Bill was first elected Congressman for New Jersey’s 8th Congressional District in 1996 and is now serving his eighth term. Since 2007, Bill has served on the exclusive House Ways and Means Committee, the first committee established in the U.S. Congress, overseeing numerous economic issues including Social Security, taxes, Medicare, international trade and health policy. In 2011, Bill was appointed by his colleagues to the additional assignment of serving on the pivotal House Budget Committee, the congressional body responsible for the national budget process. In his roles on both House Committees, Bill has been a champion for the middle class by supporting policies that help facilitate job creation, distribute the tax burden equitably and make quality health care affordable for all Americans.

Earlier in his congressional tenure, Bill served on the House Committee on Small Business, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and was an original member of the House Committee on Homeland Security.

From his first days in Congress, Bill has enthusiastically championed the designation of Paterson’s Great Falls as unit of the National Park System. He took the lead in drafting, introducing and shepherding through Congress the “Great Falls Historic District Study Act,” until it was signed into law in November 2001. This was the first step toward the day in April 2009 when President Barack Obama joined Bill in recognizing the historic value and natural beauty of the Great Falls and signed legislation designating the Falls and the 30-acre surrounding area as the future site of the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park.

As the co-Chairman and founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, Bill has raised the nation’s awareness of the dangers of traumatic brain injury (TBI). TBI was identified as the “signature injury” among soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Bill has worked to make sure that our soldiers are properly screened and diagnosed for concussions.

Bill is a nationally recognized leader in Congress on the issue of fire safety. Bill also conceived of the SAFER (Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response) grant program which provides federal support for staffing of local fire departments.

Recently, Bill was named Outstanding Legislator of the Year by the Department of New Jersey Jewish War Veterans as well as the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars. As an ardent fighter on behalf of our military heroes, Bill secured a new Passaic County VA Outpatient Clinic at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. Specifically, the clinic is part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) New Jersey Health Care System. The Congressman lobbied hard for the clinic, arguing that too often, VA hospitals and clinics such as those in Hackensack and East Orange, are overcrowded and unable to handle the volume of veterans needing care.

Bill also serves as co-chairman of the Italian-American Congressional Delegation. In addition to serving as a legislative branch liaison to the Republic of Italy, Bill’s role ensures there is a strong voice to promote Italian-American history and culture in Congress.

Bill attended St. George’s Elementary School in Paterson and graduated in 1955 from St. John the Baptist High School, where he was elected Student Council President. After earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University in the Bronx, N.Y., Bill worked as both a high school history teacher and an adjunct professor. He also served as president of the Paterson Board of Education and as a member of Passaic County Community College’s Board of Trustees.

Bill served his country in the U.S. Army and the U.S. Army Reserve and received an honorary discharge in 1967.

Bill’s political life began in 1987 when he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he eventually became Minority Leader Pro Tempore. In 1990, Bill was elected mayor of Paterson, New Jersey’s third largest city. Bill’s efforts, both as a Mayor and Assemblyman, were recognized in 1996 as he was named New Jersey’s "Mayor of the Year" by his fellow Mayors, and "Legislator of the Year" by the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce.

Through the years, Bill has been widely recognized for his service and leadership by organizations including the N.J. Chamber of Commerce, Department of New Jersey Jewish War Veterans, the New Jersey Veterans of Foreign Wars, the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, the New Jersey State Fireman’s Mutual Benevolent Association, the Brain Injury Association of America and Ceasefire New Jersey. He has also received honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from William Paterson University (1999) and Bloomfield College (2010).

Bill is married to the former Elsie Marie Botto and they have three children, William III, Glenn Martin, and David Joseph. They are also the proud grandparents of William IV, Christopher and Megan Margaret.