Congressman Frelinghuysen Meets Area Residents

Republican Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen arrived in West Caldwell Saturday morning with a massive bundle of paperwork in tow that he later revealed was a copy of the recently enacted health care bill.

It was emblematic, he claimed, of the bloated nature of the Democratic-controlled Congress. 

"It's embarrassing," he opined to one area resident, gesturing toward the looming stack. "I bring it as a testimony as to why it's so difficult to get any credibility with anybody." 

Frelinghuysen spoke at the West Caldwell municipal building to approximately 50 area residents and fellow elected officials as he campaigns for a ninth term as the state's 11th district congressman that includes serving, which serves all of Morris County. He's opposed by Democrat Douglas Herbert, of Chatham.

Frelinghuysen, who was introduced by Mayor Joseph Tempesta, touched upon the general economic unease, immigration concerns and Tea Party politics.

Most of the meeting was dedicated to a question-and-answer forum. A man from Livingston expressed concern over Arizona's aggressive new immigration law.

"There's a war going on down there," Frelinghuysen said of the Grand Canyon state, citing testimony from his brother, who lives in Tuscan. "It's not only immigration, it's human trafficking, the bringing in of drugs, unbelievable gang violence. Arizona's doing what Arizona feels it needs to do." 

The congressman was also critical of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's management of House affairs.

"The speaker is the head of our institution, the House of Representatives, and she needs to remember if there's dirty politics and condemnation to be done of Republicans, they ought to turn it over to the Majority Leader, Steny Hoyer," Frelinghuysen said. "She needs to be a unifier and Nancy Pelosi is not a unifier. She's divisive."

Frelinghuysen, 64, also expressed his concern with President Barack Obama.

"Let me say, I respect the President of the United States," Frelinghuysen said. "But it worries me that he hasn't stopped campaigning. How can we ever get together in a collective way to do you proud, if he's always out there drilling for the very type of invective that he in some cases delivers to us?"

As for the health care bill, Frelinghuysen brought along literature announcing his support of a full repeal and questioned whether it would pass a Constitutional litmus test upon challenge in the courts.

After the event, while mingling with residents, he produced a tiny version of the Constitution from his breast pocket.

"I always carry a copy now, because these days a lot of people want me to vote just this, just that," Frelinghuysen said.

Earlier in the day, Frelinghuysen spoke at Lenape Regional High School in Stanhope, where Herbert supporters protested because Frelinghuysen has yet to accept a debate request that was made last month.

During his visit to Stanhope, Leslie Huhn and Deidre Mastandrea, co-founders of Sparta Unites for Our Schools, personally invited Frelinghuysen to a debate the organization would like to sponsor this fall.

Frelinghuysen, who seeks a ninth term in November's election and whose family has represented New Jersey in the federal government since the mid 1800s, said following his meeting in West Caldwell that he's appreciated the longtime support of voters in the state's 11th district that is comprised of 56 municipalities—including all of those in Morris County—and communities in Essex, Passaic, Sussex and Somerset counties.

"I've been around for a long time," he said, "and thank you for the privilege of this job."