At Morris forum, Andy Kim makes NJ Senate pitch with focus on healthcare, abortion rights

U.S. Rep. Andy Kim received a warm welcome from Morris County Democrats on a frigid morning this weekend as he brought his U.S. Senate campaign to a candidate forum at the County College of Morris.

The Democrat from South Jersey, a child of South Korean immigrants, said he is running because he sees the nation becoming "unmoored" from the principles that lured his parents here 50 years ago."Now is the time we have to recommit ourselves for what this country stands for, what this country needs and be able to build the kind of future our kids and your kids and your grandkids deserve," he said at the Saturday session in Randolph hosted by the county Democratic Committee.

Riding a wave of fervor against then President Donald Trump, Kim unseated incumbent Republican Tom MacArthur in 2018 in New Jersey's Third Congressional District, which stretches across parts of Burlington, Mercer and Monmouth counties.

Who's running for Senate in New Jersey

He was the first candidate last fall to announce he would run in the June Democratic primary for the seat currently held by U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, after the state's senior senator was indicted on bribery and extortion charges. Menendez hasn't said yet whether he will run again.

So far, his main primary opposition appears to be from New Jersey First Lady Tammy Murphy, who appeared in the same forum earlier this month. Murphy has already lined up an impressive list of endorsements, including six of nine Democratic members of Congress representing New Jersey, though she's faced complaints of nepotism as the wife of Gov. Phil Murphy.

Kim, meanwhile, has picked up an enthusiastic endorsement from Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, a Democrat who has publicly called for Menendez to resign.

"I'm one of only seven Democrats who won a district Trump won," Kim said at the forum, stressing his ability to win tough races.

A son of immigrants

Greeting Democrats at the session, Kim used the opportunity to make himself more familiar to Morris County voters. He noted with amusement that MacArthur's political career included time as a Randolph councilman and mayor in 2013 before he "somehow ended up in South Jersey."

"I jumped in to run [for Congress] because my own congressman was trying to gut pre-existing conditions," Kim said, referring to MacArthur's efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

He did so as the son of a father disabled by polio, he told the crowd.

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Before his election, Kim was a career diplomat who served in the State Department, Pentagon and White House. He said his parents came to the United States "because they knew here in America there were more opportunities than they had.

"That's all I want for my boys," he said, referring to his 6- and 8-year-old sons.

A focus on healthcare, childcare

Taking questions from the audience and Morris County Democratic Committee members, Kim outlined progressive positions on hot-button issues generally in line with his party.

He spoke strongly in favor of universal healthcare, saying that his No. 1 priority in Congress has been to address healthcare affordability, which he called "one of the greatest injustices of our nation." He said he helped to pass legislation in Congress that capped annual prescription costs for seniors at $2,000.

He's willing to discuss other solutions, but spoke highly of a nonprofit healthcare model in Switzerland that he said removes for-profit interests and still allows "an element of choice" for patients.

Asked specifically about support of pre-K and childcare programs, Kim promised to "equally" prioritize those needs with his call for universal healthcare.

Saving Medicare, Social Security

Kim also stressed it was important for Democrats to have control of the U.S. House and Senate to curb a Republican Party intent on "gutting" Medicare, Social Security and other programs. Those are "earned benefits" the GOP is trying to mischaracterize as "entitlements," he said.

One way to fix the "broken" funding system for those programs, Kim said, would be to retain the annual $168,000 income cap on Social Security tax withholding, but institute a new schedule for those who earn more than $400,000 a year. That and "closing up some of the loopholes" could make Social Security "solvent for decades to come."

A former "Pell Grant kid," Kim also wants to address the rising issue of student loans, saying students should be able to get a better rate on a college loan than a car loan. They should be allowed to renegotiate their debt to a lower interest rate when available, Kim said.

Pushing for law to codify abortion rights

On the repeal of Roe vs. Wade, Kim bemoaned the 6-3 supermajority of conservative Supreme Court members that overturned the abortion decision, but stressed that Congress could limit the power of the judiciary if it worked together.

"The judiciary is strongest when the legislature is weakest," Kim said. "It's because of the brokenness of the legislature that the Supreme Court is able to engage in this way. If we had a law on the books that codified a woman's right to choose, the Supreme Court can't touch it."

Other questions ranged from international affairs to hyperlocal issues including flooding, which he said he is well-versed on given problems in his district from the Delaware River to the Jersey Shore.

Next forum will feature Campos Medina

The Morris County Democratic Committee election forum series will continue on Feb. 24 with an appearance by another Senate candidate, Latino activist Patricia Campos Medina.  Lawrence Hamm, a veteran Essex County social activist is also running in the primary.

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com 

Twitter: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: U.S. Rep. Andy Kim focuses on healthcare at NJ Senate candidate forum