Andy Kim
Office Sought: New Jersey's Third Congressional District
Political Party: Democrat
Age: 36
Campaign Website: https://andykimforcongress.com/
No. of Tweets: 1,108
No. of Facebook followers: 9,525
Biography: Kim, 36, is a Rhodes scholar who grew up in Marlton and served under both Democrats and Republicans as a national security expert — most recently in the White House under President Obama as a counter-terrorism adviser. He says he wants a government "of, by, and for the people", and that he'll be the most accessible, transparent, and accountable member of the NJ Congress.
On the Issues:
Accessibility, Transparency, Accountability
"I will commit to holding at least one in-person town hall every single month that will rotate through every township in the district. I will also have public comments before every vote. I will commit to providing daily reports on my work so you know what I am working on and who I am meeting with, and I pledge not to accept a dime from corporate PACs because I believe in a government that focuses on people not corporations."
"Among the very first bills I will seek to introduce in Congress will be to reform the negative influences of money in our politics. We need to fight against dark money that allows millions of dollars to pour into our elections without requiring disclosures of donors. We need to find more ways to allow to encourage public financing and other tools so Americans don’t need to be millionaires in order to run. We also want to explore the use of matching contributions and other steps to empower grassroots supporters and ensure they have a voice. Our leaders should absolutely be held to the highest of standards. Corruption, harassment of any kind, abuse of power, fraud, and other concerns must not be tolerated. I will work to put into place strict rules and tough enforcement."
Voter Rights
"Voters should choose their politicians instead of politicians choosing their voters. Elected officials should never be involved in drawing political lines, and all states should have a bipartisan/nonpartisan approach to redistricting. It is also vital to ensure we work to stop voter suppression. I will do everything I can working with government agencies and grassroots organizations to make that a reality."
Jobs and Economy
"When workers win, America wins. As we invest to lead the future, we must remember that the foundation of our economy is the American worker. As our economy changes, we must provide workers at all levels and ages access to job training to help them get ahead and ensure that they stay competitive. This means supporting unions, project labor agreements, a livable wage, safe work environments, and other critical initiatives that help American workers navigate the uncertainty. Our workers deserve to thrive, not just survive."
"We need a government that is focused on small businesses. I will champion legislation to reinstate net neutrality, simplify complicated accounting standards, ease rules that reduce access to capital, and remove other barriers that are making it harder for small businesses to compete with big corporations."
Fair Pay and Workplace Equality
"The gender pay gap is unfair and must end. Everyone must get equal pay for equal work. Discrimination and harassment in the workplace are unacceptable. There needs to be dignity in our work and fairness and equality in our paychecks."
Industry Investment
"We won’t have better-paying jobs unless America remains a leader in global innovation and business. But our country is falling behind in key sectors. Our government’s policies and investments must be focused on ensuring U.S. technology powers the global economy of the future. We need greater support for STEM education and investments in renewable energy, high-tech manufacturing, biotech, and other fast-growing sectors. Perhaps nowhere in the country is better suited for this type of high tech growth than New Jersey."
Veteran Support
"Veterans have served our country and we must do everything we can to help them succeed. That means ensuring a strong and efficient VA and recognizing their military credentials in the civilian workforce. There are no more reliable and trustworthy worker than our veterans."
Tax Families, Not Corporations
"I will work from Day One to get a tax reform that will focus on permanent cuts for the middle class. Tom MacArthur was the only Member of Congress from NJ to vote YES on a tax bill that gave permanent tax cuts to corporations while creating temporary tax relief to Americans that will expire in a few years. Because MacArthur supported restrictions on State and Local Tax deductions, New Jersey home values are estimated to drop by 7.5 percent. Meanwhile, Tom MacArthur supported giving wealthy Americans like himself a $22.5 million tax exemption on their estates. Saddling our nation and future generations with over a trillion dollars to pay for tax breaks that overwhelming go to corporations and the wealthiest Americans is unfair and must be fixed."
Rebuild American Infrastructure
"We can rebuild America and create a new generation of jobs if we make the right investments. Our economy won’t succeed without the right infrastructure. Roads, bridges, tunnels, power grids, and ports across New Jersey and the country are crumbling and need to be rebuilt and maintained in a smart way. We must also invest in our technology infrastructure to make sure that every community has affordable access to the high speed internet connection that is vital to growing local economies."
Education
We need education to stay competitive. This means investing in teachers, schools and students; making college more affordable so we don’t saddle our next generation with enormous debt; and supporting trade schools and apprenticeships.
Retirement Support
"Americans need more support and security, not Congress uprooting years of careful financial planning at the last minute to help finance a tax cut for millionaires and corporations. AARP strongly condemned MacArthur for his health care amendment that would have allowed “insurance companies to charge older Americans and people with preexisting health conditions higher premiums and weaken critical consumer protections… The MacArthur amendment, simply put, makes a bad bill even worse.” I will work to protect and expand Social Security, expand retirement accounts, lower prescription drug costs for Medicare, support community living and caregivers, and ensure that our elderly have the access, mobility, and support they need to thrive in vibrant communities."
Healthcare
"Our country, our economy, our security will be stronger when our people are healthier. Having millions of people without health insurance raises the costs for all of us. We need to ensure everyone, rich or poor, has access to quality affordable healthcare. This is our new moonshot, and we can save countless lives in the process."
"A doctor in Toms River told me that we need health care that focuses on people instead of profits. I couldn’t agree more. Every medical professional I talk to is focused on improving care for patients. We need to help train a new generation of professionals to ensure an adequate workforce. We also need reforms that transform the industry to reflect these providers’ values that prioritize patient care, not just treating problems."
"CHIP is part of our promise to our children and playing politics with their health is embarrassing and disrespectful. Let’s never let CHIP expire again or worry about whether a child can get the care they need for a bright future."
"Tom MacArthur single-handedly revived TrumpCare by authoring legislation that would have made it harder for people with cancer, heart disease, and other pre-existing conditions to get the care they need. I will never vote for any legislation that makes it harder for those that need the care the most to get it."
"Community health centers are key assets in our communities and they need funding and support to provide vital healthcare services, especially in underserved areas such as rural communities."
"Congress must prioritize steps to reduce drug prices including allowing Medicare to directly negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical companies, requiring pricing transparency, and implementing safeguards against price gouging."
Protecting Our Communities
"I will never take our Joint Base for granted. We all know how quickly the future of bases can change. I’m committed to protecting and supporting the Joint Base and will seek to serve on the House Armed Services Committee. As a former adviser to Generals Petraeus and John Allen in Afghanistan and as a former Pentagon official, I will be a strong champion for the base, our armed service men and women, and our veterans."
"With tens of thousands of veterans in our district, we need to expand veteran services, especially access to VA health facilities and programs. I will also prioritize efforts to make sure no veteran in New Jersey or across the country has to sleep on the streets. The words “veteran” and “homeless” should never appear in the same sentence."
"My children are growing up in a world more dangerous than the one I grew up in. The threat of nuclear weapons has returned, and instability and conflict affect every corner of the globe. As a career public servant and national security expert, I will be a champion in Congress for a strong, responsible, and strategic national security operation that focuses on defense, but also diplomacy and development."
"Too many people are still struggling to recover after Sandy. After what we saw in Houston, Florida, and Puerto Rico, we know it is only a matter of time before we get hit again. We are not ready. We need help people in New Jersey to mitigate risks by raising the height of homes and protecting our communities, stop Tom MacArthur from making changes to the National Flood Insurance Plan that would gut spending for flood maps and be a boon for the same private insurance companies that underpaid Sandy families and allow them to cherry pick who they cover."
Opioid Epidemic
"Our leaders in Washington aren’t doing enough to address the devastation of opioids. 142 Americans die every day. This is a national security crisis that takes more lives than any war or conflict that we are engaged in, but President Trump and Tom MacArthur aren’t treating it with the seriousness it needs. We need a real national strategy and full funding to stem the tide."
Environment
"Climate change is a national security crisis, and if President Trump, Tom MacArthur, and Scott Pruitt won’t lead on protecting us from the dangers of climate change, I will. Exiting the Paris Climate Agreement and gutting the Environmental Protection Agency are hurting all of us. I will push to enact legislation and take actions to once again give us clean air to breathe and clean water to drink and work to protect our shores from rising seas."
"On a more local level, the Trump Administration’s recent decision to open New Jersey’s coast to offshore drilling is a threat to our way of life. Our beautiful shores, our home values, our recreational and commercial fishing industries, and our local businesses are in dire risk. I will relentlessly fight back against these threats with no compromise."
