RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts AAPI Roundtable in Palisades Park

Resources / Press Share on RELEASE: Gottheimer Hosts AAPI Roundtable in Palisades Park Highlights Work to Lower Costs, Protect Communities, Support Small Businesses and Discuss Challenges in the AAPI Community Oct 12, 2026 Press Above: Gottheimer hosts AAPI Roundtable. PALISADES PARK, NJ — Tuesday, October 6, 2026, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a roundtable with Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) leaders and community members from across North Jersey at the Palisades Park Library to discuss the challenges facing the AAPI community and what Washington can do to help. Joined by local elected officials, community organizations, educators, health care advocates, small business owners, and cultural and ethnic associations, Gottheimer outlined his work on health care, affordability, small business, anti-Asian hate, public safety, immigration, and education, and heard directly from participants about what their neighbors need most. “The AAPI community represents different ethnicities, languages, faiths, and traditions, but the same drive to strengthen our communities. That’s why I’m working so hard in Washington and across the aisle to support you. But celebrating this community isn’t enough,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). Across the Fifth District, roughly 127,000 residents are Asian American, or about one in six. This includes nearly half of Englewood Cliffs and more than forty-three percent of Fort Lee. Palisades Park, which has the highest percentage and density of Korean residents of any town in the country, is located within the District. Gottheimer, a member of the Korea, India, Taiwan, Asia Pacific American, and Pacific Islands Caucuses and Co-Chair of the American Sikh Congressional Caucus, discussed the following priorities and his relevant legislation with attendees: Mental Health Emergency Care : Gottheimer secured $2 million to expand the behavioral health emergency department at New Bridge Medical Center in Paramus, growing it from 19 to 49 beds, with 30 beds dedicated to mental health and substance abuse treatment and 50 new clinical jobs. He is also part of the bipartisan push to extend and reform the ACA enhanced premium tax credits. Affordability: As Co-Chair of the bipartisan SALT Caucus, he is pushing the SALT Deductibility Act to fully restore the SALT deduction. His Tariff Impact Act would require the Congressional Budget Office to review the economic impact of any new tariff before they take effect. Medicaid and CHIP: New restrictions on lawfully present immigrants, part of the OBBB law that he voted against, recently took effect. Roughly 300,000 New Jersey residents could lose Medicaid or fail to get it, mostly because of paperwork. Small Business: Under a policy that took effect March 1, 2026, the SBA no longer backs loans to businesses with any non-citizen ownership. Even a green card holder with a 1 percent stake disqualifies a business. In FY2024 alone, the agency backed 8,900 loans worth $7.2 billion to Asian-owned businesses. Anti-Sikh Hate: Gottheimer introduced the Sikh American Anti-Discrimination Act with Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) in January 2026. It would create a DOJ Task Force on Anti-Sikh Discrimination, set a federal definition of anti-Sikh hate, develop education programs, and report annually to Congress. New Jersey is home to roughly 100,000 Sikhs. Public Safety: Gottheimer announced $42 million in FEMA funding in July 2026, split between $21 million statewide and $21 million for Bergen, Passaic, and Sussex Counties. It covers radios, drones, K-9 units, and security upgrades for houses of worship such as cameras, alarms, guards, and reinforced doors. His bipartisan Invest to Protect Act would authorize $50 million a year for five years to help police departments with fewer than 200 officers with recruitment, training, mental health resources, and body cameras. He invited houses of worship that have not applied for Nonprofit Security Grants to call his office. Immigration: More than 1.2 million people are stuck in the employment-based green card backlog, nearly eighty percent from India, with a projected 179-year wait for an Indian EB-2 applicant. He voted to eliminate the per-country caps on employment-based green cards and says the country can secure the border and enforce its laws while treating people fairly. ICE Oversight: Gottheimer introduced the ICE Standards Act in January 2026, after the Minneapolis shootings. It would require stronger training, body and dash cameras, clear uniforms and ID, efforts to verify citizenship before detention, and limits on enforcement at schools, hospitals, and houses of worship. He also visited Delaney Hall and worked to secure the release of a 17-year-old girl, Ariadna, in time for her high school graduation. Education: Gottheimer discussed the administration’s freeze of $23 million in English learner funding for New Jersey and cancellation of nearly $1 billion in school mental health grants. He s