>> major funding for reporters roundtable is provided by RW J Barnabas health, let's be healthy together.

Rowan University, educating New Jersey leaders, partnering with New Jersey businesses, transforming New Jersey's future.

Promotional support provided by New Jersey business magazine, the magazine of the New Jersey business and industry Association, reporting to executive and legislative leaders in all 21 counties of the Garden State since 1954.

And by Politico New Jersey playbook, a topical newsletter on Garden State politics come online at Politico.com.

♪ David: the house is in disorder.

What's wrong with you people?

hey everybody.

It's reporters roundtable.

Our panel this week includes Stacy Sherman, Senior editor at Bloomberg.

A reporter at NJ monitor.

And Mike Catalina eddy from the Associated Press.

We hear from the panel in a bit.

We begin with the rolling train wreck that we know as the House of Representatives where it appears the lunatics are running the asylum.

We turn to voice of reason, representative Bobby Watson Coleman.

Good to see you again.

Welcome to roundtable.

>> it's good to be here.

Thanks for having me.

David: you've been in the house since 2015.

Is this as dysfunctional as you've ever seen it?

>> it's as dysfunctional as I've ever seen it.

According to people who've been there longer than I, it is more dysfunctional than anyone else has seen it.

David: why are things the way they are over there?

>> there's the interference with the X President Donald Trump who is trying to ensure that things don't get done in a way that would possibly make us look like we are accomplishing anything.

People keep talking about the progressive and moderate Democrats.

The swing on the Republican side is really more pernicious and dangerous.

It's the ultra ultra ultra right that can find a way to say yes to anything.

It's a speaker who really isn't up to the charge of being a speaker, who is being held hostage on the one hand by the president.

Therefore can't do the things, address the things that the Senate should be doing which is now influencing the Senate from doing those things because they've already been put on notice that anything they send over to the house with regards to border reform -- I don't see it as such -- as dead on arrival.

You do things to distract the attention from the important things like making sure the government stays open, making sure people are safe and secure in their communities, making sure that you are putting people into politics.

That's what Democrats represent.

So what do we do?

two bills that Republicans put up.

Those bills were down.

David: I've never seen a Former President really become almost a cult leader in a party like this.

Have you ever seen anything like that?

>> I've never seen anything like this.

Quite frankly, it is scary.

I pray to God that well his support seems to be very strong, but it's not growing horizontally.

More people aren't believing.

It's just those that are part of this cold.

They can't think for themselves.

They can be confronted with all kinds of facts.

Things that the president says, tapings and videos of him singing -- saying absolutely crazy, disgusting things.

They go, yes but I'm still going to support him.

David: I mean, you can't have a speaker who can be kneecaped by any random member of the house.

They failed to impeach the Homeland Security secretary.

Then there was the whole supplemental bill fiasco.

I mean, is it too simple to say that it's the majority's fault?

>> well, it would be the truth.

The truth of the matter is that they don't want to govern.

They want to create chaos.

They want it to appear that they would be better at taking care of the issues and the lives of other people.

In fact, they've done nothing in this entire year and a half that would demonstrate that.

Unfortunately for the people in our country who have to withstand this, for the immigrants who are concerned about their well-being.

For everyone who is concerned about democracy and what it means to us not existentially, but what does it mean for us at the kitchen table?

Access to health care.

What does it mean for women and their bodies?

those people have to understand the ozone -- only reason we aren't getting any stuff done in the House of Representatives is because they can't find enough people on their side to get to yes.

The mean-spirited, people, irrational stuff that they are raising like the Mayorkas impeachment and things of that nature.

Like using the Israeli concerns and needs as just political ponds.

-- pawns.

The implications of what happens in those countries on the safety and security of our country and Europe.

By not doing those things, not being able to do those things, they are digging the hole deeper and deeper and deeper.

While we are trying to keep people over politics first and foremost in everything that we do, we are dealing with a caucus that we can't deal with logically because they aren't logical.

David: meanwhile, the administration and some senators in your party seem to be OK with going along with Republicans on this reform.

I'm using air courts -- quotes.

What's up with that?

>> it was not something I particularly cared for.

It is much more punitive in nature than it is looking at the systems and the situations and the historical things that brought us to this point and now we need to be approaching them.

It would not be the bill that I would want to sign onto.

David: you would have been unknow on that bill -- a no on that bill?

>> I haven't seen all the text.

If there were not significant opportunities for people to come into this country securely and be treated with dignity and respect, if it were not something in that bill that dealt with the causes of [INAUDIBLE] I may not have voted for that bill.

I haven't seen the full text and I guess I'm not going to see it now.

The Senate is like, oh well.

Somebody has to have a spine here.

David: Black history month.

We try to assess where we are as a nation.

Sometimes we take one step forward and two steps back.

Racist tropes and dog whistles are still a big part of our national dialogue.

Do you see it that way?

>> I think this de-evolution of respect for the African-American contribution to the greatness of this country has been exacerbated by the people -- people from the Trump stuff, his followers.

David: Trumpism.

>> the bad boys and people of that nature.

I think that not being able to teach Black history, being afraid of the truth is an illustration of the weakness of those who want to diminish or demean our contribution to this country.

And it's really a reflection on their inadequacy and certainly not on ours.

David: we have a lot of primaries happening this year.

We've got about 30 seconds.

The last time we spoke, you said you were endorsing Rob Menendez.

Have you made a decision on Kim versus Murphy for Senate?

>> I am staying away from that.

I promised myself that everyone needed to be able to have an opportunity to get their voice heard.

For me not to be a part of any foreclosure of that.

I don't think that they need my voice.

I think you just listed for very competent, smart, hard-working people.

Anyone of them would represent us in a way that I would respect.

I'm going to let them go out it -- add it.

David: the battle is for the party line.

We keep hearing about that a lot.

Would you be OK with the illicit -- abolition of the party line?

>> I would be.

David: I will leave it on that one.

Good answer.

Always good to see you.

Thanks for coming on with us.

>> thanks for having me.

Take care.

David: all right, panel.

Welcome.

Good to see you while.

-- all.

Stacy, that was a sobering if partisan assessment of what's happening in Congress.

You've been around here for a bit.

I will ask you what I asked the congresswoman.

Have you ever seen at this dysfunctional?

>> I don't think I have.

It's just a lot of ridiculousness, standstill, a lot of talk.

Not a lot is getting done.

The typical political thing is to package everything into one bill.

Someone is always going to not want one part of the bill so nothing gets done.

It's a mess.

David: the latest example is this supplemental bill.

They worked for months supposedly on border security.

And then the Democrats essentially caved and then the Republicans said no, we don't want you to cave or take the compromise that we forced.

Do we blame the Republicans?

>> honestly, I feel like the Democratic Party will have to think about how it goes into these negotiations in the future.

The immigration position that they took hurts them with parts of their own base.

If Republicans are going to about-face, how does the party come to the negotiation table on any issue?

David: nobody wants to win as much as they don't want to lose I guess, right?

>> yeah.

They want to win but they want to win in November maybe instead of within the halls of Congress.

David: instead of fixing the thing they are supposed to be fixing.

The border situation is going to be the border situation until what, after the presidential election?

does Trump really wheeled that much power?

>> I think what we are seeing is a suggest of yes.

His influence is leading Republicans -- they want to hold off on this issue until after the presidential election.

This is something that the American people decide in a presidential election.

So it's not something that Congress will take up before the election.

What was remarkable to me about what the congresswoman was talking about was, she didn't support the bill either.

She didn't like what she saw.

That's what we saw from advocates in New Jersey.

They weren't happy with the bill either.

It could have put Democrats in a tough spot as well.

Now, a scenario where the presidential election is being fought over the border.

We are already seeing that.

David: onto more enjoyable topics.

The World Cup is coming to Jersey.

While it's a big deal, a lot of people are already predicting a disaster.

I'm annoyed by the Bigfoot of New York.

I don't remember you as a big soccer fan anyway.

As I recall you like the Eagles.

>> I do not.

Watch your mouth.

Do not say that.

David: but you get that this is a big deal.

As a Jersey girl, what's your biggest fear and what's your fondest hope for the World Cup?

>> my biggest annoyance as a Jersey girl is that it's awarded to New York, New Jersey.

Like we are one state.

Like New Jersey isn't enough to get it on its own.

It is strange to me.

But I think there's benefits to having the World Cup here.

We are going to have to spend a lot of money to get ready.

And there's a high likelihood that New Jersey's transit is going to fail.

There's a likelihood that New Jersey transit is going to fail and it's going to be a mess.

David: pick up the New Jersey transit theme.

They are probably going to make or break the World Cup experience for hundreds of thousands of people.

I think it's like nine games in the tournament played here, plus the final.

We will roll be role of lines at Newark Penn Station for a here.

As we speak today, NJ transit is not ready.

On the Catalina scale of mass transit readiness, where will they be in 2026?

>> I don't know that there a scale of readiness.

David: patent pending.

>> yeah.

Well we have the fiscal 25 budget address coming up.

One of the things I'm looking for is if the governor is going to make a promise find a permanent funding source for New Jersey transit, something that he talked about early on in his campaigns and has been left unsolved so far.

One thing to point out is that Governor Murphy won't be governor when the final is played.

So it will be in the lap of whoever comes after him.

David: that governor will take all the blame if it goes terribly and Murphy will get all the praise if it goes well.

So that's a non-lose situation for him.

Then there's the whole issue of identity that Stacy just brought up.

FIFA announced the World Cup is coming to New York New Jersey like that's an actual place.

They are calling Metlife Stadium New York New Jersey Stadium.

Any suggestion on how Jersey can assert itself here?

>> I don't know that you can.

New York got for us -- first billing.

I think New York has a greater concentration of hotels.

I'm questioning how much of the economic activity gains we will see from having the final here.

David: all of the towns really need to assertively market themselves.

As I said to someone else, the best pizza in New York is in New Jersey.

But these Jersey towns really need to start planning now, don't they?

>> I would say so.

Not only to market themselves but again, there's going to be a lot of traffic.

There's going to be a lot of trains.

This is the thing that municipalities are going to have to grapple with because it will strain their resources and their structure.

David: politics now.

I haven't seen this panel of folks in a while.

So let's get your thoughts on the Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

You've been looking at these numbers in this FTU pole that came out this week.

What are those numbers saying?

who should be worried?

>> so they just ran an experimental measure where they asked part of their sample how they felt about the governor after telling them that the First Lady was running for U.S. Senate.

They tended not to love knowing that.

In fact, Murphy's favorables rose by about 20% with the sample that was informed about it.

I would avoid drawing too many conclusions because this is an experimental method.

I don't think people fully engaged with the Senate race that is still four months away.

I don't think it's a stretch by any means to say that there's a level of discomfort with the way that party leaders have handled the process surrounding this primary.

David: all of that is falling on Tammy Murphy.

Not a great start for the First Lady.

But the impact of all that institutional support is something that doesn't get measured in a poll.

You are back in Jersey thank you very much.

Impressions from you on the race so far?

>> it's interesting that you say -- in this pole, it looks like she's behind.

It's a cliché now.

These polls are a snapshot of time.

She's getting party lines.

She's got the support of her husband and much of the party establishment.

She's gotten some big endorsements.

The state trooper union stood out to me.

So she's confronting the steady attack from her opponents that it looks like nepotism.

That she is where she is because of who her spouse is.

You can expect he will hear more of that from Republicans when it gets to the general election.

One of the things that stands out to me about New Jersey is that in Senate races and presidential years, it's overwhelmingly a blue state.

If they can get through the primary, you are looking at a favorable scenario I think.

David: it's not a small point that these polls, the focus is on potential voters.

A lot of what is making Tenney Murphy go right now is that institutional sport.

-- support.

I keep hearing that Murphy has a likability gap.

They've already complained about a double standard this campaign.

Has she been treated fairly?

>> I don't know if Murphy has been treated fairly.

It was to be expected if you come into a race largely because of your spouse.

That would happen.

I think what's not being talked about is Andy Kim.

And his likability.

I told you, I moved to South Jersey recently and he has a pretty big following here.

He has a likability factor.

He comes across as more down to earth, not as entrenched in politics.

So it's going to be a battle between the party line and the person who is not seen as the political person.

So it will be interesting.

David: it's not a good year for the party line.

A couple of other items this week.

Nice piece on proposed changes to state crime victim funds.

Tell us about that real quick.

>> Every state has a crime victim compensation fund that helps people who are victims of violent crime.

If you don't have any other way to support yourself, states get federal matching dollars.

A colleague and I at the Associated Press requested data from all 50 states.

Of roughly half of the states that did provide data on who is getting denied, we found that Black people are disproportionately likely to be denied for reasons like they somehow contributed to the misconduct that led to the crime.

What the DOJ announced this week was that they are going to bar any consideration of criminal history in giving out these funds.

There's a caveat.

It's a proposal so it has to go through a comment period.

The change comes after we shed light on it.

New Jersey in particular, New Jersey implemented some of these changes earlier.

You can see in the data that we got from New Jersey that the disproportionality is shrinking.

After these rather subjective considerations for barring people from getting misconduct -- getting compensation, the denials for people of color went down.

So New Jersey was a bit of a test case in that way for this larger proposal from DOJ.

David: good stuff.

Lead pipes in Newark.

That was a $100 million project.

This week by the slip of a hot microphone, we found out that city officials learned that some water pipes were only partially replaced instead of fully replaced as state law requires.

I'm reading from your copy.

They ordered an audit which found traces of lead in three or four homes tested.

Is this a brewing scandal?

>> yeah.

The biggest take away from the call is that Newark and the state weren't sure how widespread the problem was.

They stressed that the water is still safe to drink but they won't have a sense of scale here for at least several weeks.

Newark was tipped that more than one vendor may have made a complete replacement.

This could have some sprawl.

On that hot microphone portion, the mayor and state weren't thrilled that that's how the information came out.

It's not clear to me that they had a legal reason to be discussing that in the executive sessions.

David: very interesting point.

It is Super Bowl weekend.

You three are our sports panel.

Super Bowl picks, really quick.

>> I have to go with the Niners.

>> the Chiefs.

>> I'm not a big sports watcher.

My only prediction is that I won't be watching.

[LAUGHTER] David: all right.

Time for our only in Jersey moments.

Headlines and notes that are quintessentially Jersey.

>> So this week, Hudson County reported that the mayor was considering changing his endorsement in the Jersey City mayoral race because of a tick with Senator Brian zag.

This isn't major news.

There is just something nostalgic to me and there always will be about politicians brawling.

David: totally.

Nice.

Mine comes from Hudson County where Jennifer moral is leaving her job as Press Secretary for Bob Menendez to go into the private sector.

Started as one of us back into thousand one.

She covered the September 11 attacks for the Jersey Journal.

As a Press Secretary for several mayors, she managed and survived crises like few others.

The death of the Jersey City Mayor while in office.

The naked mayor on the porch scandal of Jeremiah Healy.

Steve Phillips early missteps.

The Hudson County prosecutor's office of Esther Suarez.

Finally, Bob Menendez.

That is a survivor folks.

Always professional and classy.

We wish Jennifer well.

That's roundtable for this week.

Good to see you all.

Thank you very much.

Thanks also to Bonnie Watson Coleman for joining us.

You can follow the show on at and get more content including full episodes when you scan the QR code on your screen.

For the entire crew here at Gateway Center in downtown Newark, thanks for watching.

We will see you next week.

♪ >> major funding for reporters roundtable with David Cruz is provided by RWJ Barnabas health, let's be healthy together.

Rowan University, educating New Jersey leaders, partnering with New Jersey businesses, transforming New Jersey's future .

Promotional support provided by New Jersey business magazine, the magazine of the New Jersey business and industry Association, reporting to executive and legislative leaders in all 21 counties of the Garden State since 1954, and by Politico New Jersey playbook, topical newsletter on Garden State politics, online at Politico.com.

♪