Senator Andy Kim, DN.J. spoke to a crowd of about 500 people during a packed town hall event in one of the state’s Republican-leaning districts.
It was a bid by the first Senate to outline the outcomes of Trump’s policy efforts and pay attention to the decline in the number of events at Republican City Hall amid rebels against voter actions.
“If they don’t meet City Hall and their members, I will,” Kim told NBC News’ Julie Tsilkin ahead of tonight’s event at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg. “It’s a way that we can move on to crime and demonstrate that we can mobilize, engage and engage and attract and see our work, not just as political leaders, but also as legislators, as movement leaders who are trying to harness this energy and shape it.”
City Hall was one of around 30 events held by Congressional Democrats this week as the party is trying to more aggressively counter the Trump agenda. Some of these events in the Western Province were I-Vt. Senators Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, DN.Y.
The energy was certainly high due to Kim’s events. There, the crowd appeared to support the Senators, particularly other Democrats, including Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, who opposed the Republican fundraising bill and helped move forward with the measure before it was passed.
“I’m still very opposed to Senator Schumer about that approach,” Kim cheered loudly from the crowd.
One attendee asked Congress “will have equal balance or power out of this administrative division,” pointing to Trump’s efforts to remove the Department of Education this week, despite lawmakers being required to pass the law on the outcome.
“They know that they can’t do that without Congressional approval, and we’re mobilizing that way,” Kim said. “I tell you, I will do everything I can humanly do so so that they can stop them from thwarting our departmental education.”
Kim told NBC News that Democrats must provide a roadmap for those trying to “fight back” against Trump’s agenda.
“One of the things I take away today is that people want us to show our own plans and to create our own budgets against the Republican budget.
“I think it can show us not only what we are against and what we are trying to stop, but what our vision for this country is,” he added.
