Albio Sires for Congress

Former Speaker Albio Sires Announces His Bid For the 13th Congressional District
Stresses Leadership Experience In Fight for Nomination

(Jersey City) – Former Assembly Speaker and West New York Mayor Albio Sires today announced his candidacy to succeed Robert Menendez as the congressman from New Jersey's 13th Congressional District. Joining Sires at a speech at Hudson County Community College were former Governor and Senate President Richard Codey, Hudson County Democratic Chairman and State Senator Bernard F. Kenny (LD-33), Essex County Democratic Chairman Phil Thigpen, Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise, Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy, Rep. Rob Andrews (NJ-1), Rep. Steven R. Rothman (NJ-9), Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (NJ-8) and over a dozen other elected legislators and mayors from across the district."I am running for Congress because it is time to change the direction of our country," said Sires. “It is time to create educational opportunities for our children, time to bring job and health security to those who work hard, and time to keep our promise of a dignified retirement to our parents. It is time for a plan to bring our troops home from Iraq and, most of all, it is time for the Republicans in Washington to be sent packing.�

Sires, who served as Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly during 2002-2006, represents the 33rd Legislative District in the legislature. Since 1995, he has also served as mayor of West New York in Hudson County.

“Albio Sires has broken ground in so many ways by demonstrating the leadership qualities that will serve our district well in Washington,� said Senator Kenny. “As the first Hispanic Speaker of the General Assembly, as a Hudson County mayor and as a legislator, he has worked on providing opportunity to the residents of this state every single day. That is why Hudson County is united behind Albio Sires.�

“Thanks to Albio Sires, high school students who work hard can have access to higher education, no matter what their financial circumstances,� said Hudson County Executive DeGise. “Albio and I are both former teachers and we know that education should never be denied to anyone who wants to learn. That is the legacy Albio Sires will be leaving behind for New Jersey’s young people and that is the legacy he will carry with him to Washington.�

“As my fellow mayor, a legislator and a leader, Albio Sires is perfectly positioned to take the fight for the interests of working families to Washington,� said Jersey City Mayor Jeremiah Healy. “No one has worked harder for his constituents in West New York and the state and no one will work harder for Jersey City and this district than Albio Sires.�

As Speaker, Sires has been a leader in providing free community college tuition to qualified students, protecting prescription drug coverage for seniors and increasing New Jersey’s minimum wage while providing tax incentives to businesses for job creation.

“As Governor and as Senate President, I worked closely with Speaker Sires to create opportunities for millions of New Jersey residents," said Governor Codey. "I saw firsthand the leadership skills he brought to the table on behalf of his constituents. Those are the same skills that will make him a leader for this district in Washington. On a personal note, as an Essex County resident, I am proud that we will have someone with his abilities representing us in Washington.�

Three of New Jersey’s congressmen also endorsed Albio Sires as the best choice to succeed now-Senator Robert Menendez as the congressman from the 13th Congressional District.

“Albio Sires has been a proven leader on the issues important to our state during his service in the Assembly and I look forward to the day when he will be joining our Congressional delegation as we fight at the National level to provide greater access to education, economic opportunity and health care reform,� said Rep. Andrews (NJ-1). “I am proud to stand here with him today and I will even be more proud to call him my colleague in the House of Representatives .�

“Albio Sires proved his ability to be a great leader in his role as Assembly speaker,� stated Rep. Pascrell (NJ-8). “There is no doubt in my mind that he is ready to step up to the federal level. Albio has the experience and passion to effectively serve at the federal level. I have a great deal of confidence in the quality of representation that Albio will bring to the people of New Jersey’s 13th Congressional District.�

“Whether looking at his leadership in the classroom, his leadership as Mayor, or his leadership as Speaker of the Assembly, Albio Sires' record is one of overcoming roadblocks and getting work done for the people of North Jersey - especially in the critically-important education arena,� said Rep. Rothman (NJ-9).

Following his press conference in Jersey City, Sires traveled to Liberty Square Senior Center in Elizabeth, the North Ward Child Development Center in Newark and the Carteret business district, where he was introduced to local businesses by Mayor Dan Reiman.

Governor Codey.

Congressmen Andrews, Pascrell and Rothman.

Chairmen Kenny and Thigpen.

My colleagues in the state legislature and fellow mayors.

Reverend clergy.

My wife Adrienne, who as a teacher and a mentor to so many young people, has been an inspiration to me and to many others for so many years.

And most importantly, to the residents of the 13th Congressional District who are gathered here this morning:

Thank you.

Today, I am announcing my candidacy to succeed Congressman Bob Menendez in the United States House of Representatives.

I am running for Congress because it is time to change the direction of our country. It is time to create educational opportunities for our children, time to bring job and health security to those who work hard, and time to keep our promise of a dignified retirement to our parents. It is time for a plan to bring our troops home from Iraq and, most of all, it is time for the Republicans in Washington to be sent packing.

These are bold challenges. They demand new leadership that knows how to get things done. I have that vision, I’ve built that experience. I am ready to make a difference in the Congress of the United States of America because I have made a difference in my hometown as mayor and for my state as the third highest ranking elected Democrat- the Speaker of the Assembly.

I know where I want to lead, because I know where I come from.

You see, in every life, there are events that determine the future course of our actions.

For me, the event that shaped my life took place when I was ten years old and my parents fled a Communist dictatorship to settle in West New York – right here in Hudson County.

The challenges for us were enormous.

We had to learn a new language, build a new life and adjust to a new society.

But my parents saw the same thing for our family that so many other immigrants have seen for theirs over the course of so many generations:

They saw the opportunity to succeed.

They worked tirelessly so that my brothers and I could have all the advantages this country has to offer.

And in return, they expected us to work just as hard to succeed.

I am so proud to be the first in my family to go to college but I am just as proud to be the son of parents who sacrificed everything so that their children could grow up in freedom.

Most importantly, my parents taught me that this is the only country in the world where hard work, education and perseverance count more than the circumstances of your birth.

And though I did not come from privilege, no one in life has been more privileged.

But I know the old adage that says: “To whom much is given, much is expected.�

And that’s why after graduation, I came back to Memorial High School in West New York to become a teacher and a basketball coach.

As mayor of West New York, as an Assemblyman and finally as the first Hispanic Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly, I have always fought to give back to my community, which had given me so much.

My public record is one of providing new ideas and a new vision to expand opportunities for New Jerseyans.

It is a vision that exists not just in theory but that I have worked for decades to see enacted.

It is a vision of hope, of opportunity and of delivering for the people who have honored me by allowing me to represent them as their mayor, as their assemblyman and as their speaker.

And that is why I am running for Congress.

I am running to ensure that that this country – which my own family saw as a beacon of freedom – remains a beacon of freedom forever.

And I am running to stand up to those in Washington who have forgotten that our democracy belongs to those who work hard and play by the rules – not to those who would falsely sacrifice our very freedoms in the name of liberty.

But most importantly, I am running to continue providing opportunity to generations of New Jerseyans.

All my life, as a teacher and as an elected official, I have invested in education, because I know that education is the key to success.

That’s why, as Assembly Speaker, I increased funding for public education by 760 million dollars. In Congress, I will make education a national priority again by reforming the No Child Left Behind law to help struggling schools do better.

That’s why, as Assembly Speaker, I am proud to have sponsored legislation that offers free college tuition to thousands of students through the New Jersey STARS program and to increase tuition aid grants to families.

Some of those students are here today and I am so happy that this legislation has enabled them to receive a college education.

This program is a great example of my view that if you work hard and play by the rules, government should help you succeed in improving your life.

In Washington, I will continue that fight by increasing Pell Grants and student loan programs that help families afford the ever-growing cost of college.

As Assembly Speaker, I increased funding for after school programs that get kids off the streets and away from gangs and drugs. And in Congress, I will work to increase funding for anti-gang activities and to ban assault weapons so that children who live in our cities spend their free time improving their lives – rather than on the streets and in danger.

But to keep our families safe, we also need to keep them healthy.

Our state is home to the strongest pharmaceutical industry in the world – but too many people cannot afford to purchase their prescription drugs.

Our nation is home to the best health care system in the world – but too many people cannot afford access to health care.

As Speaker, I protected funding for our Senior Gold prescription drug program, so that our seniors don’t have to choose between paying rent and paying for vital medicine.

In Congress, I will stand up to this Administration and fight to enact a simpler Medicare drug program that puts seniors ahead of the drug companies.

As Speaker of the General Assembly, I led the fight to make New Jersey the leader in high-tech medical research by providing millions in funding to find new cures for cancer.

It is unconscionable that the Bush Administration will let a small group of right wing zealots hijack the possibility of curing life-threatening illnesses by prohibiting funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Under my leadership, New Jersey became a pioneer in legalizing embryonic stem cell research, which will one day find cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s and diabetes.

This is the fight I will take with me to Washington, so that one day soon, we will harness the best health care system in the world to provide cures to the illnesses that have affected every single one of our families.

And I am going to Washington to provide economic opportunities for the people of this district.

As Assembly Speaker, I raised our state’s minimum wage, but I think it is unacceptable that the Bush Administration and its allies in Congress refuse to raise the national minimum wage so that families can afford to pay for their health care and their housing costs.

I sponsored a program that provides 15 million dollars to working families who need assistance with their rent and in Congress, I will continue the fight to make affordable housing a reality for so many who need it.

And because we need a level playing field for the hard working men and women of this nation, we need to put an end to providing loopholes and tax breaks to the very wealthy while raising the cost of living for those who struggle to get by every day.

I spearheaded the corporate tax and the millionaire’s tax in New Jersey, which make corporations and millionaires pay their fair share so that working families get the property tax relief they deserve.

That’s why I am appalled that the Bush Administration is continuing its quest to reduce taxes on the wealthiest one percent of our population, while ignoring our basic needs for better paying jobs and increasing health care costs.

In Congress, I will stand up to this Administration by cutting taxes for the middle class, ending Bush’s tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and requiring them to pay Social Security taxes on more of their income in order to keep Social Security solvent.

In every one of these issues, I saw a problem, brought people to together to get results and made a difference. That is why I can be a strong voice from my very first day in Congress. And, more than ever, we need both vision and strength to bring change to a misguided Washington.

Today, our nation is being tested like never before.

The Bush Administration is fighting a war of choice in Iraq that puts our troops at ever- greater risk while draining resources from the real fight – the fight against the terrorists who attacked us less than five miles from where we stand today.

Instead of protecting New Jersey’s seaports and airports or providing more funding for police and emergency responders right here in our state, this Administration’s priority has been to spend needless dollars protecting Wyoming against a terrorist strike.

Instead of bringing to justice the mastermind of the 9-11 attacks, it is stretching our military thin by sending our troops to war on false pretenses.

Simply put, the behavior of the Bush Administration and its allies in Congress has been a disgrace.

We need to set a timetable for bringing our troops home from this Iraqi quagmire and we need to set that timetable NOW.

We need a government that is honest with us instead of a government that lies about secret prisons or that eavesdrops on its own citizens in the name of freedom.

I know that a government that curtails liberties in the name of liberty is a government that no longer trusts its own citizens.

It is a government that is no longer of the people and by the people but a government that puts its own power ahead of its people.

I am going to Washington to restore power to the people and take it away from those who abuse their own power in our name.

I am going to Washington to stand up to the Bush Administration and to bring our troops home, to make education more affordable, to make our health care system fairer, to protect our civil rights and to bring economic opportunity and prosperity to the families of this district.

That is a commitment I made when I began public service, and it is commitment I have fulfilled as a mayor and as the Speaker of the General Assembly.

I have delivered for my constituents and as a Member of Congress, I will continue to deliver for the state of New Jersey.

Thank you and god bless you.

For Immediate Release: Contact: Julie Roginsky

Wednesday, January 25th, 2006 (201) 525-0111