{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.kim.senate.gov/press_release/recap-what-senator-kim-heard-during-town-hall-and-tour-of-flemington/", "Recap: What Senator Kim Heard During Town Hall and Tour of Flemington", "2026-09-10", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "Senate", "NJ", "Andy Kim", "K000394", "www.kim.senate.gov", "kim", "https://www.kim.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "FLEMINGTON, N.J. \u2013 Yesterday, Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) was joined by hundreds of New Jerseyans in Flemington for a standing room only town hall. Senator Kim spoke on a full range of topics, including the impact Trump\u2019s tariffs have had on the Hunterdon community, his legislative efforts to rid corruption from public service and bring universal healthcare to children, and the affordability crisis New Jersey continues to navigate.\n\nBefore taking questions from attendees, the Senator also provided updates on the war in Iran and its impact at home and discussed both his recent oversight visits to Delaney Hall and his work to rid New Jersey of private detention centers.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m going around Hunterdon County [earlier] today \u2013 overwhelmingly everyone is saying they are feeling an anxiety right now; someone I spoke to said it feels hard to breathe sometimes, wondering what is going to happen,\u201d said Senator Kim during his opening remarks. \u201cIn this day and age, why are we making it harder for people to be able to live with dignity and decency?\u201d\n\nImportantly, Senator Kim explained, \u201cI\u2019m tired of performative politics\u2026the question is what comes next \u2013 we have to end [the Iran] war that is costing our country billions, reverse the tariffs, and we have to reverse the Medicaid and budget cuts\u2026we must close corruption loopholes and put forward a new vision as to where our country can go.\u201d\n\nThroughout the evening, Senator Kim discussed topics and answered questions ranging from concerns about climate change to concerns about Trump\u2019s dangerous foreign policy, including:\n\nThe overwhelming red tape people with disabilities have to navigate to receive needed healthcare, including recertifications for Medicaid\n\nThe impact that Trump\u2019s tariffs have had on Hunterdon farmers and families\n\nSenator Kim\u2019s oversight leadership when it comes to Delaney Hall\n\nThe affordability crisis that Hunterdon families are navigating, especially when it comes to gas prices\n\nThe Senators legislative work tackling government corruption\n\nThe Senators role on the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (HSGAC) and how that impacts FEMA decisions\n\nThe attack on election integrity and vote-by-mail ballots\n\nAt the end of his opening remarks, Senator Kim reflected on the 25th anniversary of the horrific September 11th terrorist attacks, which occurred when he was in college, and which was the catalyst for Senator Kim to dedicate his life to public service. Senator Kim said, \u201c[September 11th] was a moment that really shook us, rightfully so, but reminded us that we are something bigger than all of us \u2013 I feel like we are losing that \u2013 we are having a crisis of empathy right now\u2026 but in the aftermath of September 11th \u2013 we, in all corners of this country, grieved. I\u2019ll be standing with families [of 9/11 victims] this Friday at Ground Zero, and yes, it\u2019s a moment for us never forget, but hopefully it\u2019s a moment to never forget what it means to be a country, and to feel a commonality and a bond with one another \u2013 to remember what it means to be a democracy. We have a lot of challenges right now \u2013 but I still believe in America.\u201d\n\nEarlier in the day, Senator Kim traveled throughout Hunterdon County meeting with students, educators, and disability community advocates. He was first joined by members of the Hunterdon County Education Services Commission in Flemington to discuss their concerns over funding gaps for workforce programs and their desire to increase adult literacy. He then met with members of Progressive Center for Independent Living in Lebanon, where he heard about the devastating impacts that Trump\u2019s cuts to Medicaid have had on those they serve and the importance of continued access to care for adults with disabilities.\n\nSenator Kim is a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the Special Committee on Aging. Before being elected to the U.S. Senate, Kim represented New Jersey\u2019s Third Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and was a career public servant working in national security and diplomacy at the White House, State Department, and Pentagon.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-15T09:50:21Z", "2026-09-15T09:52:05Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.kim.senate.gov/press_release/recap-what-senator-kim-heard-during-town-hall-and-tour-of-flemington/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.1400819532573223, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}