first and stand up to gas industry lies and misinformation. Learn how.

LOCAL

JERSEY CITY — “Jersey City Pays a Temporary, Seasonal Laborer $159,000,” by Aaron Morrill, Jersey City Times: “John Metro is a familiar face to those who follow city council meetings, where week after week he can be heard opining on all manner of municipal finance and operations. Unknown to many, however, is Metro’s other apparent job. According to documents obtained by the Jersey City Times pursuant to an Open Public Records request, Metro’s job now includes the management of 69 highly paid ‘laborers’ officially classified as ‘temporary’ and ‘seasonal.’”

ATLANTIC CITY — “Coastal residents lead growing opposition to offshore wind, Stockton poll finds,” by Eric Conklin, the Press of Atlantic City: “New Jersey residents have dialed back their support for offshore wind by 30% in the past four years, with an overwhelming drop in approval found in coastal communities, a new Stockton University poll found. Comparing results to a previous poll, the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy found support for offshore wind fell from 80% to 50% from 2019 to 2023, Stockton said Thursday in a news release. According to the poll, people expressed concerns about the impact wind farms would have on ocean views and marine life.”

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

— “NJ GOP candidate charged with strangling domestic violence victim”

— “Monmouth University expansion? Long Branch OKs new district next door to campus”

— "West New York among 9 municipalities who haven’t corrected improper sick leave payouts"

— "Jersey City gay bar alleges employee faced homophobic slurs while being assaulted"

— “Princeton University offering free tuition for families making less than $100K a year”

Enter the “room where it happens”, where global power players shape policy and politics, with Power Play. POLITICO’s brand-new podcast will host conversations with the leaders and power players shaping the biggest ideas and driving the global conversations, moderated by award-winning journalist Anne McElvoy. Sign up today to be notified of the first episodes in September – click here.

EVERYTHING ELSE

ITS NOT JUST THE SOPRANOS — Why is New Jersey So Corrupt? A Corruption Researcher Offers Some Answers, by POLITICO’s Ian Ward: The dramatic indictment of Sen. Bob Menendez on federal indictment charges raised a slew of questions about the New Jersey senator’s political future in Washington, as calls for Menendez’s resignation proliferate among his Democratic colleagues in the Senate. But for New Jersey, the indictment raised a different question: Why can’t the Garden State shake its reputation as one of the corruption capitals of the U.S.?

— “ An armistice: Republic Bank, Norcross Braca Group announce agreement”

— “North Jersey restaurant may be knocked down to make way for a Dunkin'. Owner fighting back”

Follow us on Twitter