Josh Gottheimer, a U.S. Congressman representing New Jersey’s 5th district since 2017, has recently voiced concerns over the staffing issues at Newark Airport. Born in Livingston, New Jersey in 1975 and currently residing in Wyckoff, Gottheimer holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Harvard University. His recent statements on social media address the pressing need for more air traffic controllers to alleviate disruptions at one of the nation’s busiest airports.
On May 7, 2025, Josh Gottheimer tweeted about the critical shortage of air traffic controllers affecting his region, which is responsible for handling 20% of the nation’s GDP. He stated: “Our region — where 20% of the nation’s GDP runs through — is short about 40 air traffic controllers.” Gottheimer demanded that resources be allocated by the Trump Administration to mitigate chaos at Newark Airport.
Later that day, he expressed frustration over significant delays and cancellations at Newark Airport. In his tweet posted on May 7, he described: “4+ hour delays and hundreds of canceled flights at Newark Airport — absolutely absurd.” He called upon the Trump Administration to provide additional resources and deploy more air traffic controllers promptly.
Continuing his advocacy on May 7, Gottheimer urged President Biden and Secretary Duffy to take immediate action following an announcement made earlier. He emphasized: “Following my announcement yesterday, I am calling on @POTUS and @SecDuffy to immediately deploy more air traffic controllers.” The congressman also requested emergency funding for upgrading outdated infrastructure contributing to ongoing disruptions.
