Bill Pascrell, Jr.

Bill Pascrell, Jr. has built a life of public service around the principles he learned while growing up on the south side of Paterson, New Jersey. A grandchild of Italian immigrants, Rep. Pascrell was the first member of his family to graduate high school.

Rep. Pascrell received degrees in Journalism and Philosophy from Fordham University, and before holding elective office, worked as a public school teacher and adjunct professor. He also served his country as a member of the United States Army and Army Reserve.

In 1996, Bill Pascrell was elected to the House of Representatives after defeating a Republican incumbent congressman. Since 2007, Rep. Pascrell has served on the powerful, tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee, overseeing numerous economic issues including Social Security, taxes, Medicare, health policy, and international trade. On the committee, Bill has been a champion for the middle class.

Bill is the lead sponsor of legislation to restore the full federal state and local tax deduction. As a senior member of the Trade Subcommittee, Rep. Pascrell provides a stalwart voice for workers, constantly demanding fair national trade policies.

Bill Pascrell has made environmental protection a top priority and authored the law designating Paterson’s historic Great Falls a unit of our National Park System.

As the co-chairman and founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, Rep. Pascrell has raised the nation’s awareness of the dangers of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and how TBI especially affects our servicemembers and young student athletes. Rep. Pascrell is a nationally recognized leader on the issue of fire safety, having proudly authored the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement (FIRE) Act of 2000 which established the only federal program that delivers grant dollars directly to fire departments across America.