(Third in a four-part series)

During the March 2018 AIPAC Policy Conference in the nation’s capital, Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) was asked to stop and shake hands with many admirers during an evening reception.

The ranking Democrat on the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee shook every hand and spent time with every person who greeted him. He spent most of that time with young people, mostly college and high school students who requested selfies with the Senator. Menendez was more than happy to entertain their every question.

He told The Jewish Link that evening that it was the presence of the thousands of young people at AIPAC that gave him inspiration. When he spoke at the conference, he was given a rousing standing ovation.

And well he should as he goes for his third Senate term. Menendez, among his many connections to the state’s Jewish community, voted against former President Barack Obama’s Iran nuclear deal.

He has spoken in the past about his understanding of the burden of day school tuition on Jewish parents, and the need for constant federal security funding of Jewish schools.

We asked the senator to answer several questions as we approach the midterm elections.

JLNJ: Do you feel that this year’s midterm elections are the most urgent you can remember in recent years? How did we get to this point of urgency?

Sen. Menendez: The stakes in this election have never been higher and it’s never mattered more for New Jerseyans to elect a Democratic Congress that will be a check on President Trump’s worst impulses. This president has undermined the rule of law, refused to hold Russia accountable for its attacks on our democracy, and used fear to divide and distract the American people from his disastrous policies. My Republican opponent Bob Hugin spent a small fortune getting Donald Trump into the White House, and New Jerseyans are suffering the consequences, from the Republican tax reform law that slammed our middle class with higher property tax burdens, to the efforts to sink Gateway project, to the Trump administration’s assault on the Affordable Care Act’s coverage for pre-existing conditions. We cannot trust a greedy drug company CEO like Bob Hugin who made his money getting rich off of cancer patients to stand up for affordable health care or fight to reduce the cost of prescription drugs.

JLNJ: If the Democrats become the majority in the House, what do you think will change for the better for Americans and for New Jersey residents in the short term and in the long term? In the Senate, with the numbers so close in terms of majority, do you feel the two sides could work better together? Is there a growing concern in the state especially over Sen. Booker’s change of heart toward Israel?

Sen. Menendez: If and when Democrats take control of the House and Senate, Americans will be able to count on Congress to actually perform its constitutional oversight duties. Democrats will not only hold this president accountable but also have substantial influence over federal policymaking once again. That means we can work to restore New Jersey taxpayers’ property tax deductions, protect Gateway and shorten commute times, lower the cost of prescription drugs, and stop this president from stacking our courts with right-wing judges who threaten the rights of women, workers, immigrants and consumers. We can protect the integrity of the Russia investigation and keep Trump’s erratic foreign policy in check, from restoring America’s leadership on climate change to ensuring our North Korea policy is guided by a real strategy and not just heated rhetoric.

I am proud to serve on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee with Sen. Cory Booker and, while we may not agree on policy 100 percent of the time, I know in his head and in his heart the importance of and his commitment to a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.

JLNJ: When you take the pulse of your possible constituents, how are they feeling about the state of the nation these days?

Sen. Menendez: I couldn’t be more inspired by the energy of my constituents, who have responded to the Trump presidency not by giving up hope but by standing up and fighting back. At a time when the greedy drug company CEO who is running against me is pouring millions of his dollars into negative attack ads, the grassroots groups that have sprung up across New Jersey give me hope for the future of our democracy and our greatest American values. Every week I hear from hundreds of New Jerseyans who call and write my office urging me to hold President Trump accountable, protect the reproductive rights of women, fight for common-sense gun-safety laws and more. Now my constituents are channeling their convictions into action by registering voters, phone banking for Democrats, protesting this administration’s unjust immigration policies and generally reinvigorating our democracy. I’ve been thrilled to receive the endorsements from Indivisible chapters throughout the state as well as more established organizations like Planned Parenthood. All of these groups are coming together to restore progressive policies at the national level and I am thrilled to work with them hand-in-hand.

JLNJ: Do you feel that Israel is in a good place as far as its security is concerned and its relationship with the U.S.? Has the attitude toward Israel changed any since the embassy was moved and after the U.S. pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal?

Sen. Menendez: Israel has always been surrounded by enemies, but I do believe today the stakes are higher, the risks are greater, and the threats are more deadly and increasingly existential. As I have throughout my career, I will continue to affirm Israel’s right to secure her borders and her people. I believe it is in the best interests of the United States to stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel as the true democracy in a sea of autocracy, and I will always stand by the right of the Jewish people to live in peace, security and prosperity in the indisputable homeland of their ancestors.

I’ve long believed that the relocation of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem was a matter of “when” rather than “if.” I know many were disappointed that the president and Republicans in Congress decided to make this a partisan occasion by not inviting any Democratic members to attend the opening ceremony. This breaks with historical political leadership from both parties in the White House recognizing that bipartisan support for Israel is a fundamental underpinning of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship.

JLNJ: After the midterms are over, does the country almost immediately start looking at 2020? Do you feel the nation is divided at this time?

Sen. Menendez: After the midterms are over, I am looking forward to going back to the Senate and holding President Trump accountable while also pursuing legislation that will curtail gun violence, grow our clean energy sector and expand affordable health care and lower drug prices. The press may talk a lot about 2020, but we need to focus on our constitutional duty to conduct real oversight. While our nation has always been animated by political parties, we must remember President Trump remains historically unpopular and that most Americans support a change in leadership. At the end of the day, I believe the greatest divide in our nation is not between political parties but between the views held by the vast majority of Americans and the agenda in Washington that is too often set by special interests. There is something wrong with our politics when it is easier for Congress to cut taxes for big corporations than it is to tackle the student debt crisis, raise the minimum wage or protect consumers from abuse.

JLNJ: With day school education on the rise and crippling home budgets of many constituents, do you see something that can be done from Capitol Hill to help families sending their kids to religious schools?

Sen. Menendez: While I have always worked hard to make sure that New Jersey’s public schools provide every student with a first-rate education, I understand that many families are compelled by their faith to pursue a religious education for their children. I know that tuition for religious schooling can be burdensome for low- and middle-income households, which is why I’ve always kept an open mind to finding tailored ways to help these families on the federal level, particularly through the tax code as a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee. Your readers may be interested to know that 529 college savings plans were recently expanded to allow families to withdraw up to $10,000 every year tax-free to help cover K-12 education expenses. I will continue to explore this issue in the Senate.

JLNJ: Will there be more homeland security money moving in the direction of Jewish institutions this coming session?

Sen. Menendez: I have always supported non-profit security grants for Jewish institutions and believe they are more important now than ever. We have seen an alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the United States including in New Jersey, and I believe we have a moral and legal responsibility to protect all faith communities in this country. That is why I worked hard to ensure the Department of Homeland Security expanded the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) in 2018, which resulted in over $8 million dollars in federal grants going to support target hardening and other physical enhancements for nonprofits in New Jersey.

JLNJ: Senator Menendez, you have always been one of Israel’s best friends in the Senate; do you think the support for Israel is still there across the country? Are you concerned by what some see as a move to the far left against Israel in the Democratic party?

Sen. Menendez: Despite the heated political environment in Washington these days, from my vantage point I still see tremendous bipartisan support for a strong U.S.-Israel relationship and for the security of the Israeli people. Regardless of what party is leading the U.S. government, or the Israeli government for that matter, the bond between the United States and Israel transcends partisan divides. There may be disagreements between us from time to time over specific policies, but I truly believe that the bond between Israel and the United States is timeless in the sense that it is guided by common values such as our love of freedom, belief in human rights, thirst for scientific progress and innovation and commitment to the rule of law. At a time when these principles seem under assault around so much of the world, the United States and Israel must be steadfast in our commitment to these cherished democratic values.

By Phil Jacobs