Menendez, Booker, Norcross Announce $1.4M to Support Camden County’s COVID-19 Response

NEWARK, N.J. – U.S. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, along with Congressman Donald Norcross (N.J.-01), today announced $1,395,002.66 in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance (PA) grants to the Camden County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to aid the county’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The lawmakers have now secured over $160 million in PA grants to help the state’s pandemic response. The $2 trillion federal emergency stimulus package, known as the CARES Act, included $45 billion for the FEMA Disaster Relief Fund to help states, like New Jersey, which is included in the President’s Major Disaster Declaration, provide for immediate needs and essential services to protect citizens and recover from the outbreak.

“Camden County’s first responders, health care workers and other essential workers need the resources to continue protecting their residents and businesses,” said Sen. Menendez. “This funding will ensure frontline workers have the personal protective equipment they need to keep themselves and others safe and out of harm’s way. I’ll continue fighting for the federal funds our state needs to beat the pandemic and recover.”

“Communities across New Jersey and our nation continue to work tirelessly in battling this public health crisis, so we have an obligation to ensure they have adequate resources to keep our residents safe,” said Sen. Booker. “The health of our families, frontlines workers, and our economy is dependent on a strong federal response, and I’ll continue to fight for federal funding like this to protect the health and safety of Camden County residents and all New Jerseyans.”

“We are still in the midst of a grave health emergency, and our local governments urgently need relief,” said Rep. Norcross. “This critical federal funding will help Camden County cover the unexpected costs of the coronavirus pandemic, including testing and keeping our first responders and other essential workers safe and on the job. I will continue to fight for South Jersey in Congress to ensure our communities get the tools and supplies we need to combat this outbreak and keep residents healthy and secure.”

The lawmakers previously announced PA grant awards for $23 million, $26.3 million, $8.7 million, $6 million, $43.6 million, $21.3 million and $26.1 million to the New Jersey State Police and $2.3 million and $1.2 million to the Bergen County Office of Emergency Management.

In May, Sens. Menendez and Cindy Hyde Smith (R-Miss.) introduced the Local Community Emergency Relief Act, which is bipartisan legislation to eliminate the cost-share payments required of states and communities included in federal disaster declarations in 2020. Sen. Menendez has led bipartisan requests from both the New Jersey congressional delegation and his Senate colleagues calling on President Trump to completely eliminate the local cost-sharing for FEMA disaster grants. Sen. Booker and Rep. Pascrell joined Menendez in those efforts.

Sen. Menendez also led the delegation’s support for Gov. Phil Murphy’s request for a Major Disaster Declaration, making the state eligible for these additional federal resources to combat the coronavirus.