Mayor Michael Soriano will join Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) as her guest for President Biden’s Address to the Joint Session of Congress this evening at 9:00 PM.
This will be the first time a Parsippany Mayor has been invited to attend a Presidential Address.
This is President Biden’s first address to Congress since taking office as the 46th President of the United States on January 20, which will mark his presidency’s first 100 days.
Parsippany-Troy Hills is the largest municipality in Morris County, and the second largest in New Jersey’s eleventh Congressional District.
Due to security restrictions at the U.S. Capitol, as well as the ongoing safety protocols related to the COVID-19 pandemic, a limited number of people will attend the address in person. While the address is being televised, guests will be attending the event in a virtual ceremony.
“It’s an honor to be invited by Rep. Sherrill, she’s been working hard for NJ-11, and for Parsippany,” Mayor Soriano said.
“Our community has been hit so hard over the past year from the pandemic and the economic fallout. I’ll be very interested in hearing what the President hopes to achieve, both for the country and for municipalities like ours that are doing everything they can to recover and make ends meet.”
“Tonight, the President will address Congress and the nation to highlight the work we’ve done and lay out his vision for how we can expand on it,” Rep. Sherrill said.
“I am excited to invite Parsippany Mayor Michael Soriano to be my virtual guest for this year’s address. As mayor of one of the biggest towns in NJ-11, he worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to keep residents safe and keep essential services up and running.”
Some of the topics that President Biden will discuss will presumably include COVID-19 vaccination rollout efforts, and the American Rescue Plan, which earmarked over $5.39 million for the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills.
“So many expenses are hitting our residents right now,” Soriano said. “With property taxes coming due, it’s nearly impossible for countless residents to keep up. Our residents deserve this American Rescue Plan money to offset the impossible choices they’ve had to make to simply keep food on the table for their families.”
Soriano also hopes to hear more about the importance of passing an infrastructure bill, as Americans continue to depend on these systems and utilities each day that are in desperate need of repair and modernizing.
“Parsippany is in need of infrastructure improvements, and not just roads, water, and sewer,” Soriano said.
“Our electrical grid and our internet capabilities cannot continue to be shoe-strung together year after year, only to have them fail every time that the weather gets bad. And with so many of our residents working from home, our community depends on these utilities for jobs, for health, and for survival."
President Joe Biden is expected to speak on Wednesday, April 28 at 9:00 p.m.
To watch the address, please click on this link.