Announcer: Major funding for "Chat Box with David Cruz" is provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

Promotional support is provided by Insider NJ, a political intelligence network dedicated to New Jersey's political news.

Insider NJ is committed to giving serious political players an interactive forum for ideas, discussion, and insight.

Online at insiderNJ.com.

♪ David: Hey, everybody.

Welcome to "Chat Box," I'm David Cruise.

The early days of trauma 2.0 are proving -- the early days of Trump 2.0 are proving that if you play nice with the president, he will use his gives to Bristow that she will Bristow gifts upon you.

We begin with the other side of the new administration, which demonstrates -- Democrat state is attacking programs aimed at helping poor and working-class people.

Congressman Menendez is sounding the alarm and joins us now.

Good to see you.

Welcome back.

>> Thank you for having me.

David: You picked a great time to become a congressman.

How has the first month been going?

>> Is always an honor to represent the district.

These are challenging times, there is uncertainty and fear within our community.

It is good to be in the fight, and representing diverse district in these times with this administration, and people feel it has been a hectic first couple weeks of the new administration but we are fully innate and prepared to advocate for our constituents.

David: How are the house operations going?

There was a lot of chaos the early days.

Rep. Menendez: The Republicans are gearing up for a couple of things.

We have a funding deadline, an idea of reconciliation, talking about one giant bill that could pass with majority vote, and then we try to get all the presidents priorities, and we also have the debt ceiling.

The first couple of weeks in Congress, right, legislative action has been, all the action is happening at the executive branch.

So we're not not voting on a lot, but we are doing a lot with her colleagues in the House Democratic Caucus Chair to Fishback and create awareness around what -- to push back and create awareness around what they are doing, short-term and long-term for our country.

David: You have been in the district talking to folks, what are you hearing on what is the biggest concerns?

Rep. Menendez: This district, the eighth congressional district, 40% of people live here are born outside the country, so the administrations posture to immigration and immigration enforcement, and the rhetoric and actions coming out of the White House have created a mixed amount of concern that we deal with that is palpable.

You go to certain communities, whether Elizabeth or Jersey City, and you see a change of behavior because people are fearful let me tell you who these people are, they are contributing to our communities, people who go to our churches, places of worship.

They are kids who go to school with our kids, they are productive members of our communities, and they feel scared in this moment because they feel they could be targeted by this administration.

We have been there step-by-step do we know your rights training so they know what rights they have said they come into an encounter with ICE or anything else, so we understand the fear and are engaged on a daily basis with residents and groups that support these immigrant communities, but I have to tell you guys, there is one thing that we find to be a consistent challenge throughout this community.

David: You were talking to me before we came on today about some meetings that you have had with community members members and you told the story of a father and his young son who asked the Dustin of you, can you share that?

Rep. Menendez: We were doing a your rights training -- David: Which is a thing where you inform immigrants documented and otherwise about what your basic fundamental rights are.

Rep. Menendez: And citizens, as all.

People are here, legal residents.

We are telling everyone because they need to inform their friends and neighbors about what rights they have.

It was towards the end of the training, late at night, and a young boy about eight years old raised his hand to ask a question.

He was nervous to speak.

It was, what should he do if you were out buying something from a store or out in public and he feels he is being followed, where should he go?

You think about that.

He has this awareness that he may be in a mixed status household, he may be the community who are of mixed status, and he does not want to have someone follow him to that place.

That is the environment we have created for people.

We make it clear that we created an environment where children, people who are part of mixed status families, so if one of the parents may not be here on a legal basis, but the children are United States citizens, one of their parents could be a United States citizen, and these are the conversations they are having.

It is not just a universe of people who are here on an undocumented basis and who are but the image the president has cast, these are citizens who are part of our community and feel this way in this moment.

It is entirely unacceptable.

David: It breaks your heart, especially if you're a parent, to see a child that is what they are thinking about rather than Pokémon.

Rep. Menendez: Already on top of the challenges our children have, they are coming out of the Covid time where they had potential earning loss and disruption in their lives, now they have this.

This is important, especially in a place like Hudson County, Elizabeth and knew work, you could have an entire family of U.S. citizens, there is a likelihood that they are sending their child to a school that is part of the mix status household.

And back it is also worried about whether they come home whether both of their parents or guardians are going to be there.

Just think about that because we have these conversations and those stories are important so we can actually engage in a more thoughtful way.

David: We have heard a lot of anecdotal evidence about people who are not going to the doctor or hospital, for sending their kids to school, are you hearing that?

Rep. Menendez: There are already a number of challenges people face.

We are aware of all of those.

This is a unique challenge that people in our district are facing.

We worry about health care providers not seeing patients show up.

We worry about students not showing up.

I had a conversation with the Jersey City Board of Education, thankfully there is no big seismic shifts, there are things happening at schools, but this is going to have real consequences.

Long-term consequences, as well.

David: A bunch of other stuff happening, the immigration question is going to continue to be a big part of the story as we go forward.

Just some of the things that the administration has been doing, randomly stopping payments on grants that have been approved, and hospitals, universities, all dependent on this money, and then constant legal challenges.

Is that what we are going to see?

Rep. Menendez: 80's a disruptive time, and you see all sectors of our economy, our communities, whether research institutions, hospitals, qualified health centers or schools, receded, end community is untouched by what is happening.

It creates disruption, if you would like to have a conversation about efficiency and modernization, let's have that conversation.

But the way they are doing this is creating more chaos, destruction, and confusion.

This is truly an Elon Musk Silicon Valley approach of just break things and figuring it out as you go.

Caps on how government is supposed to work.

If you would like to do that -- that is supposed to work.

If you would like to do that -- that is not how this is supposed to work pretty elected that with your private company, go ahead.

But as United States government, you are accountable to the people of United States, and that seems to be lost on the administration.

David: They are having an impact on the issue, people talk about we have the other government as a business, that is not how it works at all.

It should be the opposite of that.

Of course, you do not want to throw money away, but it is not the same as running a business.

Speaking of a business, going back to the immigration issue, Newark would like to expand detention centers.

A lot of people don't recognize how much that is a big business.

Rep. Menendez: That is a real stain on our country, and New Jersey has a law being challenged to end private detention centers.

We have one remaining in Elizabeth, myself, and several other Congressmen who are incredible colleagues, we tried it with the Biden administration before the term ended to get them to end their contract with them one of the first days of the Trump administration, we should unannounced to conduct an oversight visit.

We are sending a letter actually out today asking about that exact question about the potential expansion of either Delaney Hall here or facility down in Trenton.

And there is a history and pattern and the of folks ago on there.

This is important for people to know.

I don't mean to harp on this, but there is the idea that violent, dangerous criminals, the people going to the Elizabeth detention center are largely nonviolent criminals.

Yes, they may have violated immigration law or overstate a visa, but they are nonviolent actors.

And they are already most at capacity, which makes us concerned that they will look to expand the capabilities there or elsewhere in the state.

David: Are Democrats starting to find some footing?

Your party has been on the mat for quite some time now.

Do you get a sense or why should we as Americans get a sense that you guys are starting to get your mojo back Rep. Menendez:?

We have an -- mojo back?

Rep. Menendez: We have an obligation, if you assume this is normal, which it is not, do not want people to become accustomed to that.

Democrats will always have a better product.

We would like to talk about with this administration is trying to do, one is drastic cuts to Medicaid, 40% of the folks are children.

Pregnant women, the most vulnerable who cannot find hybrid insurance, so we need to sound the alarms and then also say that this is our vision forward, and I believe Democrats have the ability to do that we have the product, but we need to be forceful, clear, concise, and disciplined.

If we do that, I believe with the challenges American people face that they will have a better option about what we have to do is convince them of that and then start winning elections again because that is the only way to govern again, when it is responsible for the American people.

David: You are hearing a lot about the price of eggs.

You cannot hold the president responsible for the price of eggs one month into his administration, can you?

Rep. Menendez: They felt they could hold President Biden accountable for every single thing domestically, and all the sudden there's no accountability.

If you would like to say the president is responsible, be consistent, and Democrats should be consistent when it is a Republican president.

You cannot have it both ways.

It is not being honest with the American people.

If the expectation is one thing under a Democratic president, and vice versa.

Here's the important thing about the price of eggs, I don't see that being the focus of the administration for this Congress.

We are not voting on legislation to drive down the cost for the American people.

The executive orders are not about making life more affordable, so show me what the president is doing to make life more affordable for the American people.

Show me what the Republican Congress, the House, Senate are doing to make life more affordable for the American people, and I assure you when anyone does their due diligence, they will see that they are doing nothing.

That is why Democrats are the better option.

We are prepared to lead, and we will show the American people again that we are the better option.

David: Meanwhile, there is a major policy shift on Ukraine.

Where even Republicans are on the same side of Democrats, and I you see the president -- and now you see the president having his people meeting with Putin's people, and the major policy shift that no one was even consulted on.

Rep. Menendez: It is outrageous.

David: That is the kind of stuff that is really happening while we are over here discussing you know.

Rep. Menendez: These things are all important.

Talk to people who walked on Central Avenue, the price of eggs is important.

There are bodegas selling three eggs instead of one dozen.

The affordability challenge is a thing that so many are rightfully focused on because it impacts their everyday life.

We could impact our allies across the globe.

Considering Vladimir Putin to be an ally is a very dangerous path.

Saying that Zelenskyy and Ukraine started the war, when the Ukraine people have fought honorably to defend their territory that was invaded in an unprovoked fashion by Russia, that is a fact, treat, and whether the president would like to deal in facts are not, it is our obligation for it hopefully Republicans feel the same way to deal in facts and truth.

The truth is that Ukraine has done an incredible job pushing back against this Russian invasion.

We would like to end the conflict and war, we have to do so with Ukraine being at the table, with Zelenskyy at the table, and not negotiating with Vladimir Putin without Ukraine because this is Ukraine's future that we are talking about, and they have absolutely every right to be at the table during those conversations.

David: I have run out of time, that I have to ask you about the senator.

How is he doing?

How are you guys doing?

Rep. Menendez: Cory Booker and Andy Kim are friends and colleagues.

What I have always said is every family has a challenge that they have to navigate, focused on what is within your control.

That is what I have done.

He is navigating through this process.

As my father will be there to support him through it, hopefully he can get to a place where he can feel that he has productive things ahead of him.

David: It is a difficult relationship, any father-son relationship, but especially living in the public under the circumstances.

Is the relationship improving, is it still strained?

Rep. Menendez: I will not get to into the details on my relationship with my father.

The most important thing I have to do is to give him every opportunity to see his grandkids whenever he can.

Pat Toomey is where my focuses.

David: Representative -- that to me is where my focus.Is David: Thank you.

The Trump administration announced it would withdraw support for the controversial congestion pricing plan after some diplomacy from Governor Phil Murphy, so what does the pause mean for the future of the plan?

By many accounts, it was having a positive impact that supporters had predicted, and to help us sort through it all is NJ.com reporter Larry Higgs.

Good to see you.

Larry: Pretty good.

I was out there yesterday covering the press conference with the defiance Governor Hochul.

David: We will talk about her and a second.

What did the administration actually do this week?

Larry: What they did was they pulled the final approval that allowed congestion pricing to the start under the new-non-dollar fee.

That goes back to the governor restarting the program in November after she posited in June.

The interesting thing is this is one of the things that New Jersey is attacking in its latest Court of Appeal.

They are basically saying that it was a rubberstamp approval, it should have been subject to at least some public hearings, and maybe some more oversight by the Federal Highway administration.

David: Is that the argument the Trump administration is presenting.

Larry: They are basically attacking the same approval but in a different way.

What they are saying -- this is a mouth full, the invalid pricing program did not allow for the revenue to go to transit.

The revenues should have been going to some kind of associated Road project.

So they are attacking the approval that New Jersey was attacking but on a different level.

David: You mentioned Governor Hochul put a pause on this.

I guess it was last year for pretty transparent political reasons, having her congestion pricing cake and eating it too.

On a more beneficial political schedule.

Larry: That was always the criticism, that it was caused in June -- paused in June.

If you have watched any of the public hearings that were held, a lot held virtually, this is not news, affordability was brought up, and affordability was brought up by small business people.

Best comment I heard from a small businessperson was from the outer boroughs saying, I cannot put a coffin on the subway train.

David: Now she is saying we are a sovereign state, and she saying we are suing now?

Larry: They are suing to block the order that the U.S. Transportation Secretary put in place yesterday, basically saying it is unlawful, unconstitutional, and they put out 51 pages of arguments, saying that pricing, saying why this is wrong.

David: Cameras are still rolling, the tolls are still in place.

What is the timeline of this if it does end, what does that happen?

-- when does that happen?

Larry: That would be up to the judge, as long as this thing is before a judge, the cameras will keep rolling, the tolls will keep being collected.

Josh Gottheimer just announced that he's calling on them to be prepared to remake that money to New Jersey commuters.

He did not say how that would happen, but that's already on the table.

David: I mentioned in my introduction that supporters said it was working and there was some anecdotal evidence of that early on.

Hasn't been working over the past whatever number of months -- has it been working over the past whatever number of months it has been in place?

Larry: There was an interesting academic website that tracks pricing.

It tracks the congestion pricing , traffic impacts, and what that has basically shown is the metric before January 5, they do a metric for the current week, and then overall, and overall it has resulted in shorter travel times, especially through the Holland and Lincoln tunnels.

They pointed out that the Holland tunnel saw a 48% reduction in travel time.

Anecdotally, you are still seeing delays getting into the tunnels over bridges, but not the catastrophic 45 minutes for no particular reason.

Now it is 30 minutes or less, it is fights up to 45 minutes if there is an incident.

So that NTA spends a lot of time singing their praises.

They said it is not having about effect on local businesses, the Broadway attendance was up 20%, restaurants were seen more bookings.

There was a report on W INS that January was not a good month for restaurants.

They're basically saying that the speeds are higher and that traffic is easier to navigate through midtown Manhattan.

David: Switching gears, budget address the next week from the governor, transit is on a bit of an iffy footing, no?

Larry: Well, it was kind of interesting because last week was Chris Corey's first meeting as CEO.

He tried to address during the board meeting there were more concerned about what happened to the capital budget and federal pauses on grants up.

My colleague asked him directly, is there going to be in effect on operating budget?

Basically what he said was so far the budget he submitted to the governor has not been looked at.

There's a lot of negotiation.

The operating budget looks at the transit fee, and NJ transit does not collect that until July 1.

They also have a 3% fare increase, which will take effect July 1.

That will contribute to the cash box.

There are some big expenses out there.

Number one is selling the contract with the locomotive engineers.

David: That is pending.

You wrote about it recently that it seems inevitable there will be a strike, but we will hold that for the next time we get together.

We talk about the corporate business tax surcharge, the so-called transit fee, they could take that many whenever they want, K can't they?

Larry: They admitted that it is not constitutionally dedicated, so it is the governor's purview.

Depending how bad things get with the budget, I mean, he could do that, but then that puts NJ transit back into the fiscal cliff zone.

David: We always hear South Jersey officials complaining that they get no service from transit, mass transit.

We hear a lot about this a lot -- we hear a lot about this.

Is there something you could point to that South Jersey could benefit from it really needs?

Larry: There are two.

There is a major bus redesign that is a work in progress, and that is trying to find ways to put service to a lot of routes that have nothing changed since the trolley car.

The other thing is this still in the planning stages, the light rail.

That is an interesting program because you have a number of communities down there that have actually put nonbinding referendums on the ballot to basically ask the populace, do you want this or don't you?

There is local restaurants opposition -- grassroots opposition but those are the two on top right now.

David: Lots of bumps on the road.

Harry Higgs, no lacking of news.

-- Larry Higgs, no lacking of news.

Thank you.

That is "Chat Box" this week.

You can follow me on Xact David cruznj and subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Thank you for watching.

-- you can follow me on X at Davidcruz, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.

Thank you for watching.

Announcer: Major funding for "Chat Box with David Cruz" is provided by the members of the New Jersey Education Association, making public schools great for every child.

Promotional support is provided by Insider NJ, a political intelligence network dedicated to New Jersey's political news.

Insider NJ is committed to giving serious political players an interactive forum for ideas, discussion, and insight.

Online at insiderNJ.com.

♪