Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., spoke to a crowd of roughly 500 people during a packed town hall event in one of the state’s Republican-leaning districts.
It was a bid by the first-term senator to both outline the consequences of Trump’s policy efforts and draw attention to the recent decrease in the number of Republican town hall events amid voter backlash to the administration’s actions.
“If they’re not going to have town halls and face to their, their constituents, then I will,” Kim told NBC News’ Julie Tsirkin ahead of this evening’s event at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg. “That’s a way where we can go on the offense, be able to show that we can mobilize and be able to engage and see our work, not just as legislators, not just as political leaders, but as movement leaders trying to be able to harness and shape this energy.”
The town hall was one of roughly 30 events being held by congressional Democrats this week as the party seeks to more actively counter Trump’s agenda. Several of those events in Western states featured Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
Energy was indeed high at Kim’s event, where the crowd appeared mostly supportive of the senator, praising in particular his opposition to a Republican funding bill despite other Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, helping advance the measure before it passed.
“I still strongly disagree with Sen. Schumer in terms of that approach,” Kim said to loud cheers from the crowd.
One attendee asked when Congress is « going to take equal balance or power from this executive branch », pointing to Trump’s effort to eliminate the Department of Education this week despite the need for lawmakers to pass legislation to that effect.
« They know that they cannot do that without Congress’s approval, and we are mobilizing that way, » Kim said. « I will tell you, I will do everything I humanly can to be able to stop them from gutting our Department Education. »
Kim told NBC News that Democrats must provide a roadmap for people looking to « fight back » against Trump’s agenda.
« One thing I’m taking away from today is people want us to show our own plan, be able to have our own budget up against the Republican budget. Say, ‘Here is a budget that we are putting forward that is about protecting health care, protecting Medicaid, protecting the students, protecting people who are vulnerable,' » Kim said.
« I think that’ll help us be able to show not just what we’re against and what we’re trying to stop, but what our vision for this country is, » he added.
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