VIDEO: Andy Kim Takes a Stand for Health Care on Capitol Hill

MARLTON, NJ — Today, Rep. Andy Kim took a stand for protecting Americans’ health care at a press conference on Capitol Hill. “I dare anyone to look in the eyes of the people of New Jersey and tell them that we should be taking away healthcare for people who need it right now,” he said. “Taking away health care from Americans in the middle of a pandemic is as absurd as saying that we should be slowing down testing of the coronavirus when thousands are dying. We are better than that. Americans deserve better than that.”

Read his full remarks below:

“Good morning, everyone. My name is Congressman Andy Kim from New Jersey. I believe that it is insane that in the middle of a pandemic, our health care in our country is under attack. I dare anyone to look in the eyes of the people of New Jersey and tell them that we should be taking away healthcare for people who need it right now- my state that is on the verge of 13,000 deaths due to this virus. We stand here today to definitively and resoundingly say that the richest, most powerful country in the world should commit itself to strengthening our health care, not weakening it. I should not have to utter those words. It should be a given that in the middle of a pandemic and a crisis that has taken the lives of over 120,000 Americans that enhancing and improving our health care should be a top priority. Taking away health care from Americans in the middle of a pandemic is as absurd as saying that we should be slowing down testing of the coronavirus when thousands are dying. We are better than that. Americans deserve better than that. There are tangible ways to be able to improve our care and make sure that we are taking immediate steps, if only we just stopped playing politics with people’s lives. That is what people want, their representatives developing concrete solutions to be able to stop the partisan bickering and pass the health care that the American people deserve. One such idea is delivering funds for states who want to establish their own state based exchanges. One of those states currently in the process of setting up an exchange is my own state of New Jersey. State based exchanges work. They expand options and lower costs, and it has bipartisan support. It shouldn’t be up for debate. It shouldn’t be in doubt. It should be law and I look forward to making that happen and working with my colleagues to bring this bill to the floor and get this passed for the American people. ”