April 29, 2025 • 8 mins
Josh Gottheimer joins Mendte in the Morning to talk about his run for Governor and what he is planning to do to fight back against congestion pricing as well as other ways he plans to fight for New Jersey residents.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
No, it's one of those headlines that you look at
and you go, well, that can't be true. There's got
to be something else going on, and that is in
all the cuts in the federal government, there have been
proposed cuts to firefighter cancer research and healthcare, and Josh Gottthheimer,
congressman from New Jersey, also candidate for governor, has announced
(00:23):
legislation to try to stop that. And we welcome here now.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good morning, Josh, Good morning, thanks for having me, Larry.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So, how are you fighting to stop this? Exactly?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
So?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
As you just pointed out, and it is it's hard
to actually believe, but the administration is going after firefighters
in particular those programs that we have to help those
who've been exposed to cancer causing chemicals and to track
what we do those have actually developed cancer. And then
those are involved in the World Trade Center Health Program,
which is all the nine to eleven for responders. And
(00:56):
as you know, not only do we lose thousands that day,
but lost thousands since nine to eleven from being exposed
to chemicals on the pile. And there's two major programs,
the National Firefighter Cancer Registry which was good, which was
a key program, and the World Trade Center Health Program.
Both things track cancer. Firefighters are sixty six percent of
(01:20):
unprofessional firefighters. Their line of duty deaths are tied to cancer,
believe it or not. And we know our firefighters because
of what they're exposed to when they're fighting fires and
what's on their uniforms, they have a much higher risk
of dying from cancer.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So my bill actually will stop these cuts to these.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Programs where they've literally slashed all the staff that run
these programs. So the firefight my bill is called the
Fight Fires and Fight Cancer Act to stop this action
from happening. And I've reached out to SCENT, to Secretary
Kennedy demanding that he also reversed course and reopened the
portal that actually allows firefighters to register who's developed cancer.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
And that was my next question. It seems like this
would be an unintended cut, at least I want to
believe that, because there's been these massive cuts and some
things that they've reversed on have got caught up in that.
But you now have reached out to them, and have
you got a response?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Not yet, And by the way, you hope, I mean
we have joined other there's been other letters that have
gone in about other cuts related to firefighters, and so
far we've gotten one thing reverse But because they FEMA
announced that they ended all the training courses for firefighters
around the country as part of the National Fire Academy.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
They also got rid.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Of a bunch of people at the US the us
FI Service did to help take on fires like the
one that we actually had and.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Burning in Ocean County, New Jersey. So we've written to
them on those fronts have not gotten anything back. I'm hoping, listen.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
I'm just hoping this was a mistake that they did
not intend to little go after programs that help protect firefighters.
But laringly read you to this on the Firefighter Cancer
Registry page on this CDC's website. It says, quote firefighters
can no longer enroll in the National Firefighter Registry for
Cancer do the reduction in forces across NIOSH, which is
(03:10):
the agency that takes.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Care of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So I'm hoping, listen, this was just some mistake by
some staff member that they're going to reverse course on,
because I don't know why you'd ever do anything to
hurt our firefighters, who you know, run into burning buildings
to protect us every day.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, it doesn't seem to make any sense. And I'm
glad you called attention to it, because maybe calling attention
to it will at the very least embarrassed them to
change their mind on this. But you know, it sounds it's.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Help man, Like you know what happens when you got chaos, right,
when everything's run by chaos and you do stuff, and
they got a reverse course, which, as you know, is
what they're doing on a lot of fronts. It's great,
it's just not a way to run things because it
just disrupts so much. And I was with firefighters yesterday
in Angle in New Jersey, you know, and who who
are dealing with not just medical issues, but burning buildings
(03:59):
and burning cars and saving people all the time, and
looking to be like, what.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Do you mean they're cutting all this stuff right? I mean,
because they know what they're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And it's why we push so much to get more
screenings for firefighters. I got separate legislation on that because
of what they're exposed to help prevent cancer deaths, to
let really encourage and pay for screenings of firefighters, which
now are so advanced, these screenings because we've.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Got to protect you know, the bravest here and the
best that we have who are looking after us every day.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I agree with you one thousand percent, and I'm hoping
it was a mistake and we want them to change it.
So let's talk nice until they don't change it. How
about that sounds good. Let's talk about congestion pricing. Governor
Hochel recently had a news conference where she just completely
discounted New Jersey in the conversation and basically told you
(04:53):
and New Jersey to mind your own business. Is the
lawsuits still going on? Where is is it right now?
And do you believe that can stop congestion pricing?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah? And by the way, I found that rich given
how much Jersey families and commuters and workers go in
every day and support the New York.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Economy and help them, and how great.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Our relationship has been for for you know, for decades
and decades. And I think co Colo is an apology
to hard work in Jersey commuters for her claims it
that she doesn't want them here. I mean that was
I think she said, the Jersey residents come, you are welcome,
but you're not forced to come here. Well, you know
that's unbelievable, especially what we're paying taxes to New York
for all of our our workers, you know, cops, firefighters, teachers.
(05:38):
And that's why I've been so focused on this congestion taxes,
because the congestion tax is a huge slap in the
face to these people who work, you know, incredibly hard.
Whether you're talking about firefighters, we're just talking about our
cops or electricians, people are drivers, people who who are
just trying to make ends meet, and then New York
turns around and says, hey, we're going to wack you
with this congestion tax, which is nine dollars a day
(05:59):
on top of the eighteen bucks you paid it going
to New York already. It's absurd and it's going to
cause more pollution in northern New Jersey. So we have
several suits.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That are still moving fighting on that front.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
You've heard the administration, as you know, come out very
strongly against the congestion tax, and just last week the
Secretary Transportation saying, listen, if you keep going forward with this,
this is going to put all the other funding New
York gets at risk. And I think I've had legislation
in the past doing the same thing.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's a joke. What Hope's doing the hard work in
Jersey families.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
It's totally outrageous, and I just think we've got to
keep fighting this on all fronts as is going on
right now, even if she doesn't want to face the
music on this.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Hi Congressman, I saw the Rutgers poll that was out
the other day, and you're running for governor, and I
took away from that that it's anybody's race. It seems
like at least five of the candidates, including yourself, are
punched up, and nobody has been able to get out
of that. Get out of that group. That is a
real opportunity for somebody going forward.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Because then I agree, well, that's why we'll run around
after we're in the state and making the case.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That we got it. And I'm running at the lower taxes,
lower cost governor. We've got to make it.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Clear to people that Jersey is too expensive. We're just
talking about the congestion tax. You know, people are getting
crushed and they're phil nickeled and dimed everywhere they turn,
and we've got to make life more affordable for them
or we're going to keep losing people like we're losing now,
you know, because kids just can't afford to stay after
they graduate, with rents being up about I think thirty
three percent in the last five years, and our seniors
can't afford to stay when they retire. I love our
(07:38):
state and I want people to able to stay here
with our great schools and beaches and lakes and all
we got going for us.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
But we've got to get costs down for people.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We've got to make life more affordable, and I've put
out a tax cup plan that actually will do that
so people can make sure they can stay in our
state and afford to do so.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Good luck to you, Congressman. Always appreciate your time. Thanks
for being here this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Great talking to you. Thanks so much, Man, Thanks for having.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Me house to the office.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
The ISAD Men's Advantage performance polo shirts.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Keep up
No, it's one of those headlines that you look at
and you go, well, that can't be true. There's got
to be something else going on, and that is in
all the cuts in the federal government, there have been
proposed cuts to firefighter cancer research and healthcare, and Josh Gottthheimer,
congressman from New Jersey, also candidate for governor, has announced
(00:23):
legislation to try to stop that. And we welcome here now.
Speaker 2 (00:27):
Good morning, Josh, Good morning, thanks for having me, Larry.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
So, how are you fighting to stop this? Exactly?
Speaker 2 (00:34):
So?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
As you just pointed out, and it is it's hard
to actually believe, but the administration is going after firefighters
in particular those programs that we have to help those
who've been exposed to cancer causing chemicals and to track
what we do those have actually developed cancer. And then
those are involved in the World Trade Center Health Program,
which is all the nine to eleven for responders. And
(00:56):
as you know, not only do we lose thousands that day,
but lost thousands since nine to eleven from being exposed
to chemicals on the pile. And there's two major programs,
the National Firefighter Cancer Registry which was good, which was
a key program, and the World Trade Center Health Program.
Both things track cancer. Firefighters are sixty six percent of
(01:20):
unprofessional firefighters. Their line of duty deaths are tied to cancer,
believe it or not. And we know our firefighters because
of what they're exposed to when they're fighting fires and
what's on their uniforms, they have a much higher risk
of dying from cancer.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So my bill actually will stop these cuts to these.
Speaker 3 (01:37):
Programs where they've literally slashed all the staff that run
these programs. So the firefight my bill is called the
Fight Fires and Fight Cancer Act to stop this action
from happening. And I've reached out to SCENT, to Secretary
Kennedy demanding that he also reversed course and reopened the
portal that actually allows firefighters to register who's developed cancer.
Speaker 1 (01:57):
And that was my next question. It seems like this
would be an unintended cut, at least I want to
believe that, because there's been these massive cuts and some
things that they've reversed on have got caught up in that.
But you now have reached out to them, and have
you got a response?
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Not yet, And by the way, you hope, I mean
we have joined other there's been other letters that have
gone in about other cuts related to firefighters, and so
far we've gotten one thing reverse But because they FEMA
announced that they ended all the training courses for firefighters
around the country as part of the National Fire Academy.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
They also got rid.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Of a bunch of people at the US the us
FI Service did to help take on fires like the
one that we actually had and.
Speaker 2 (02:41):
Burning in Ocean County, New Jersey. So we've written to
them on those fronts have not gotten anything back. I'm hoping, listen.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
I'm just hoping this was a mistake that they did
not intend to little go after programs that help protect firefighters.
But laringly read you to this on the Firefighter Cancer
Registry page on this CDC's website. It says, quote firefighters
can no longer enroll in the National Firefighter Registry for
Cancer do the reduction in forces across NIOSH, which is
(03:10):
the agency that takes.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Care of this stuff.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So I'm hoping, listen, this was just some mistake by
some staff member that they're going to reverse course on,
because I don't know why you'd ever do anything to
hurt our firefighters, who you know, run into burning buildings
to protect us every day.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Yeah, it doesn't seem to make any sense. And I'm
glad you called attention to it, because maybe calling attention
to it will at the very least embarrassed them to
change their mind on this. But you know, it sounds it's.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Help man, Like you know what happens when you got chaos, right,
when everything's run by chaos and you do stuff, and
they got a reverse course, which, as you know, is
what they're doing on a lot of fronts. It's great,
it's just not a way to run things because it
just disrupts so much. And I was with firefighters yesterday
in Angle in New Jersey, you know, and who who
are dealing with not just medical issues, but burning buildings
(03:59):
and burning cars and saving people all the time, and
looking to be like, what.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Do you mean they're cutting all this stuff right? I mean,
because they know what they're dealing with.
Speaker 3 (04:09):
And it's why we push so much to get more
screenings for firefighters. I got separate legislation on that because
of what they're exposed to help prevent cancer deaths, to
let really encourage and pay for screenings of firefighters, which
now are so advanced, these screenings because we've.
Speaker 2 (04:25):
Got to protect you know, the bravest here and the
best that we have who are looking after us every day.
Speaker 1 (04:30):
I agree with you one thousand percent, and I'm hoping
it was a mistake and we want them to change it.
So let's talk nice until they don't change it. How
about that sounds good. Let's talk about congestion pricing. Governor
Hochel recently had a news conference where she just completely
discounted New Jersey in the conversation and basically told you
(04:53):
and New Jersey to mind your own business. Is the
lawsuits still going on? Where is is it right now?
And do you believe that can stop congestion pricing?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yeah? And by the way, I found that rich given
how much Jersey families and commuters and workers go in
every day and support the New York.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
Economy and help them, and how great.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
Our relationship has been for for you know, for decades
and decades. And I think co Colo is an apology
to hard work in Jersey commuters for her claims it
that she doesn't want them here. I mean that was
I think she said, the Jersey residents come, you are welcome,
but you're not forced to come here. Well, you know
that's unbelievable, especially what we're paying taxes to New York
for all of our our workers, you know, cops, firefighters, teachers.
(05:38):
And that's why I've been so focused on this congestion taxes,
because the congestion tax is a huge slap in the
face to these people who work, you know, incredibly hard.
Whether you're talking about firefighters, we're just talking about our
cops or electricians, people are drivers, people who who are
just trying to make ends meet, and then New York
turns around and says, hey, we're going to wack you
with this congestion tax, which is nine dollars a day
(05:59):
on top of the eighteen bucks you paid it going
to New York already. It's absurd and it's going to
cause more pollution in northern New Jersey. So we have
several suits.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
That are still moving fighting on that front.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
You've heard the administration, as you know, come out very
strongly against the congestion tax, and just last week the
Secretary Transportation saying, listen, if you keep going forward with this,
this is going to put all the other funding New
York gets at risk. And I think I've had legislation
in the past doing the same thing.
Speaker 2 (06:30):
It's a joke. What Hope's doing the hard work in
Jersey families.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
It's totally outrageous, and I just think we've got to
keep fighting this on all fronts as is going on
right now, even if she doesn't want to face the
music on this.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
Hi Congressman, I saw the Rutgers poll that was out
the other day, and you're running for governor, and I
took away from that that it's anybody's race. It seems
like at least five of the candidates, including yourself, are
punched up, and nobody has been able to get out
of that. Get out of that group. That is a
real opportunity for somebody going forward.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
Because then I agree, well, that's why we'll run around
after we're in the state and making the case.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
That we got it. And I'm running at the lower taxes,
lower cost governor. We've got to make it.
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Clear to people that Jersey is too expensive. We're just
talking about the congestion tax. You know, people are getting
crushed and they're phil nickeled and dimed everywhere they turn,
and we've got to make life more affordable for them
or we're going to keep losing people like we're losing now,
you know, because kids just can't afford to stay after
they graduate, with rents being up about I think thirty
three percent in the last five years, and our seniors
can't afford to stay when they retire. I love our
(07:38):
state and I want people to able to stay here
with our great schools and beaches and lakes and all
we got going for us.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
But we've got to get costs down for people.
Speaker 3 (07:45):
We've got to make life more affordable, and I've put
out a tax cup plan that actually will do that
so people can make sure they can stay in our
state and afford to do so.
Speaker 1 (07:53):
Good luck to you, Congressman. Always appreciate your time. Thanks
for being here this morning.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Great talking to you. Thanks so much, Man, Thanks for having.
Speaker 3 (07:59):
Me house to the office.
Speaker 1 (08:00):
The ISAD Men's Advantage performance polo shirts.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Keep up
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