CONGRESSMAN FRANK PALLONE HELPS GIVE N.J. DEMOCRATS A VOICE
The Star-Ledger – NJ.com
Nov 19 2009
WASHINGTON — Frank Pallone lazily stretches back on the leather chair
in his office, his long legs ranging forward toward his guest, an Army
officer in the new crisp dress blues that emulate Civil War uniforms.
It has been a long day for the congressman and weariness exaggerates
his usual laid-back look.
It made Pallone’s next words surprising:
"You know, I don’t even want to talk to you because you make me
so angry."
The guest, Lt. Col. Stephen Christian, the garrison commander at Fort
Monmouth, blushes and, for a moment, says nothing. Then he goes on with
his report as if Pallone had complimented him on his gold epaulets.
There is a long history to this moment. Over the years Pallone and
other New Jersey representatives have tried- unsuccessfully- to block
Fort Monmouth’s closing by the Pentagon.
Still, the incident illustrates the complexity of the congressman
from the state’s sixth congressional district. He is arguably the
most powerful Democrat in New Jersey’s House delegation, a consequence
not just of seniority but also his central role in developing the new
health care reform bill and other legislation and also his leadership
position with the Democratic majority — he’s in charge of the party’s
message, the man who lines up all those floor speeches seen by C-SPAN
viewers, if no one else.
Pallone also is among the hardest working — running the health
subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce panel that, in this
session alone, produced new food safety standards, extended health
care for children, and developed procedures for approval of new
medicines based on biological, rather than chemical, sources.
He is founder and member of scores of disparate Congressional caucuses,
ranging from American Indians to Asian Indians and Armenians; a
frequent fund-raiser for other Democratic representatives, even headed
Gov. Jon Corzine’s unsuccessful reelection efforts in New Jersey.
"He has built up a lot of points with the party," says Jeff Carroll,
his staff chief.
Yet twice Pallone gave up the chance to achieve what he admits has
been his goal almost since he was elected class president at the
Broadway Elementary School in Long Branch — a seat in the U.S. Senate.
The last time was 2002 when party leaders offered him the chance to
replace former Sen. Bob Torricelli who dropped out of the campaign.
"It just wasn’t right," he says. "I didn’t have the money, and I would
have come in just weeks before the election. There wasn’t enough time."
So the candidacy and the election went to the retired Frank Lautenberg
who, last year, with Pallone often at his side campaigning for him,
won re-election.
"I can imagine remaining here in the House, developing health care
legislation, serving the people in my district," he says with an almost
languid calmness that suggests acceptance, maybe even resignation.
Maybe. But, just as his anger poked through at Col. Christian, his
energy and ambition are frequently on display on Capitol Hill. He is
the last to leave the floor after a vote because he is busy approaching
others, persuading them to give floor speeches.
Pallone is the self-described "message man," carrying stacks of paper,
trailed by an aide, talking other Democrats into coming back to the
well of the House to speak in favor of health care reform or the
energy bill, or the stimulus package. He spends a lot of time in a
virtually empty chamber himself, often late into the night, speaking
to the C-SPAN camera, getting into the record, moving the message.
"It’s something we learned from Newt Gingrich and the Republicans
when they took over in 1994," says Pallone. "They knew how to stay
on message."
So 15 years ago he and Dick Durbin from Illinois and Charles Schumer
from New York — both representatives who went on to the Senate —
put together the message committee. Pallone arranges for early morning
meetings for Democratic House members each Thursday, bringing in
outside experts to reinforce the party’s policy.
Early mornings also are time for fund-raising breakfasts for other
members, less secure in their seats than is Pallone. Before 8 a.m. one
morning, he shows up at The Monocle, a Capitol Hill restaurant, where
a dozen people–many working in health care–pay up to $1,000 each
for omelet’s and the chance to hear him discuss health reform. The
money doesn’t go to Pallone but to the campaign of Anne Kirkpatrick,
an Arizona Democrat who has a tough race next year.
"The system is not sustainable," Pallone says, and outlines his views.
Within two hours, Pallone is running a committee "mark-up" of his
bill to improve food safety, the first major overhaul of the Food
and Drug Administration food monitoring activities in decades.
"The bill requires companies to put in place preventive controls," he
tells the session, a meeting that adopts the bill. He gets bipartisan
support.
At the end of the same day, he’s back on the speaking circuit,
showing up for the convention of the New Jersey Food Council —
representing food retailers and their suppliers — where he pushes
again for health care reform and talks about food safety.
The speech goes well — he is publicly and lavishly praised both by
the grocery executives and also by an FDA administrator attending
the session, but his aides hurry him out the door of the Grand Hyatt
Regency ballroom before the conventioneers begin to discuss a bill,
backed by Pallone, to make it easier for workers to form unions. The
aides don’t want a public scene — the congressman is well handled
by his staff.
But he doesn’t mind an argument and, meeting with liquor distributors,
he disappoints them by saying he will back the so-called Employee
Free Choice Act.
"I will help the economy," he says.
Pallone knows how to fight, and he shows that at yet another health
subcommittee hearing over the issue of "biologics" — medicines derived
from living organisms rather than chemical compounds. The issue is how
long the original developers of the expensive drugs can enjoy market
exclusivity before the equivalent of a generic market is allowed.
The issue is tricky because, with chemical compounds, generics are
exact copies of the original formula — but that’s not possible with
biologics. The aftermarket can only produce "similars," medicines
with biologically similar DNA.
Pallone backs a shorter period of exclusivity than that demanded
by big pharmaceutical firms. At the hearing, he notes most of those
arguing for market control "all have a financial interest." In the
end, he will compromise — "splitting the baby," he calls it. Not so
long as the drug companies wanted it, not as short as he did.
"That’s what it’s about here," he says.
The grandchild of Italian immigrants pursued an educational background
suggesting that, even at a young age, he was preparing for a wide
stage. A degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, a graduate
degree in international studies from Tuft’s Fletcher School of Law
and Diplomacy and a law degree from Rutgers-Camden. He was elected
to the Long Branch school board and city council, the state Senate,
and, in 1988, to the House. He is the most senior Democrat in the
New Jersey delegation.
"Once I was elected back in elementary school, I wanted to expand
the scope of my interests–to be able to do more for more people,"
says Frank Pallone."