The New Jersey State AFL-CIO congratulates U.S. Rep. Andy Kim, D-3rd District, on his selection to the bipartisan House Select Committee on the Coronavirus Crisis, and commends Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on this wise choice. Kim is to serve as one of 12 House members who will monitor in-depth how the multi-trillion-dollar programs to end the coronavirus pandemic and restore America’s economy are performing.
“We are in the midst of the largest national security crisis to hit our homeland, and we are responding with the largest emergency response package in or nation’s history,” Kim said. “We have one chance to get this recovery right; our actions will either help put an end to the pandemic and get people back to work, or we’ll throw billions in taxpayer money away to waste, fraud and abuse.”
In naming the Democratic members of the committee, Pelosi said she made her choices “to assure that our coronavirus response puts working families first.”
The New Jersey State AFL-CIO points out that the coronavirus has hit Garden State families especially hard: Nearly 7,000 lives have been lost, more than 100,000 people have come down with COVID-19 – second-highest in the nation – and tens of thousands of hard-working people have been thrown out of jobs through no fault of their own while others are putting their lives on the line for their fellow citizens. Every relief program must operate at total effectiveness.
The state labor federation looks forward to working with Congressman Kim, his staff, and the entire House coronavirus committee in every way possible.
Kim is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and the House Committee on Small Business. The other Democrats on the coronavirus committee are Reps. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, chairman, Maxine Waters of California, Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velázquez, both of New York, Bill Foster of Illinois and Jamie Raskin of Maryland.
Republicans have not yet announced their five panelists. The New Jersey State AFL-CIO respectfully asks the House GOP to name their participants soon so that this critical watchdog work can begin in a truly bipartisan way. Working families, and especially our frontline heroes, deserve assistance programs that work for them.