The MacArthur for Congress campaign launched a digital ad buy slamming Democrat Andy Kim over the government shutdown, saying he failed to stand up to congressional Democrats, according to a release from the campaign.  The shutdown resulted in withheld pay for military and employees of  Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in the district.

“Andy Kim has chosen to side with Nancy Pelosi and the radical left, and act like he’s a candidate running for Congress in San Francisco, not South Jersey,” said MacArthur spokesman Chris Russell.  “Instead of siding with Democrats like Josh Gottheimer, Andy Kim refused to support efforts to reopen the federal government, fund the Children’s Health Insurance Program, and support our military and employees at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.”

Russell zeroed in on statements made by Kim, captured on audio at the January 25, 2018, Barnegat Democratic Municipal Committee and Club meeting, where he said this about the shutdown vote: “I don’t understand all the details” and “don’t know all the information” and “can’t tell you for certain” how he would vote.  The MacArthur campaign noted that Kim nontheless had sent a fundraising missive on January 19, 2018 claiming that “politicians like Tom MacArthur are hemming and hawing about how they can’t ‘find the money’ to renew CHIP” despite the fact that Rep. MacArthur voted five times to fund CHIP.  

“Amateur hour with Andy Kim strikes again this week, as he continues to talk out of both sides of his mouth,” said Russell.  “He took positions on tax reform and healthcare without ‘all the details,’ but now he wants to hide his support of the Pelosi-Schumer Shutdown by dodging questions.  The people of Burlington and Ocean Counties deserve better.  So does our military.  So do families who rely on the Children’s Health Insurance Program. They deserve someone willing to take a position and articulate why, not play dumb and run for cover.”