The Rodney Report: Influence, Intimidation and Preserving Democracy
The Rodney Report is NJ 11th for Change's Weekly Analysis of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's Words and Deeds.
- Comey Fired, Rodney....Nonchalant
- Breakfast Without Rodney
- Frelinghuysenâs Post-AHCA Tele-Town Hall
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Challenging the Frelinghuysen Status Quo
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Features of our democracy that we typically take for granted â like the ability to question our elected officials and hold them to account â can suddenly look very shaky, as recent events have demonstrated in D.C. and closer to home. The President abruptly fired an FBI chief who was in the middle of investigating Oval Office ties to Russian influences. And as a couple of local developments demonstrated, NJ-11âs Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen hasnât been handling independent thinkers so well, either.
âOne of the Ring Leadersâ: Rodney Puts On The Pressure
This morning, National Public Radio ran a piece by reporter Nancy Solomon, focusing on a handwritten note sent by Rep. Frelinghuysen to the employer of his constituent Saily Avelenda, a member of NJ 11th For Change. (The story quickly gained major traction, being picked up by the AP, The New York Times, the Washington Post, The Independent (UK), Politico and NJ.com, among many others.)
As a result of this letter, Avelenda was subjected to intense and unwelcome scrutiny about her personal views, directly contributing to her decision to resign her job. NJ 11th For Change is outraged and alarmed by Frelinghuysenâs intimidating action against a constituent who opposes him politically. Has he used such actions before, and (a disquieting thought) will he use them in the future? We would like a statement guaranteeing that citizens will not be subjected to the targeting that Saily Avelenda experienced..
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Read more5/9/17 Telephone "Town Hall" Transcription
Rodney Frelinghuysen Telephone Town Hall 5/9/17
Transcribed from https://www.facebook.com/NJ11thForChange/videos/633344920203474/
Read moreFrelinghuysen targets activist with a letter to her employer
We are outraged and alarmed by Representative Frelinghuysenâs intimidating action against an ordinary constituent, as reported this morning by NPR.
http://www.wnyc.org/story/frelinghuysen-targets-activsts-letter-boss/Â Â
Read moreRodney Redux: The Really Green Challenger of 2000
By Liz Haigney-Lynch
Rodney Redux is an occasional series that explores Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's career and family history as a member one of New Jersey's oldest political dynasties.Â
On one level, it was reality TV, pure and simple. âFicus for Congressâ was an installment of activist/documentarian Michael Mooreâs TV series âThe Awful Truth,â which ran 1999-2000 on the Bravo cable network. In his episode of June 21, 2000, Moore detailed his efforts to run a ficus plant in the NJ-11 primary against the unopposed incumbent, one Rodney Frelinghuysen.
But âFicus for Congressâ was also the kind of episodic political theater Moore perfected in documentaries such as "Roger & Me." This time, his target was the fog of complacency and apathy resulting from âsafeâ congressional districts, when elections, particularly primaries, become foregone conclusions and participation feels meaningless. With the potted ficus plant, Moore hit upon a perfect metaphor for the numbing effect of safe seats. A utilitarian, unremarkable dĂŠcor placeholder â what could be better?
Read moreThe Rodney Report: Frelinghuysen's Devastating Flip on Health Care
The Rodney Report is NJ 11th for Change's Weekly Analysis of Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's Words and Deeds.
- Pre-existing Conditions and High Risk Pools
- Medicaid Cuts in New Jersey, Ending Special Assistance in Schools
- Employer-based Plans: Lifetime Caps & Inequity
- Kick the Can
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Rodney & The Omnibus Bill
- The Week According to Rodney
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Rep. Frelinghuysen voted âyesâ on the GOPâs American Health Care Act (AHCA) last week, a drastic about-face from his public statements on an earlier version of the bill â and a violation of the promise he made to NJ 11th members during an in-person meeting in his DC office, which was captured on video. In a statement released after the vote, Frelinghuysen assured the public that his previous concerns about the bill were assuaged by two amendments that, in fact, do nothing to reduce the proposed $880 billion Medicaid cuts and little to protect those with pre-existing conditions.
Pre-existing Conditions and High Risk Pools
In a misleading statement on his website, Frelinghuysen claims that under the new bill, insurance companies cannot deny anyone coverage based on pre-existing conditions or use health status to set premiums, âUnless your state asks for and receives a waiverâa condition of which is the state having other protections in place for those with pre-existing conditions..As long as you've been continuously covered, you can't be charged more money,'' Frelinghuysen explained.
This is not exactly the case. The AHCA, as amended, enables states that obtain a waiver to construct a second pool of enrollees who had a gap in coverage, separating the healthy from the sick, and creating high-risk pools. While the amendment offers these states an additional $8 billion in federal funds through 2022, raising the total amount available for high risk pools to $138 billion, the Center for American Progress estimates that these pools are woefully underfunded. They would actually need another $200 billion to properly fund coverage for high-risk patients.
More than half of all Americans of all ages and three quarters over the age of 45 have pre-existing conditions. While there is not a specific AHCA list of pre-existing conditions, insurers would have leeway to raise premiums for a multitude of illnesses, which was banned under Obamacare (the American Healthcare Act). Before the ACA, insurance companies could deny coverage or charge higher rates for anything listed as a pre-existing condition. The lists were voluminous, including relatively minor ailments like acne, acid reflux and eczema, along with many traumas, terminal diseases and mental disorders.
Read moreThe Rodney Report: Votes vs. Rhetoric
The Rodney Report is NJ 11th for Change's response to Representative Frelinghuysenâs Weekly E-newsletterÂ
- The Push to War
- Honored for 'Advocacy' of Latinos
- STEM Education and the 2018 Budget
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AHCA Silence and Conference Calls
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Controversy raged last week over the impending House vote on Trumpcare redux, but Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysenâs newsletter avoided the subject entirely. Instead, he patted himself on the back for the successful passage of House Joint Resolution 99 to extend funding for federal agencies and programs until May 5. He also blamed Obama for Iranian nuclear proliferation and voiced his passionate support for STEM education â despite ominous signs he might approve budget cuts that would hobble scientific research and eliminate some of the very same STEM programs he applauds. In other news, Frelinghuysen proudly received an award from the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, which seemed untroubled by his paltry advocacy record and votes against immigrants over the years.
The Push to War
In his Friday E-News item titled "Obama Administration Concessions = Iranian Belligerence,'' Â Frelinghuysen castigates Obama for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. He pointed to a recent Politico story, which cited federal investigators and prosecutors who angry at the administration for underplaying the threat posed by prisoners released to Iran. They believe the White House undermined both years spent pursuing Iranian arms dealers and their National Counter-proliferation Initiative. However, two years on, the non-partisan Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation believes that âthis good deal is significantly better than the bad alternatives.â
Read moreStand Up for the People of Your District
Several D.C. political sources are reporting today that Speaker Paul Ryan threatened Rep. Frelinghuysen with the loss of his powerful Appropriations Chairmanship unless he flips his opposition to the AHCA and instead supports it. If the Congressman truly represents his constituents, he must face down Ryanâs threat and continue to oppose Trumpcare, which would be disastrous for New Jersey and the country.
This amended AHCA bill, endorsed by the conservative Freedom Caucus Republicans, is even worse than the late March effort that Frelinghuysen called "unacceptable." By allowing states to acquire waivers on core provisions of the current law, it essentially removes the most crucial and popular protections.Â
NJ 11th For Change Hosts Environmental Defense Forum: A Climate Changed-Focused Town Hall
By Liz Haigney-Lynch
An Earth Day message worth repeating: Never underestimate the power of votersâ voices, especially with a planet on the line.
At an Earth Week Environmental Defense Forum hosted in Little Falls by NJ 11th For Change last week, talk revolved around policy challenges, threatened funding cuts and the growing impact of climate change. Across the board, speakers emphasized the vital role of concerned citizens.
Moderated by astrophysicist Matthew Buckley of Rutgers University, founder of the NJ March for Science, the panel included:
⢠Assemblyman John McKeon (27th District)
⢠Lori Heiger, Steering Committee member of Coalition Against the Pilgrim Pipeline (CAPP), Founder of #Get2Work, Member, NJ 11th For Change Research Team
⢠Mark Brownstein, climate and energy program, Environmental Defense Fund
⢠NYU climate scientist Sonali McDermid
⢠Dan Hartinger, Parks and Public Lands Defense Campaign, Wilderness Society
⢠Jamie Pang, policy specialist, Center for Biological Diversity
⢠Julia Somers, executive director, New Jersey Highlands Coalition
The Rodney Report: Avoiding a Government Shutdown
The Rodney Report is NJ 11th for Change's response to Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's weekly newsletter.
- Tax Reform Talk
- Listening Tour
- A 100th Day Shutdown?
- March for Science
 In Fridayâs newsletter, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen bemoaned âour broken tax code,ââ calling it âdesperately in need of reform.ââ But until our president releases his tax returns, this is not a conversation any representative of the American people should be willing to have. We support Democrats who say theyâll refuse any action on tax reform until Trump makes his records available.
The public needs to know how Trump earns his income and whether heâs paid his fair share in taxes. We need to know if he has paid taxes to any foreign governments or has foreign bank accounts. We also need to know how he might benefit from his proposed reforms.
Frelinghuysen has suggested more than once that President Trump should release his tax info. The New York Times last week even included him on the list of GOP politicos who are pro disclosure. But Frelinghuysen has voted against legislative attempts that would compel Trump to release his taxes, denouncing efforts as âpolitical theater.ââ
We hope that Frelinghuysen will do more than pay lip service to transparency.
Read moreThe Rodney Report: Rodney Praises 'Decisive' Airstrike of Syria
The Rodney Report is NJ 11th for Change's response to Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's weekly newsletter.
- Syrian Airstrikes
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Turning Away Refugees
- A Plan for North Korea?
- Rodney and the War Machine
'While I am horrified by the deaths of so many innocent men, women, and children, I want to know how the president's strategic plans will change the course of this civil war. I cannot support any authorization unless and until my questions are answered fully. .... I don't think there is a great partisan divide. I think people just want to know what the president's plan is."
This was Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysenâs 2013 response to President Obamaâs request for congressional approval to use force against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad after sarin gas was dropped on a Damascus suburb. Frelinghuysen voted against approval, yet in his April 7th e-newsletter, he trumpeted his endorsement of Trumpâs unsanctioned Syrian airstrike and condemned Obama-era policies toward North Korea.
Syrian Airstrikes
Congressman Frelinghuysen commends the president for acting âdecisivelyâ on Syria. We agree that Assadâs brutal use of chemical weapons is a criminal act and that the ongoing civil war is a âhumanitarian crisis,â but unlike Frelinghuysen, we are alarmed that the president acted without seeking Congressional approval. We urge Frelinghuysen to demand the same answers from Trump he sought from Obama four years ago: âWhat is this presidentâs Syria policy? Whatâs the end game here? Are we going to war here? Or is this attack a one-off? We deserve to have answers. What are the real goals here?ââ They were reasonable questions in 2013 and are more urgent now. Whether or not good people agree that the recent air strikes were justified, there is much concern that this president should ever be given unilateral power to make war.
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