Van Drew, Jeff RSS Articles

Congressman Van Drew's PROOF Act Passes House to Crack Down on Fraud in Federal Programs

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew announced that H.R. 10326, the Preventing Rip-offs and Obtaining Oversight of Funds (PROOF) Act, has passed through the U.S. House of Representatives. This bill would give federal investigators a direct way to obtain records from states when investigating fraud in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, unemployment benefits, disaster assistance, and other federally funded programs.

"To me, it is simple. If taxpayer money is being stolen, investigators should be able to get the records they need to find out where it went," said Congressman Van Drew. "Right now, that does not always happen. We just saw four states refuse twice to provide SNAP data, to the point where the Justice Department had to take them to court just to get the information. Meanwhile, the states that did cooperate provided data that showed billions of dollars a year going to overpayments and fraud.

"The PROOF Act fixes this problem. If the Attorney General is investigating fraud involving federal taxpayer dollars, the state has to provide the records needed for that investigation. We also made sure there are strong privacy protections in place to ensure that the information is only used for the investigation. Every dollar lost to fraud is a dollar not going to a family, senior, or individual counting on that help. It is our responsibility to make sure that these programs are working as they were intended."

Click here to read the text of the bill.

Click here to watch his remarks in support of H.R. 10326.

Congressman Van Drew Celebrates Passage of Major South Jersey Water Infrastructure Priorities

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew celebrated the passage of the Water Resources Development (WRDA) Act of 2026 through the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation includes eleven priorities he secured for South Jersey, and it is expected to be signed into law.

"This is exactly the kind of work I came to Congress to do," said Congressman Van Drew. "South Jersey is surrounded by water, and our towns deal with flooding, erosion, aging dams, and waterways that need our full attention. I fought to get these priorities into the bill because they will directly address these concerns and make a real difference in the safety of the residents of South Jersey. Now they are on their way to becoming law. I am proud of what we were able to get done here, and I am going to stay on top of these projects to make sure the work gets done."

Priorities Secured:

East Point Lighthouse Shore Protection- Expands the ongoing Maurice River dredging study to include shoreline protection for the East Point Lighthouse.

North Wildwood Shore Protection- Expedites the North Wildwood hurricane and storm damage reduction project using Hereford Inlet as the source of sand.

Coastal Storm Risk Management Trust Fund Study- Includes Congressman Van Drew's provision directing a study to create a dedicated funding source for beach projects.

Dam Assessment and Mitigation Support (DAMS) Act- Reauthorizes the National Dam Safety Program through 2031 and includes Congressman Van Drew's DAMS Act provision to strengthen dam safety nationally.

Great Egg Harbor River Watershed Assessment- Adds the Great Egg Harbor River Watershed to the Corps' authorized watershed and river-basin assessment list.

New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway Rerouting- Authorizes a study to reroute the New Jersey Intracoastal Waterway near Ventnor City to solve navigation challenges related to the Dorsett Avenue bridge.

Absecon Island Shoreline Project- Accelerates the Atlantic City hot spot erosion study.

Hot Spot Erosion Program Improvements- Strengthens Congressman Van Drew's program to address hot spot erosion by incorporating nature-based solutions.

High Hazard Potential Dam Prioritization Study- Requires FEMA to study barriers preventing states from prioritizing dam projects with the greatest community benefit.

Beneficial Use of Dredge Materials for Beaches- Requires the Corps to update its regulations to better account for the benefits of using dredged materials for beach nourishment and restoration projects.

Coastal Infrastructure Improvement Act- Directs the Corps to research and test erosion mitigation technologies.

Congressman Van Drew Chairs Hearing on New Jersey Voter Roll Scandal

Tue, 15 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew, Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Oversight, held a hearing examining how 6,600 people who indicated they were not U.S. citizens were improperly registered to vote in New Jersey, with almost 400 later casting votes.

"The part that should make every person in New Jersey angry is that the state knew there was a problem in June of 2024 and did not tell the public what happened until two years later," said Congressman Van Drew. "How do thousands of noncitizens get registered, hundreds vote, and nobody thinks the people of New Jersey deserve to know? Now we are asking questions to find out exactly what went wrong, and we have been met with resistance from the state every step of the way. That is why I chaired this hearing today. Elections can come down to one vote, so yes, we are going to keep asking questions to make sure that it is only Americans voting in American elections."

Click here to watch his opening remarks.

Congressman Van Drew Condemns Immigration Failure After Attack on Six-Year-Old Girl in NJ

Sat, 12 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC -Today, Congressman Van Drew released the following statement after an illegal immigrant who had previously been in ICE custody was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in New Jersey.

"There are no words for what this little girl and her parents are going through," said Congressman Van Drew. "Nothing we say can make this right. There is only one thing we can do, and that is to make sure this never happens again. This man should have been deported in 2024. He was already in ICE custody, but instead he was released back into our communities. And while this is happening, taxpayers should certainly not be funding legal defense programs for illegal immigrants fighting deportation. This little girl deserved to be protected. She was failed. We cannot allow that to happen again."

New Jersey Congressional Delegation Unites in Push to Bring F-35s to Atlantic City

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew announced that the entire New Jersey congressional delegation has joined him in calling on Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink to select the 177th Fighter Wing in Atlantic City as a future home for the F-35 Lightning II.

"The 177th Fighter Wing is one of the best locations in the United States for the F-35, and I am so glad we were able to bring the New Jersey delegation together behind this effort," said Congressman Van Drew. "Regardless of political party or philosophy, we are all on the same page about how important this is. The corridor between Washington and New York is critical to our country, and the 177th plays an important role in keeping it safe. I want to thank all of my colleagues for joining me on this letter and for working together to do everything we can to bring the F-35s to South Jersey. We have also been laying the groundwork to make sure Atlantic City is ready. I secured $68 million in authorization for a new six-aircraft maintenance hangar that is critical to supporting next-generation fighters like the F-35, and we expect that project to be included in the President's budget next year. Now we are taking the next step and making the case directly to the Air Force."

Click here to read the full letter.

Congressman Van Drew Rejects Atlantic City Electric's "Two-Cent" Response

Fri, 04 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew responded to Atlantic City Electric's claim that refunds tied to the recent Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) audit would amount to less than two cents per month.

"First we were told nothing was wrong, and people were simply using more electricity," said Congressman Van Drew. "Then we were told residential customers were not impacted by this. Now we are being told the impact is less than two cents a month. The only thing worth two cents is Atlantic City Electric's response. No one in South Jersey is buying it. FERC has confirmed that transmission customers were overcharged, and those transmission costs are ultimately passed through in what customers pay. During the same period, families watched their electric bills double and, in some cases, triple. We are not going to dismiss that as a coincidence or accept another typical corporate response. We will be following up with FERC, and I still expect the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities to finally do its job and get to the bottom of this.

"Atlantic City Electric has broken the trust of the people of South Jersey. The answer is simple: show us the full numbers, refund every dollar people are owed, lower the rates, and lower the transmission and delivery costs. We are not letting this go."

Congressman Van Drew Again Calls on NJBPU to Resign Following Federal Audit of Atlantic City Electric

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew sent separate letters to Atlantic City Electric (ACE) and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) following a federal audit that identified five areas of financial noncompliance at ACE. Congressman Van Drew is demanding a full accounting from ACE, refunds for any ratepayers who were overcharged, and the resignation of the entire NJBPU Board.

"Atlantic City Electric needs to show us exactly how much money was improperly charged, where that money went, and whether those costs were ultimately passed along to families and businesses," said Congressman Van Drew. "The audit found overbilling at the transmission level, and those costs do not just disappear. Let's be clear: these costs are part of the system people are paying for every month, and that burden is passed directly onto the ratepayer. If South Jersey families paid even one dollar more because of these failures, they deserve that dollar back.

"The NJBPU does not get to escape responsibility here either. This Board approved rate increase after rate increase while people were getting crushed by their electric bills. Meanwhile, the company they were supposed to be watching had years of financial compliance problems. The NJBPU is supposed to protect the public from this kind of thing. Instead, people kept paying more, ACE kept making money, and it took a federal audit to uncover problems that should have been caught in New Jersey. That is why I am once again calling on the entire NJBPU Board to resign.

"Now Atlantic City Electric needs to open the books, refund every dollar that is owed, and bring these rates down. South Jersey families have paid enough."

Click here to read the letter to Atlantic City Electric.

Click here to read the letter to the NJBPU.

Congressman Van Drew Demands Refunds After Federal Audit Finds Atlantic City Electric Overbilled Customers

Wed, 02 Sep 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew responded to findings from a federal audit of Atlantic City Electric (ACE) that found the company overbilled customers and made errors related to federal tax law.

"For years, we have been saying something was wrong with what people in South Jersey were paying for electricity," said Congressman Van Drew. "We were told that we were crazy and that there was nothing to see here. We held public hearings on the issue, we pushed ACE for answers, we challenged the explanations we were being given, and when the numbers still did not add up, I asked FERC to step in and audit the company. Now the result of this audit shows exactly why we were right to demand answers. This has to be made right. The people who paid more than they should have deserve refunds now. And this audit must lead to real rate decreases, so families are not continuing to pay some of the highest electric costs in the country, especially after the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities spent years approving increase after increase instead of looking into this. Once again, I am calling for their resignation.

"We fought for this audit because we knew something was wrong. Now the truth is out, and ACE must answer for it. The next step is making sure the people of South Jersey get their money back and finally see some relief on their bills."

Click here to view the audit report.

Congressman Van Drew: Gov. Sherrill Responds to Election Integrity Questions with Political Hit Piece

Mon, 24 Aug 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Jeff Van Drew responded to Governor Mikie Sherrill's letter attacking members of the Republican Study Committee who joined Congressman Van Drew's effort to get answers about the failure that placed thousands of individuals who identified themselves as noncitizens on New Jersey's voter rolls.

"When we first raised this issue, we did so because we were genuinely concerned about what happened in New Jersey and wanted to understand exactly how it happened," said Congressman Van Drew. "For years, those of us who raised concerns about the integrity of our voter rolls were dismissed as conspiracy theorists. Then New Jersey admitted that thousands of individuals who said they were not citizens were registered to vote, and many registered through the error went on to cast ballots.

"We did not blame Governor Sherrill for a failure that occurred under the previous Murphy administration. We did not attack her personally or drag unrelated Democratic politicians into our letter. With the help of my colleagues in the Republican Study Committee, we asked basic, fact-finding questions about how the system failed mechanically and electronically, why the safeguards did not catch it, and what is being done to make sure it never happens again.

"Instead of answering those questions, Governor Sherrill responded with Democratic talking points, attacks on President Trump, and personal attacks against me and the Republican Study Committee members who joined me in seeking answers. None of the Members who signed our letter deserved to be demeaned for doing their jobs. Her response was a political hit piece, and it was beneath the Office of the Governor.

"This was never about Governor Sherrill or any one political party. It is about New Jersey and the integrity of our country's elections. Our mutual constituents deserve fair and secure elections, and they deserve the truth about how something this serious was allowed to happen. We are going to keep pursuing the facts, demanding accountability, and making sure this does not happen again. We will not give up until the people of New Jersey get the answers they deserve."

Congressman Van Drew Demands Answers from Atlantic City Electric Over Another Bill Increase

Fri, 31 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMT

Washington, DC - Today, Congressman Van Drew sent a letter to Atlantic City Electric (ACE) demanding answers after the company notified customers that the average monthly electric bill could increase from approximately $158 to $184. The notice states that the increase includes an additional $23 in electric supply costs and $5 in delivery costs.

"Families across South Jersey are already paying some of the highest electric rates in the country," said Congressman Van Drew. "Many are trying to figure out how to keep their homes cool this summer while still paying for other basic expenses. Atlantic City Electric cannot keep simply passing along increases to the ratepayer, especially when the state has declared a State of Emergency on Utility Costs and directed the Board of Public Utilities to freeze rate increases. The trust between ACE and the people it serves has been completely eroded. Bills have continued to rise, and people have not seen meaningful relief. The company has a chance here to begin rebuilding that trust, but only if it responds with real answers and real relief. And by that, I mean actually bringing people's bills down instead of finding new ways to increase them every few months."

Click here to read the letter.