Frank Pallone

Early life, education, and early political career

Pallone was born on October 30, 1951, at Long Branch, New Jersey, the son of Marian A. (De Santis) and Frank Joseph Pallone.

Pallone is a graduate of Middlebury College, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and Rutgers School of Law–Camden. Before being elected to the House, he was a member of the Long Branch City Council from 1982 to 1988.

Pallone was a member of the New Jersey Senate from the 11th district from 1984 to 1988. In 1983, he defeated incumbent Republican State Senator Brian T. Kennedy 50%-49%. In 1987, he was reelected with 60% of the vote, defeating Neptune City Councilwoman Gerri C. Popkin.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

1988–1990

In March 1988, 60-year-old incumbent U.S. Congressman James Howard of New Jersey's 3rd congressional district died in office. In November, the regular election coincided with a special election to complete Howard's term; Pallone won both, defeating Republican former state Assemblyman Joe Azzolina 52% to 47% and Libertarian Laura Stewart. In 1990, he was reelected with 49% of the vote, against a Republican, an independent, Libertarian Bill Stewart, and a Populist.

1992–2008

After redistricting, Pallone's district was renumbered the 6th district. In the 1992 Democratic primary, he defeated State Representative Robert Smith 55% to 37%. In the general election, he defeated Republican State Senator Joe Kyrillos 52% to 45% and nine other candidates. Since then, he has won reelection with at least 60% in all but two elections (1998 and 2010). In 1998, he defeated Republican teacher Mike Ferguson 57% to 40%.

2010

Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone was challenged by Republican nominee Anna C. Little, a former Monmouth County Freeholder and mayor of Highlands, New Jersey, who is an attorney specializing in immigration law. On November 3, 2010, Pallone defeated Little by over 16,000 votes, 55% to 43%, in what analysts considered a terrible year for Democrats. For the first time in his career, Pallone failed to carry his home county of Monmouth.

2012

Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a thirteenth term and defeated Republican Anna Little in the general election, winning 63.3% of the vote.

2014

Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a fourteenth term and defeated Republican Anthony E. Wilkinson in the general election, winning 60% of the vote.

2016

Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a fifteenth term and defeated Republican Brent Sonnek-Schmelz in the general election, winning 63.7% of the vote.

2018

Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a sixteenth term and defeated Republican Richard J. Pezzullo in the general election, winning 63.6% of the vote.

2020

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a seventeenth term and defeated Republican Christian Onuoha in the general election, winning 61.2% of the vote.

2022

Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for an eighteenth term and defeated Republican Sue Kiley in the general election, winning 57.5% of the vote.

2024

Main article: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in New Jersey#District 6

Pallone ran for a nineteenth term and defeated Republican Scott Fegler in the general election, winning 56% of the vote.

Tenure

Pallone is a Progressive Caucus Member. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Native American Caucus, where he has worked on a bipartisan basis to protect the inherent sovereignty of tribal governments and promote the needs of Indian Country. As a senior member of the House Resources Committee—the committee with jurisdiction over all matters regarding U.S. relations with American Indians and Alaska Natives—he has been a defender of the sovereign status of Indian Tribal governments as independent from the United States.

He also serves as a co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues along with Congressman Ed Royce (previously Joe Knollenberg and Mark Kirk) and was instrumental in garnering the support of 127 members (30%) of the U.S. House for the Armenian Caucus. In 2002 he was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal by the President of Armenia.

In 2002, Pallone was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan, for his contributions as member of Congress's India Caucus. He also received the Friends of India Bollywood Movie Award in 2003.

Pallone was one of 31 House Democrats who voted not to count Ohio's electoral votes in the 2004 presidential election. Republican President George W. Bush won Ohio by 118,457 votes. Without Ohio's electoral votes, the election would have been decided by the U.S. House of Representatives, with each state having one vote in accordance with the Twelfth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

Pallone received an A on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. while the National Taxpayers Union has consistently given Pallone an F ranking on votes that affect taxes, spending, and debt.

Pallone has questioned the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on its update of flood plain maps in Monmouth County, specifically in the Bayshore area.

Pallone has introduced a bill to modify the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the U.S.'s most important set of fisheries regulations.

On October 3, 2008, Pallone voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program believing that the enumerated powers grant Congress the authority to "purchase assets and equity from financial institutions in order to strengthen its financial sector."

In 2014, Pallone defeated Representative Anna Eshoo 100 to 90 in a secret-ballot vote to becoming the ranking member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce. He had been the third-ranking Democrat, and was in line to becoming ranking member after the 2014 midterm elections due to the retirements of John Dingell and Henry Waxman. Pallone was backed by Minority Whip Steny Hoyer and the Congressional Black Caucus, the latter of which "made a repeated point to stress the importance of Pallone’s seniority. Black lawmakers have a deep appreciation for seniority, as it was historically the quickest way African-American members earned gavels". House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi aggressively campaigned on Eshoo's behalf, while the Steering Committee, packed with Pelosi allies, recommended Eshoo for the ranking slot by 30 to 19 votes.

After Representative Chris Smith said he did "not construe homosexual rights as human rights", Pallone issued a statement supporting homosexual rights. The statement read, in part, "Representatives in Congress must be promoting the expansion of human rights, not fighting to limit its definition to people that they deem to be appropriate."

Syria

In 2023, Pallone was among 56 Democrats and the only representative from New Jersey to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days. The resolution did not pass.

Legislation

Pallone opposed the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act (H.R. 2019; 113th Congress), which passed in both the House and the Senate. The bill would end taxpayer contributions to the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and divert the money in that fund to pay for research into pediatric cancer through the National Institutes of Health. The total funding for research would come to $126 million over 10 years. As of 2014, the national conventions got about 23% of their funding from the Presidential Election Campaign Fund. Pallone said the bill was "a disingenuous and empty attempt by the Republicans to divert attention from the fact that they have voted to cut research time and time again." Democratic opponents blamed Republicans for $1.5 billion cuts to the National Institutes of Health and said this money would not make it up. Supporters of the bill argued that the use of this money for pediatric cancer research was better than using it for political campaigns, so the bill should be supported for that reason. Pallone was one of 58 members of Congress to oppose tabling a motion offering articles of impeachment against Donald Trump on December 6, 2017.

While chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone sponsored the American Data Privacy and Protection Act (ADPPA), which became the first online privacy bill to pass committee markup.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Energy and Commerce (ranking member)
  • As Ranking Member, Pallone is entitled to serve as an ex officio member of each subcommittee.

Select caucus memberships

• Congressional Sri Lanka Caucus (founding member)
• Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues (co-chair)
• Bipartisan Coalition for Combating Antisemitism
• Congressional Progressive Caucus
• Democratic Israel Working Group
• LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus
• Congressional Ukraine Caucus
• Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus
• Rare Disease Caucus

Other political offices

In 2002, Pallone turned down an offer to replace embattled Senator Bob Torricelli as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate by Democratic Party leaders. The slot eventually went to Frank Lautenberg, who won the general election. In 2004-05, Pallone considered a gubernatorial bid against embattled and unpopular Governor Jim McGreevey, but ended up supporting eventual nominee Jon Corzine.

Early in 2005, Pallone announced his intention to seek the Senate seat held at the time by Corzine. Corzine won the Democratic nomination for governor in June 2005, and Pallone was the first politician to officially seek Corzine's Senate seat. He launched "Pallone for New Jersey" to inform New Jersey citizens of his work in the House and his desire to be New Jersey's next senator. In January 2006, Pallone announced his endorsement of Bob Menendez for Senate in the November 2006 election, ending his bid for the seat.

Pallone was an early and strong endorser of Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Democratic presidential primaries. He traveled to New Hampshire to campaign for Clinton. Clinton lost the primary to Barack Obama, who went on to become president. Pallone also endorsed Frank Lautenberg over Congressman Rob Andrews.

2013 U.S. Senate election

Main article: 2013 United States Senate special election in New Jersey

On January 3, 2013, it was revealed that Pallone was considering another bid for the Senate should Frank Lautenberg elect not to pursue another term in office in 2014. On June 9, 2013, Pallone said he was officially in the race to fill Lautenberg's Senate seat, due to Lautenberg's death, and could win the Democratic primary against Newark Mayor Cory Booker by running on his progressive congressional record. Lautenberg's family endorsed Pallone on July 8, 2013. The state council of sheet metal workers also endorsed Pallone.

In the August 13, 2013 primary election, Pallone lost to Booker. Booker then won the general election.

Electoral history

Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, 4 minor candidates received 2,248 votes collectively. In 1996, Socialist Workers candidate Stefanie Trice received 641 votes. In 2012, Reform candidate Herbert Tarbous received 406 votes.

Personal life

Pallone lives with his wife Sarah Hospodor-Pallone and their three children in Long Branch, New Jersey. They married in August 1992. Pallone is a Roman Catholic.

References

References

1. (20 December 2018). "Pallone Elected Chairman of Energy and Commerce Committee". NJ.com.
2. "NJ State Senate 11 Race — Nov 08, 1983". Our Campaigns.
3. "NJ State Senate 11 Race — Nov 03, 1987". Our Campaigns.
4. "NJ DOS - Division of Elections - 2012 Election Results".
5. "New Jersey Election Results". The New York Times.
6. (2017-08-01). "New Jersey U.S. House 6th District Results: Frank Pallone Jr. Wins". The New York Times.
7. (2018-11-07). "New Jersey Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis".
8. "New Jersey House Election Results 2020 {{!}} Live Map Updates {{!}} Voting by District".
9. "New Jersey House Election Results 2022: Live Map {{!}} Midterm Races by District".
10. "New Jersey House District 6 Election 2024 Live Results".
11. Avakian, Florence. (November 14, 2003). "Karabakh president Ghoukassian starts US tour with successful tribute gala in New York". Armenia Fund USA.
12. (June 12, 2002). "Remarks by Ambassador Arman Kirakossian at the Ceremony honoring Representative Frank Pallone, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues". Embassy of Armenia in the USA.
13. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040226100901/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1040112/asp/nation/story_2776242.asp "Fund push to AIDS war"], ''[[The Telegraph (Kolkata). The Telegraph]]'' ([[Calcutta]]), January 12, 2004. Accessed May 26, 2007. "Pallone, a Democrat {{sic Congressman from New Jersey and recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 2002 for his contribution towards bringing India and the US closer, said America has promised to make $15 billion available to combat AIDS in 14 hard-hit countries ranging from Haiti to Kenya."
14. (24 April 2003). "Pallone to receive "Friends of India" award".
15. (January 6, 2005). "Final Vote Results for Role Call 7". [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives]].
16. (29 December 2004). "Ohio Recount Gives a Smaller Margin to Bush". The New York Times.
17. [http://www.drummajorinstitute.com/congress/drum-major-voting-summary.php?name=Pallone&state=NJ&database=house Congress at the Midterm: Their 2005 Middle-Class Record]. Retrieved June 28, 2006.
18. [http://www.ntu.org/on-capitol-hill/ntu-rates-congress/p10-02-18-ntu-rating-final-pages.pdf NTU Rates Congress Results for the First Session of the 111th Congress]. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
19. "Pallone looks for FEMA flood map intermission". Gaffney, Melissa. ''The Courier''. May 8, 2008. May 31, 2008.
20. "Bill Summary & Status - 111th Congress (2009 - 2010) - H.R.1584 - THOMAS (Library of Congress)". Thomas.loc.gov.
21. (June 12, 2009). "Editorial: Of Fish and Flexibility". The New York Times.
22. (2008-10-03). "2008 - FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 681". [[Clerk of the United States House of Representatives]].
23. (November 19, 2014). "Rep. Pallone to be ranking member on influential committee".
24. (February 6, 2015). "New Jersey Rep Gets Blowback on Antigay Statements". The Advocate.
25. (February 5, 2015). "NJ Congressman: Gay rights, civil rights not the same". USA Today.
26. "H.Con.Res. 21: Directing the President, pursuant to section 5(c) of … -- House Vote #136 -- Mar 8, 2023".
27. (8 March 2023). "House Votes Down Bill Directing Removal of Troops From Syria".
28. Gibson, Caitlin. (14 November 2014). "Federal pediatric medical research act named for Gabriella Miller". The Washington Post.
29. "H.R. 2019 - CBO". Congressional Budget Office.
30. Hooper, Molly K.. (30 January 2014). "Convention wipeout coming soon?". The Hill.
31. Kasperowicz, Pete. (11 December 2013). "House passes pediatric research bill, Cantor priority". The Hill.
32. "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 658".
33. (2022-08-04). "Online privacy bill faces daunting roadblocks". Axios.
34. (2022-07-21). "The end of Roe could finally convince Americans to care more about privacy". Vox.
35. "About the CEC". CEC.
36. "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
37. "Congressional Taiwan Caucus". Congressman Brad Sherman.
38. "Members". Congressional Ukraine Caucus.
39. (December 15, 2023). "Strengthening Conservation Advocacy: Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus Expansion & Reconstitution". National Wildlife Refuge Association.
40. "Rare Disease Congressional Caucus". Every Life Foundation for Rare Diseases.
41. Haberman, Maggie. (3 January 2013). "Frank Pallone joins Cory Booker in eyeing New Jersey Senate seat". Politico.
42. (January 2026). "PALLONE SAYS HE'S IN NJ SENATE RACE". AP.
43. (8 July 2013). "Lautenberg family endorses Pallone over 'celebrity' Cory Booker in NJ Senate race". The Hill.
44. "Sheet Metal Workers State Council Endorses Pallone for U.S. Senate".
45. Celock, John. (August 13, 2013). "New Jersey Senate Election: Cory Booker Wins Democratic Primary". Huffington Post.
46. (2019-07-10). "Meet the Congressman from the Jersey Shore".
47. (1992-02-23). "Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. of New Jersey To Wed Sarah Hospodor in August (Published 1992)". The New York Times.
48. Jeff Diamant. (3 January 2023). "Faith on the Hill. The religious composition of the 118th Congress".