Senator Latham Tiver and Assemblyman Michael Torrissi, both Republicans representing New Jersey’s 8th District, are calling for the passage of two bills aimed at supporting military personnel, veterans, and civilian workers associated with the state’s major military bases. The proposals come as Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Picatinny Arsenal draw national attention.
The first bill, SR86, introduced by Senator Tiver, urges the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to establish an inpatient hospital facility at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Assemblyman Torrissi’s bill, A721, would require annual funding for a state advocate tasked with lobbying against federal base realignment and closure efforts.
“The men and woman who serve at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst have been unfairly thrust into the media’s spotlight due to possible federal immigration policy, with national Democrats calling their professionalism into question. I rather take this extra attention as an opportunity to discuss what we can do for our military personnel and veterans as their representatives,” said Tiver, who serves on the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs Committee.
According to Tiver, over 119,000 veterans live in southern New Jersey but lack access to a local VA inpatient hospital. As a result, they must travel significant distances to receive care in other parts of New Jersey or neighboring states such as Pennsylvania, New York, or Delaware. “More than 119,000 veterans live in the southern counties of New Jersey where there is no VA inpatient hospital facility, forcing them to travel long distances to northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, or Delaware. SR86 would be the first step in establishing a VA hospital in South Jersey,” said Tiver.
Picatinny Arsenal in Morris County has also been mentioned as potentially vulnerable if future base realignment occurs. Both installations play important roles in their regional economies.
Assemblyman Torrissi emphasized the ongoing risk posed by base realignment processes that could lead to closures: “The threat of base realignment and closure is always present. It’s happened in the past, and it could happen again. New Jersey needs to stay competitive at a federal level and have advocates that convince US Military officials of the major importance of our bases. My legislation would fund that position—a position we wrongly cut as a state years ago—to make sure our military installments are on steady footing,” Torrissi said.
