OPINION: Thank you, Congressman Kim.

A letter to the editor by Rosemary L’Erario of Eastampton, NJ

NJ CD3’s newly elected Congressman, Andy Kim, has been in office for only a month, and has attracted an all out attack from a Republican leadership PAC for his first vote. The vote wasn’t to rip health care away from thousands of New Jerseyans, or take money away from us as a tax cut to benefit rich people.

No. It was a vote for Nancy Pelosi to be Speaker for the second time, arguably one of the most effective Speakers of our time, and certainly far and away more effective than the outgoing Speaker.

This was a disingenuous attack, predicated on Congressman Kim’s promise to listen to his constituents and vote for new leadership. In all practicality, there was no better candidate than Speaker Pelosi, and his constituents voiced that view. He did, in fact, listen to his constituents.

No one can be surprised by the Republican attack in light of their hypocritical and divisive stance on virtually every policy and issue affecting the people of this country. Voting rights, income inequality, health care, minority rights, defense against foreign intrusion – on each issue, Republican leadership has either been blind to the damage being done to our country, or led the way to legislate against the People.

A glaring example is the Senate leadership’s absolute refusal to end the shutdown by taking up the House bill that they had already passed in December. This is the Majority Leader’s admission that he has no power. He’s abdicating his responsibilities to the Chamber and to the People, to maintain the shutdown while federal workers wonder how they’ll pay January’s bills. Republicans can’t see this as a huge broken promise to constituents?

I am proud of our new Congressman, and his vote for one of the most successful Speakers in our nation’s history. If the Republicans are attacking him, he must be doing something right. Thank you, Congressman Kim.

Editor’s note: The opinions in this letter are the author’s only.

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