Andy Kim

Sen. Andy Kim discussed his policy priorities and political outlook with the NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY Network New Jersey editorial board.

Kim is focused on securing the release of individual detainees from Delaney Hall and has proposed a "MediKids" plan to insure every American child.

He views the nation's 250th anniversary as a moment to encourage civic engagement, especially among younger generations.

Kim remains optimistic about bipartisan cooperation, citing work with Republicans on issues like housing and paid leave.

This week, as we mark the American experiment's 250th anniversary, we had a chance to sit with Sen. Andy Kim, New Jersey's junior senator.

Kim joined members of the NorthJersey.com and USA TODAY Network New Jersey editorial board for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on his recent experiences at the Delaney Hall detention facility, where he was doused with pepper spray by federal officers during a demonstration in late May; on his proposal to ensure that every American child has health care coverage; on the import of America's 250th anniversary.

Here's what we heard.

How is Andy Kim sustaining his faith in American democracy?

As the nation navigates an increasingly complex and frustratingly fractured political environment, we asked Kim how he is sustaining his faith in our democracy and our republic.

Kim said he believes the July Fourth holiday this year should have special meaning — especially as the country should look ahead to chart its next 250 years.

"I hope people have fun. I hope people celebrate," Kim said. "This 250th anniversary, it's not just an excuse for a big fireworks display."

Citizenship, Kim stressed in our discussion, is essential for the future of American democracy, citing his efforts to pass legislation to stimulate civics education and public service.

"There's a responsibility that comes with being a citizen," Kim said. "Right now, we should use the 250th anniversary to understand what that responsibility is. It's not just about voting every November. There is a responsibility for every citizen — not just on Election Day, but every day — to be informed, to engage with one another."

Kim was particularly focused on driving younger people to engaged citizenship. Throughout our interview this week, Kim stressed the need for millennials and members of Gen Z to deepen their engagement in their New Jersey communities through service.

The 250th anniversary, Kim said, "demands of us a new ask-not-what-this-country-can-do-for-you kind of moment. I hope young people — yes, they celebrate — are inspired that they have power, because a lot of people right now don't feel like they have power."

— Ed Forbes

Seeking 'forward progress' on Delaney Hall

A month after he was pepper-sprayed at a protest outside Delaney Hall, the immigration detention center in Newark, Kim said he has been able to secure the release of some individual detainees. Closing the center outright — the goal of immigrant advocates — appears out of reach now that Congress has approved a $70 billion, three-year funding bill for Trump's deportation campaign.

So Kim said he's focused on "making forward progress" where he can. All pregnant detainees have been released from Delaney Hall, Kim said. So has an 18-year-old high school senior who had been held there for weeks, though she had no criminal record, the senator noted.

He complimented U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, for being open and accommodating, at least on "egregious" cases.

But the individual releases, he said, prove how far overboard Trump's immigration policy has gone. "If they were a great threat, if they were a great concern, you wouldn't have just released them," he said.

Kim said he was told by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, "There is no one in there [in Delaney Hall] with a violent criminal background. We are paying upwards of $70,000-plus per person that's in there. It's an enormously expensive facility for a place that in their own admission is not holding the kinds of violent criminals that Trump is trying to saber-rattle about."

Asked about Kim's statements, the Homeland Security Department provided a two-week-old statement from Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis that said ICE officers should be thanked "for removing murderers, rapists, pedophiles, and drug traffickers" from the community. It did not address Kim's comments about who is being detained at Delaney Hall or the cost of running the operation.

— Alex Nussbaum

Kim wants every American kid to have health care coverage

Kim has made caregiving a top priority. He has been transparent about his role as a father — and as a son whose father has Alzheimer's and who has advocated for reform of long-term and at-home care.

"We hear people from all across New Jersey that affordability, the high cost of living, is at the top of the list of concerns that they have, especially as Medicaid was gutted, especially as the Affordable Care Act was gutted," Kim said.

He said it's not enough for him as a Democrat to oppose Trump administration and Republican proposals in Washington — he feels obliged to offer up new ideas to tackle affordability and health care access.

"There are a lot of kids that are just not getting the health care that they need," Kim told us.

As many as 4.5 million American kids don't have health care coverage, and more than 24 million kids are underinsured, Kim said.

"That should just change," Kim said. "I hope every parent joins me in saying, 'Every kid should be able to have health care.'"

This summer, Kim said he would introduce legislation to provide health insurance coverage to every American child.

"I call it 'MediKids' as kind of this good bookend on universal care," Kim said. "In the same way that we have every senior having health care, let's have every kid have health care."

We'll be anticipating more details on Kim's proposal, which could see traction if the Democrats are able to regain control of the Senate and the House of Representatives in the November midterm elections.

— Ed Forbes

Democratic socialist wins and the midterms

Kim spoke just days after three Democratic Socialists of America candidates beat establishment Democrats in New York's June 23 primary, with the backing of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The wins alarmed some centrist Democrats and had President Donald Trump warning about "communists" taking over the country.

Will that hurt Democrats' chances in the midterm elections? Kim tried to keep the view positive, framing the DSA victories as a sign of grassroots energy and a hunger for new leadership.

Whether it's Mamdani, another democratic socialist or Democratic Senate hopefuls like James Talarico in Texas and Josh Turek in Iowa, "these are leaders that are building real energy on the ground, and they are showing that you can build that from a variety of positions on the policy spectrum," Kim said. "They are not coming from one trajectory."

Democratic candidates across the country are focused on the high cost of living, Kim said. Polls show the party poised to make gains in the midterms, but it will need victories around the United States to win control of the House and Senate.

"The idea that you can standardize a message across this country, that’s not gonna be what pushes us forward," Kim said. "I think a lot of this is about the on-the-ground movement that needs to happen. I can't build a movement solely on social media. We need people to build that energy across the country, and I think that the Democratic Party has not shown up in a lot of those communities."

— Alex Nussbuam

Optimism about American politics, really?

Despite the polarized, nasty politics of our time, you could find glimmers of hope in Kim's can-do attitude, if you wanted.

Congress just passed legislation to alleviate the nationwide housing crisis with healthy bipartisan support. Kim said he worked with Sen. Mike Rounds, a South Dakota Republican, to streamline permitting requirements as part of the bill. He's had a "significant number" of conversations with GOP colleagues about promoting day care and paid leave, including with Katie Britt of Alabama, another parent of young children.

On Wednesdays, he attends a bipartisan prayer breakfast, with about 20 senators, where he's had “some of the most extraordinary conversations of my life, sharing about why we do this work.”

Kim didn't sugarcoat things. In contrast to 2019, when he arrived on Capitol Hill, the current Congress has more "true believers of Trump" ready to do battle for the president. But he sees a pathway back to functional politics, focused on issues such as children's health and elder care.

"We can fix this, change it," he said of national politics. "But it's not guaranteed. Things could get worse, I hate to say. But it also means they could get better."

— Alex Nussbaum

Ed Forbes is senior director for opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Northeast, working with publications including NorthJersey.com and The Record and app.com and the Asbury Park Press. Email: [email protected]

Alex Nussbaum, a veteran New Jersey journalist who has worked as a reporter and an editor covering the environment, business and local news in the Garden State, is opinion editor for NorthJersey.com and The Record. Email: [email protected]

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