North Brunswick Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack and the Township Council adopted a resolution rebuking Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), who used his office in the United States Senate to block a bill sponsored by New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez which affords members of the federal judiciary additional physical security protections. The legislation referred to as “Daniel’s Law” was drafted after Daniel Anderl, the only son of Justice Esther Salas, was murdered, and her husband Mark Anderl critically wounded during an attack at their Township residence by an individual who too easily obtained the justice’s personal information.
“It is unconscionable that Rand Paul and other members of his caucus would delay measures protecting individuals and the families of those serving our nation as members of the judiciary when the tragic loss of Daniel Anderl is a glaring example as to why we need additional security measures.”
Sen. Menendez’s bill would prevent data brokers from selling or trading personal identifying information of federal judges, as well as provide funding to states in the form of grants to enforce the program. Paul halted the bill’s progress as he sought an amendment which would have added members of Congress to the protected group. Others members of Paul’s caucus were not in favor of additional funds for the U.S. Marshall’s Service.
“How ironic for a group of politicians who in large part vilified a segment of our society as a ‘Me Too’ movement suddenly are crying ‘me too’. The right thing to do would be to move Daniel’s Law forward and address the other concerns in separate legislation. We want to make it clear that we stand behind a grieving mother and father, the healing of our Township and passage of legislation that goes a long way to accomplishing that and more.”
