Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ11), who represents the district that includes Verona, has postponed her town hall from Tuesday, January 22 to Sunday, January 27, because Congress has been called back into session next week to address President Trump’s shutdown of the federal government. The coming week was to have been a winter recess week for Congress so that members could meet with constituents in their home districts. There are no votes now scheduled on bills that could re-open the government services affected by the shutdown, which is now in its 27th day.
The town hall, which will be Rep. Sherrill’s first, will be held from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Parsippany Police Athletic League Building at 33 Baldwin Road. That is a larger venue than the originally planned location, the Hanover Township Community Center, but attendees should still plan on arriving early to get seating. The congresswoman’s staff is also saying that the town hall is still subject to additional changes if the shutdown remains in effect by January 27. Rep. Sherrill’s predecessor, former Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, had not held any in-person town halls between 2013 and the end of his term last December, although he had participated in virtual town halls.
Rep. Sherrill will be continuing Frelinghuysen’s advocacy for military installations in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district. This past Tuesday, she secured an assignment on the House Armed Service Committee for the 116th Congress. The House Armed Services Committee is responsible for all aspects of congressional oversight of the Department of Defense and authorization of military policy.
“As a former officer in the U.S. Navy, I understand the importance of a strong national defense and our enduring obligations to all the women and men who serve in uniform to secure our freedom. I am honored to join the committee and further their mission,” she said in a prepared statement. “I intend to be an advocate for Picatinny Arsenal which plays a vital role in both our national defense and our local economy, and to address emerging national security threats such as climate change and cybersecurity.”
Located in Morris County, Picatinny Arsenal is a key national defense installation and an economic anchor in New Jersey’s 11th Congressional District. Nearly 6,000 soldiers, federal employees, and contractors live on the base and in the surrounding towns and it contributes $1.3 billion to the economy of North Jersey. Picatinny is home to the Defense Department’s Joint Center of Excellence for Armaments and Munitions.
