Dear Editor,
I have had the unusual honor to meet our Congresswoman from CD11, Mikie Sherrill, when she was at the very start of her run for Congress in 2017. It’s been difficult recently to watch lies and misinformation be spread about her. Representative Sherrill is one of the most hard-working representatives anywhere.
Sherrill’s predecessor held his seat without much opposition for two dozen years, barely engaging constituents. Our current representative stands in sharp contrast as a public servant. The Congresswoman has held 22 town halls in 22 months! Access to her and her staff is easy, and they work diligently to serve the district.
Upon arriving in DC, Mikie became chairwoman of the Subcommittee on the Environment (on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee) and vice chair and co-founder, of Servicewomen and Women Veterans Caucus.
Sherrill has shown the ability to work in a bipartisan fashion. Part of her training in the Navy, as she likes to say, never included “partisan missions”. They were just missions and that is how she performs in DC. She has:
- Introduced 12 bills, nine of which were with a Republican lead
- Co-sponsored 345 pieces of legislation
- Held COVID telephone town halls to make sure she continued to remain accessible during the pandemic
- Successfully helped pass bills in the House to:
- Restore the SALT Cap
- Lower the cost of prescription drugs
- Bipartisan background checks legislation
- Fund the Gateway Tunnel Project
- And legislation that became law:
- Great American Outdoors Act
- Permanent 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund
- Provide healthcare for Blue Water Navy Veterans
- Accreditation for the Graduate School at Picatinny Arsenal
- Reauthorized the National Flood Insurance Program
- Reauthorized and extended autism research and service
These are astounding achievements for anyone but remember, she is a freshman Congresswoman in a particularly contentious political climate. That takes skill and building bridges, not chasms.
Please re-elect our committed, fair and honorable Congresswoman.
Laura Fortgang
Verona Resident
Former Candidate for NJ State Assembly LD26
