WASHINGTON, DC— The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which works to elect candidates who will implement sound environmental policies, today announced its endorsement of Josh Gottheimer for Congress (NJ-5). New Jersey League of Conservation Voters Executive Director Ed Potosnak, on behalf of LCV Action Fund, joined Gottheimer today in Midland Park, New Jersey to highlight Gottheimer’s commitment to protecting New Jersey’s environment and clean water.

“I am proud to be here today supporting Josh Gottheimer. He has made it clear that one of his top priorities is protecting our natural resources, clean air, and safe drinking water for communities in the 5th congressional district, the state, and the country,” said New Jersey LCV Executive Director Ed Potosnak. “Almost every week it seems new data emerges about the increasing threat from climate change and how polluted air and waterways are causing growing public health concerns, especially here in New Jersey. Thankfully, I can say with confidence, this news only strengthens Josh’s resolve and commitment to finding commonsense solutions to protecting our open space, air, and waterways.”

“We need Josh Gottheimer in Congress—he will work tirelessly to protect our planet for our children and grandchildren,” said LCV Action Fund President Gene Karpinski. “New Jersey families will always be able to rely on Josh Gottheimer to stand up to polluters and fight for clean air to breathe and water that is safe to drink.”

“As a parent of young children, I understand how critical it is that we raise our sons and daughters in communities with safe water to drink and clean air to breathe,” said Gottheimer. “That’s nonnegotiable. We must strengthen our water infrastructure, protect our schools from lead and other toxic chemicals, and keep our parks and natural resources pristine.  Scott Garrett’s record of attack on clean water in our homes and schools and his denial of climate change threatens our families, our children, and our economy. As it’s been said, we can grow the economy, grow the environment, and protect our children.”

Gottheimer is running for Congress on a platform of protecting New Jersey’s water, air, and coast, as well as addressing the climate crisis.  Earlier this month, Gottheimer called out his opponent, incumbent Congressman Scott Garrett, for a long history of voting to undermine and block critical protections for clean water, leaving New Jersey’s drinking water vulnerable to dangerous pollution such as the elevated levels of perfluorooctanoic acid, also known as PFOA or C8, recently discovered in a number of North Jersey towns. Garrett most recently voted for an extreme resolution to permanently block the EPA and Army Corps’ Clean Water Rule, which restores protections to the drinking water of one in three Americans and has the support of 80 percent of voters according to a May 2015 Hart Research poll commissioned by LCV.  

Congressman Scott Garrett has earned an abysmal 9 percent lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard, including just 3 percent in 2015. The non-partisan Scorecard is the nationally accepted yardstick used to rate members of Congress on environmental and clean energy issues. Based on key environmental votes in the House and Senate, it is often used by the media to quickly describe a Member’s environmental record. For more information, visit https://scorecard.lcv.org.   

Gottheimer is featured on LCV Action Fund’s GiveGreen website, the only bundling website devoted exclusively to raising money for environmental champions for federal office.

###

Paid for by the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund and authorized by Josh Gottheimer for Congress.