[PHOTOS] The Walk to Washington Rolled for 30 Hours of Intense Business Networking

The N.J. Chamber Train to D.C. carried nearly 1,000 riders

Guests at the Dinner included Gov. Murphy, both U.S. Senators, 7 House Members, 50 Legislators, 40 News Reporters, and one Cardinal

The 81st Annual Walk to Washington and Congressional Dinner, on March 1 and 2, 2018, was one of the biggest in a decade with nearly 1,000 of New Jersey's business and government leaders on board the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce's chartered Amtrak train to D.C.

The Associated Press said the event is "an opportunity for entrepreneurs and lobbyists to deepen relationships with lawmakers, but it also gives the state's leaders - particularly the governor - a chance to frame an agenda."

"We can't be content to just be the place where companies like Amazon want to come," Gov. Phil Murphy said at the Walk to Washington and Congressional Dinner on March 1. "We must also want to be the place where the next Amazon is born."

Those boarding included state legislators, CEOs, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and nonprofit leaders who walked the train's aisle chatting and exchanging business cards. They discussed tax policy, infrastructure investment, legalizing marijuana, and ways to stimulate economic growth.

The 13-car train whisked through New Jersey, picking up guests along the way. When it reached the nation's capital, guests gathered at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel for networking receptions and the Congressional Dinner featuring addresses by Gov. Phil Murphy, U.S. Sens. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), and the dean of NJ's House delegation, U.S. Rep. Chris Smith (R-Hamilton).

Joseph Cardinal Tobin, archbishop of Newark, rode the train and delivered the dinner's convocation.

Gov. Murphy on Economic Development

When Gov. Murphy took the podium, he spoke of revitalizing the state's cities by designating Opportunity and Innovation Zones "where transformative high-tech businesses can take root." He said other states have surpassed New Jersey in the number of business incubators and rate of venture capital investment.

"We can't be content to just be the place where companies like Amazon want to come," Murphy said. "We must also want to be the place where the next Amazon is born."

Investing in the state's transportation network is crucial because "more than $200 billion in goods" annually flow through New Jersey, "supporting thousands of jobs at our ports, warehouses and elsewhere," the governor said. "If we do not invest in our infrastructure, these goods will find another route."

Among his priorities, he said, is "fixing" New Jersey Transit - "It'll be hard to create jobs if employees can't reliably get to them" - and securing funding for construction of the 'Gateway' rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River.

"I will fight tooth-and-nail for Gateway," Murphy said. "No single project is as critical not just to our state's economy, but to our national economy. We must get this done."

Sen. Booker and Sen. Menendez on Millennials and Guns

Sen. Booker used his time at the microphone to discuss New Jersey's need to reverse an alarming trend: The outmigration of millennials. "New Jersey is missing out on the next generation of workers, of entrepreneurs, of innovators," Booker said. Booker pointed to this statistic: The nation's millennial population has grown by 7 percent over the last 13 years. In New Jersey, that same population has dropped by more than 3 percent. He called on the business community to "think about ways we can work together to ensure that we don't become a state that loses our lifeblood, loses are grip on the future."

Sen. Menendez, meanwhile, appealed to the business community to use its influence to work toward reforming gun laws. "Think about the power that exists in this room tonight. You are innovators. You're investors. You're business owners and industry leaders. When you speak, people listen. And when you act, others follow. It's not enough to have public opinion with us. It's not enough to have President (Donald) Trump (with us). We need Corporate America with us. We need you to help the students of Parkland turn 'once again' into 'never again.'"

Honoring the Legacy of Gov. Byrne

During the dinner, the N.J. Chamber honored the legacy of Gov.Brendan Byrne, who passed away Jan. 4. Byrne was a great champion of the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce. He attended 51 Walks to Washington dating back to the 1950s. Former Gov. Tom H. Kean Sr., who succeeded Byrne in the governor's office, was among those on hand to honor Byrne's legacy. "Gov. Byrne did things the right way and did it with total integrity," Kean said. "He reached across the aisle."

The New Jersey Chamber of Commerce's annual business leadership award (recently named after Kean) was awarded to Byrne posthumously. The award was accepted by Byrne's wife, Ruthi Byrne, and son, Tom Byrne. "Nothing can please me more than this first award with my name on it going to my friend and someone I love very much, Brendan Byrne," Kean said.

A special thank you to JCP&L, Walk to Washington's premier sponsor.

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