Bill Pascrell

Infobox_Congressman
name = Bill Pascrell


date of birth = birth date and age|1937|01|25
place of birth = Paterson, New Jersey
residence= Paterson, New Jersey
occupation= high school teacher
alma_mater= Fordham University
state = New Jersey
district = 8th
term_start = January 3, 1997
preceded = Bill Martini
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democrat
spouse = Elsie Pascrell
religion = Roman Catholic
branch=United States Army
serviceyears=1961-1967

William J. "Bill" Pascrell, Jr. (born January 25, 1937) is an American Democratic politician who represents ushr|New Jersey|8 ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/nj08_109.gifmap] ) in the House of Representatives. The district is based in Paterson and includes most of Passaic County and suburban Essex County.

Early life

Education

The grandson of Italian immigrants, Pascrell was born in Paterson, New Jersey and attended St. George’s Elementary School, and in 1955 graduated from St. John the Baptist High School, during which he was elected Student Council President. Pascrell later went on to attend Fordham University in New York with Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Master’s degree in Philosophy.

Academia

Bill spent 12 years as a high school teacher before being hired as a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Previously, Pascrell was appointed to Paterson Board of Education, where he served as President of the Board. Bill also served as Board of Trustees of Passaic County Community College.

Political career

Pascrell was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1988, eventually rising to the position Minority Leader Pro Tempore. [ [http://www.pascrell.house.gov/display2.cfm?id=630&type=News "Rep. Bill Pascrell's Website"] ] He was elected as Mayor of Paterson, New Jersey's third largest city, in 1990. He continued to serve in the General Assembly as well, a common practice for New Jersey politicians.

Pascrell won the Democratic nomination for the 8th District in 1996 and defeated one-term Republican Bill Martini. He has been reelected five times, usually by a large margin.

In Congress, Pascrell serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means. He is the first New Jerseyan to serve on this committee in 10 years.

Pascrell was one of the original members of the Homeland Security Committee, eventually rising to the post of ranking Democrat on the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. He has a particular interest in fire safety, and authored the bill that created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, which gives federal grants directly to all fire departments, including volunteer fire departments, which he calls "the forgotten part of the public safety equation."

Bill was also a member of the House Transportation Committee, where he worked to modernize roads, bridges, airports and mass transit systems. He has secured funding for reconstructing various dangerous roads and bridges throughout New Jersey, including bringing attention to the Route 46 corridor. In addition, he has helped craft legislation to renew federal surface transportation programs, providing funding toward New Jersey Transit. The new legistlation tackeled projects of rail expansion between Passaic and Bergen counties, bridge construction throughout Route 46, and the establishment of a bike-pedestrian path in South Orange.

Pascrell is an Italian American and has been outspoken about the representation of Italian-Americans in the media regarding what he sees as negative stereotypes in shows such as HBO's "The Sopranos". His Italian heritage was famously questioned by comedian Stephen Colbert of "The Colbert Report", who alleged in an interview that Pascrell could not truly be of Italian descent because Italian surnames must end with a vowel. Pressed by Colbert for an example of an Italian surname ending in a consonant, Pascrell responded with "Sole". [ [http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/26/weekinreview/26stol.html?ex=1298610000&en=511364b1ab18854b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss "Laugh, and the Voters Will Laugh With You, or at Least at You"] , "The New York Times", February 26, 2006]

Committee Assignments

*House Transportation Committee
*Homeland Security Committee
**Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology
**Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight
*Ways and Means Committee
**Subcommittee on Oversight
**Subcommittee on Trade
*Regional Whip

Electoral history

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0.5em ; font-size:95%"
+ ushr|New Jersey|8|: Results 1996–2006cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html |title=Election Statistics |accessdate=2008-01-10 |publisher=Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives ] !|Year!!|Democrat!|Votes!|Pct!!|Republican!|Votes!|Pct!!|3rd Party!|Party!|Votes!|Pct!
-
1996|
Party shading/Democratic |nowrap|Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |98,861
Party shading/Democratic |51%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|William J. Martini
Party shading/Republican align="right" |92,609
Party shading/Republican |48%|
Party shading/Independent |Jeffrey M. Levine
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1,621
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%|
-
1998|
Party shading/Democratic |nowrap|Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |81,068
Party shading/Democratic |62%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Matthew J. Kirnan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |46,289
Party shading/Republican |35%|
Party shading/Independent |Jeffrey M. Levine
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |804
Party shading/Independent align="right" |1%
|*
-
2000|
Party shading/Democratic |Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |134,074
Party shading/Democratic |67%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Anthony Fusco, Jr.
Party shading/Republican align="right" |60,606
Party shading/Republican |30%|
Party shading/Independent |Joseph A. Fortunato
Party shading/Independent |Independent
Party shading/Independent align="right" |4,469
Party shading/Independent align="right" |2%
|*
-
2002|
Party shading/Democratic |Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |88,101
Party shading/Democratic |67%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Jared Silverman
Party shading/Republican align="right" |40,318
Party shading/Republican |31%|
Party shading/Green |Joseph A. Fortunato
Party shading/Green |Green
Party shading/Green align="right" |3,400
Party shading/Green align="right" |3%|
-
2004|
Party shading/Democratic |Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |152,001
Party shading/Democratic |69%|
Party shading/Republican |George Ajjan
Party shading/Republican align="right" |62,747
Party shading/Republican |29%|
Party shading/Green |Joseph A. Fortunato
Party shading/Green |Green
Party shading/Green align="right" |4,072
Party shading/Green align="right" |2%|
-
2006|
Party shading/Democratic |Bill Pascrell, Jr.
Party shading/Democratic align="right" |97,568
Party shading/Democratic |71%|
Party shading/Republican |nowrap|Jose M. Sandoval
Party shading/Republican align="right" |39,053
Party shading/Republican |28%|
Party shading/Libertarian |Lou Jasikoff
Party shading/Libertarian |Libertarian
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |1,018
Party shading/Libertarian align="right" |1%|
###@@@KEYEND@@@###

*Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1998, Stephen Spinosa received 762 votes; Bernard George received 722 votes; Thomas Paine Caslander received 625 votes; and José L. Aravena received 318 votes. In 2000, Viji Sargis received 983 votes.

References

External links

* [http://pascrell.house.gov/ Congressman Bill Pascrell] official U.S. House site
* [http://www.pascrellforcongress.com/ Pascrell for Congress] official campaign site