WASHINGTON — In a valedictory address, Gov. Chris Christie recounted his accomplishments as the state’s chief executive while warning it could all be reversed.
Christie, making his final appearance as governor at the annual “Walk to Washington,” told the N.J. Chamber of Commerce that the promises being made by those seeking to succeed him threatened to undo the economic progress during his tenure.
“As I listen to this campaign to begin to unfold, I wanted to come here tonight to sound a warning to all of you,” Christie said. “I’m concerned that people make promises that I know, from being governor, that they can’t keep. You guys should be a bit vigilant about holding these guys to some measure of reality.”
Trump topic du jour of chamber train
The 80th annual dinner attracted most of the state’s congressional delegation, lobbyists, business leaders. state lawmakers and some of the gubernatorial hopefuls. U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Chris Smith (R-4th Dist.), dean of the delegation, also addressed the gathering.
Christie touted the gasoline tax increase and his ability to work across party lines with Democrats in Trenton, Washington and with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York. He cited those bipartisan skills during his unsuccessful run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Then he turned to this fall’s gubernatorial race.
“There are promises being made that no checkbook in New Jersey can pay for,” Christie said. “Let me caution you. Any governor who says yes to you more often than he or she says no is only saying yes to you with your money.”
Christie said there were “examples on both sides” of candidates making promises they can’t keep.
“You have candidates going around promising the sun, the moon and the stars to people,” he said. “Either they’re lying, or they’re going to increase taxes so much that people are not going to be able to live here anymore.”
The governor did not mention the presidential candidate he supported after his own campaign fizzled, Donald Trump. Menendez didn’t mention him either, though did indirectly criticize his call to deport all 11 million unauthorized immigrants.
“It’s un-American, in my view, to relegate hard-working members of our society to the shadows,” said Menendez, speaking on a day when immigrants stayed home to highlight the key role they play in the U.S. economy. “We stand with all those immigrant families.”
Booker talked about the need for immigration legislation, saying the bipartisan bill that Menendez helped draft would have been a boon to the American economy.
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the legislation, which would have increased border security and provided a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. House Republicans refused to bring it up for a vote.
“If you think immigrants are taking from America, you haven’t run the numbers,” Booker said.
NJ Advance Media staff writers Brent Johnson and Susan K. Livio contributed to this report.
Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@MatthewArco or on Facebook. Follow NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
