Bill Pascrell, Jr. is a Democrat who represents New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives. The 8th District stretches across 21 towns in Passaic and Essex Counties, and is one of the most diverse districts in the country.
Bill was first elected to Congress in 1996 after defeating an incumbent Republican congressman. His grassroots campaign took him to town halls and front doors throughout the district. Bill has been reelected every two years, and brings his commitment to the people of the 8th district with him every time he hops on the train to Washington.
In the House of Representatives, Bill sits on the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Homeland Security. These committee assignments allow Bill to be deeply involved in the issues that are important to the citizens of New Jersey and the 8th District.
Through his work on the Ways and Means Committee, Bill has established himself as one of the leading Congressional voices on protecting Medicare and Social Security for our seniors. He also uses his position to advocate for a fair international trade policy and on behalf of tax reform that includes the elimination of the Alternative Minimum Tax.
Bill’s position on the Homeland Security Committee allows him to have an influential voice our country’s national security policy. He has served on the Committee since its inception in 2002, and was the top Democrat on the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness. Bill has fought for tougher security screening at New Jersey’s ports, the full implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations, and was the father of the FIRE Grant program that helps give our first responders across the country the tools they need to better protect their communities. Most recently, he has authored bipartisan legislation dealing with prevention and preparedness for the threat of Weapons of Mass Destruction.
In 2009, the President signed legislation authored by Bill that would designate the Great Falls in Paterson as a unit of the National Park System. Other recent legislation authored by Bill which passed the Congress and were signed by the President include the renewal and expansion of Traumatic Brain Injury programs in the federal government, as well as the Campus Fire Safety Right to Know Act introduced in the wake of the deadly fire at Seton Hall University.
Bill also continues to be a strong advocate for the modernization of New Jersey’s transportation in infrastructure. He has fought for improvements in mass transportation and local infrastructure projects, including the widening of the Route 46 corridor and federal funding for Amtrak and NJ Transit.
Before being elected to Congress, Bill proudly served as the Mayor of Paterson from 1988-1996 and a member of the New Jersey State Assembly from 1990-1996. He was previously a member of the Paterson Board of Education, a public high school teacher, and a college adjunct professor at Farleigh Dickenson University. Bill graduated from Fordham University in New York with bachelors degree in Journalism and a masters degree in Philosophy. He has three sons and resides in Paterson with his wife, Elsie.
