Frank Joseph Pallone Jr. (; born October 30, 1951) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the
U.S. representative for , serving since 1988. He is a member of the
Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 3rd district from 1988 to 1993, is in the north-central part of the state and includes
New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
,
Woodbridge Township,
Perth Amboy,
Sayreville
Sayreville is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. Sayreville is within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, located on the south banks of the Raritan River, and also lo ...
,
Edison,
Piscataway and
Asbury Park. Pallone is the chair of the
House Energy and Commerce Committee
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more tha ...
.
Early life, education, and early political career
Pallone is a graduate of
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800 by Congregationalists, Middlebury was the first operating college or university in Vermont. The college currently enrolls 2,858 undergraduates from all 5 ...
,
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at
Tufts University
Tufts University is a private research university on the border of Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1852 as Tufts College by Christian universalists who sought to provide a nonsectarian institution of higher learning. ...
, and
Rutgers School of Law–Camden. Before being elected to the House, he was a member of the
Long Branch city council from 1982 to 1988.
Pallone was a member of the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...
from the 11th district from 1984 to 1988. In 1983, he defeated incumbent Republican State Senator
Brian T. Kennedy 50%-49%. In 1987, he was reelected with 60% of the vote, defeating Councilwoman Gerri C. Popkin of Neptune City.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
;1988–1990
In March 1988, 60-year-old incumbent U.S. Congressman
James Howard of
New Jersey's 3rd congressional district
New Jersey's 3rd congressional district is represented by Democrat Andy Kim of Moorestown who has served in Congress since 2019. It is one of seven districts that voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election while being held by ...
died in office. In November, the regular election coincided with a special election to complete Howard's term; Pallone won both, defeating Republican former
state Assemblyman Joe Azzolina 52% to 47% and Libertarian Laura Stewart. In 1990, he was reelected with 49% of the vote, against a Republican, an independent, Libertarian Bill Stewart, and a Populist.
;1992–2008
After redistricting, Pallone's district was renumbered the
6th district. In the 1992 Democratic primary, he defeated State Representative Robert Smith 55% to 37%. In the general election, he defeated Republican State Senator
Joe Kyrillos
Joseph M. Kyrillos Jr. (born April 12, 1960) is an American Republican Party politician and businessman from New Jersey. Kyrillos served in the New Jersey State Senate from 1992 to 2018, where he represented the 13th Legislative District, and i ...
52% to 45% and nine other candidates. Since then, he has won reelection with at least 60% in all but two elections (1998 and 2010). In 1998, he defeated Republican teacher
Mike Ferguson 57% to 40%.
;2010
Pallone was challenged by Republican nominee Anna C. Little, a former Monmouth County Freeholder and mayor of
Highlands, New Jersey
:''See also New York–New Jersey Highlands for the northwestern part of the state.''
Highlands is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States census, its population was 5,005, , who is an attorney specializing in immigration law. On November 3, 2010, Pallone defeated Little by over 16,000 votes, 55% to 43%, in what analysts considered a terrible year for Democrats. For the first time in his career, Pallone failed to carry his home county of Monmouth.
Tenure
Pallone is a Progressive Caucus Member. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Native American Caucus, where he has worked on a bipartisan basis to protect the inherent sovereignty of tribal governments and promote the needs of Indian Country. As a senior member of the House Resources Committee—the committee with jurisdiction over all matters regarding U.S. relations with American Indians and
Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives (also known as Alaskan Natives, Native Alaskans, Indigenous Alaskans, Aboriginal Alaskans or First Alaskans) are the indigenous peoples of Alaska and include Iñupiat, Yupik, Aleut, Eyak, Tlingit, Haida, Tsimshian, and a num ...
—he has been a defender of the sovereign status of Indian Tribal governments as independent from the United States.
He also serves as a co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues along with Congressman
Ed Royce (previously
Joe Knollenberg
Joseph Kastl Knollenberg (November 28, 1933 – February 6, 2018) was an American politician from Michigan. From 1993 to 2009, he was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing and .
In his congressional term, Knol ...
and
Mark Kirk
Mark Steven Kirk (born September 15, 1959) is a retired American politician and attorney who served as a United States senator from Illinois from 2010 to 2017, and as the United States representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district fr ...
) and was instrumental in garnering the support of 127 members (30%) of the U.S. House for the Armenian Caucus. In 2002 he was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal by the
President of Armenia.
In 2002, Pallone was awarded
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
's third highest civilian award, the
Padma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...
, for his contributions as member of Congress's India Caucus. He also received the Friends of India
Bollywood Movie Award in 2003.
Pallone was one of 31 House Democrats who voted not to count Ohio's
electoral votes in the
2004 presidential election. Republican President
George W. Bush won Ohio by 118,457 votes. Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with the
Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Pallone received an A on the
Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. while the
National Taxpayers Union
The National Taxpayers Union (NTU) is a fiscally conservative taxpayer advocacy organization and taxpayers union in the United States, founded in 1977 by James Dale Davidson. NTU says that it is the oldest taxpayer advocacy organization in th ...
has consistently given Pallone an F ranking on votes that affect taxes, spending, and debt.
Pallone has questioned the
Federal Emergency Management Agency
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initially created under President Jimmy Carter by Presidential Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1978 and implemented by two Ex ...
(FEMA) on its update of flood plain maps in Monmouth County, specifically in the
Bayshore area.
Pallone has introduced a bill to modify the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the U.S.'s most important set of
fisheries
Fishery can mean either the enterprise of raising or harvesting fish and other aquatic life; or more commonly, the site where such enterprise takes place ( a.k.a. fishing ground). Commercial fisheries include wild fisheries and fish farms, ...
regulations.
On October 3, 2008, Pallone voted for the
Troubled Asset Relief Program
The Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) is a program of the United States government to purchase toxic assets and equity from financial institutions to strengthen its financial sector that was passed by Congress and signed into law by President ...
believing that
the enumerated powers grant Congress the authority to "purchase assets and equity from financial institutions in order to strengthen its financial sector."
In 2014, Pallone defeated Representative
Anna Eshoo
Anna A. Eshoo ( ; née Georges; born December 13, 1942) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative from . She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district, numbered as the 14th district from 1993 to 2013, is based in Silico ...
100 to 90 in a secret-ballot vote to becoming the ranking member of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce. He had been the third-ranking Democrat, and was in line to becoming ranking member after the 2014 midterm elections due to the retirements of
John Dingell
John David Dingell Jr. (July 8, 1926 – February 7, 2019) was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1955 until 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he holds the record for longes ...
and
Henry Waxman. Pallone was backed by Minority Whip
Steny Hoyer
Steny Hamilton Hoyer (born June 14, 1939) is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. representative for since 1981 and as House Majority Leader since 2019. A Democrat, Hoyer was first elected in a special election on May 19, 19 ...
and the
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
, the latter of which "made a repeated point to stress the importance of Pallone’s seniority. Black lawmakers have a deep appreciation for seniority, as it was historically the quickest way African-American members earned gavels". House Minority Leader
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia Pelosi (; ; born March 26, 1940) is an American politician who has served as Speaker of the United States House of Representatives since 2019 and previously from 2007 to 2011. She has represented in the United States House of ...
aggressively campaigned on Eshoo's behalf, while the Steering Committee, packed with Pelosi allies, recommended Eshoo for the ranking slot by 30 to 19 votes.
After Representative
Chris Smith said he did "not construe homosexual rights as human rights", Pallone issued a statement supporting homosexual rights. The statement read, in part, "Representatives in Congress must be promoting the expansion of human rights, not fighting to limit its definition to people that they deem to be appropriate."
Legislation
Pallone opposed the
Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act (H.R. 2019; 113th Congress), which passed in both the House and the Senate. The bill would end taxpayer contributions to the
Presidential Election Campaign Fund and divert the money in that fund to pay for research into
pediatric cancer
Childhood cancer is cancer in a child. About 80% of childhood cancer cases can be successfully treated thanks to modern medical treatments and optimal patient care. However, only about 10% of children diagnosed with cancer reside in high-income cou ...
through the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the lat ...
.
The total funding for research would come to $126 million over 10 years.
As of 2014, the
national conventions got about 23% of their funding from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund.
Pallone said the bill was "a disingenuous and empty attempt by the Republicans to divert attention from the fact that they have voted to cut research time and time again."
Democratic opponents blamed Republicans for $1.5 billion cuts to the National Institutes of Health and said this money would not make it up.
Supporters of the bill argued that the use of this money for pediatric cancer research was better than using it for political campaigns, so the bill should be supported for that reason.
Pallone was one of 58 members of Congress to oppose tabling a motion offering articles of impeachment against
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
on December 6, 2017.
While chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone sponsored the
American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA),
which became the first online privacy bill to pass committee markup.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Energy and Commerce (Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
**
Subcommittee on Environment and Economy
**
Subcommittee on Health The U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health is a subcommittee within the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Jurisdiction
The House Subcommittee on Health has general jurisdiction over bills and resolutions relating to pub ...
(Former Ranking Member)
Caucus memberships
*Congressional Boating Caucus
*Congressional Coastal Caucus (Co-Chair)
*
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most left-leaning faction of the Democratic Party. " e Congressional Progressive Cau ...
*
Congressional Steel Caucus
*
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
*
Congressional Arts Caucus
*Congressional Armenian Caucus (Co-Chair)
*
House Baltic Caucus
*
Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
;Party leadership
*Communications Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee
Other political offices
In 2002, Pallone turned down an offer to replace embattled Senator
Bob Torricelli as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate by Democratic Party leaders. The slot eventually went to
Frank Lautenberg, who won the general election. In 2004-05, Pallone considered a gubernatorial bid against embattled and unpopular Governor
Jim McGreevey, but ended up supporting eventual nominee
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...
.
Early in 2005, Pallone announced his intention to seek the Senate seat held at the time by Corzine. Corzine won the Democratic nomination for governor in June 2005, and Pallone was the first politician to officially seek Corzine's Senate seat. He launched
Pallone for New Jersey to inform New Jersey citizens of his work in the House and his desire to be New Jersey's next senator. In January 2006, Pallone announced his endorsement of
Bob Menendez
Robert Menendez (; born January 1, 1954) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States senator from New Jersey, a seat he has held since 2006. Gale (publisher), Gale Biography I ...
for Senate in the November 2006 election, ending his bid for the seat.
Pallone was an early and strong endorser of
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries. He traveled to
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
to campaign for Clinton. Clinton lost the primary to
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...
, who went on to become president. Pallone also endorsed
Frank Lautenberg over Congressman
Rob Andrews
Robert Ernest Andrews (born August 4, 1957) is an American politician who served as a U.S. representative for from 1990 to 2014. The district included most of Camden County and parts of Burlington County and Gloucester County.
Early life, ...
.
2013 U.S. Senate election
On January 3, 2013, it was revealed that Pallone was considering another bid for the Senate should
Frank Lautenberg elect not to pursue another term in office in 2014. On June 9, 2013, Pallone said he was officially in the race to fill Lautenberg's Senate seat, due to the Lautenberg's death, and could win the Democratic primary against
Newark Mayor Cory Booker
Cory Anthony Booker (born April 27, 1969) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the junior United States senator from New Jersey since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Booker is the first African-American U.S. se ...
by running on his progressive congressional record. Lautenberg's family endorsed Pallone on July 8, 2013. The state council of sheet metal workers also endorsed Pallone.
In the August 13, 2013 primary election, Pallone lost to Booker.
Booker then won the general election.
Electoral history
Personal life
Pallone lives with his wife Sarah Hospodor-Pallone and their three children in Long Branch, New Jersey. They married in August 1992.
References
External links
Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr.official U.S. House website
Frank Pallone for Congress
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Pallone, Frank
1951 births
21st-century American politicians
American politicians of Italian descent
Living people
Middlebury College alumni
New Jersey city council members
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey
New Jersey lawyers
Democratic Party New Jersey state senators
Politicians from Long Branch, New Jersey
Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in public affairs
Rutgers School of Law–Camden alumni
The Fletcher School at Tufts University alumni
American lawyers and judges of Italian descent