Two congressional Lawmakers—one Republican and one Democrat—from distinctly different states faced intense queries from their constituents on Tuesday evening. Both in-person gatherings witnessed elevated tensions as participants voiced their anger over recent actions taken by each party.
Representatives Mike Flood from Nebraska (Republican) and Glenn Ivey from Maryland (Democrat) organized town hall gatherings in their individual constituencies to listen to constituents' worries. Nevertheless, these sessions were marked by participants interrupting one another frequently, even disrupting the elected officials occasionally.
A member of one of Representative Ivey’s constituents shouted at him, asserting that the Democrat appears "too composed" and shouldn’t act as though things are proceeding with "the same old business approach" within the Trump administration.
At the same time, in Nebraska, Flood found himself having to frequently urge the audience to stay composed. At one juncture, members of the gathering erupted into a chorus chanting “tax the rich.”
In the initial week off for both the House and Senate following their shift to Republican control, legislators returning to their districts faced numerous queries from locals regarding President Donald Trump and businessman Elon Musk’s initiative aimed at reducing costs within the Department of Government Efficiency.
Republicans have generally avoided conducting face-to-face town hall meetings following multiple instances where politicians were confronted by participants that gained significant media attention. Consequently, Richard Hudson, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee and a representative from North Carolina, urged his colleagues to refrain from providing a stage for activists and Democratic operatives to voice their concerns.
Activists, in particular the left-wing Indivisible group, have promoted the town halls as a way to push back on DOGE’s efforts. Republicans who have continued to hold them, such as Flood, have been met with several questions regarding DOGE and Trump's efforts.
"An unpopular policy warrants examination, and if Nebraskans feel compelled to abandon their residences and confront authority with honesty, they ought to have the opportunity to do so directly, just as Representative Flood enabled tonight," stated Kevin Gibbs, who serves as the chairman of Indivisible Nebraska, a regional branch of the nationwide organization, in an interview with the Washington Examiner.
Democrats, meanwhile, have been attempting to flood the zone with town halls and protests targeting the cuts and budget proposals made by Trump and Republicans in recent weeks.
Flooding causes tension at town hall meetingThe gathering hosted by the Nebraska Republican turned chaotic multiple times due to shouts and demonstrations as he tried to argue that decreasing the federal deficit should be prioritized above all else.
At the town hall event hosted at Columbus High School, Flood faced repeated questions from participants regarding Musk's involvement in the federal administration and about the Republican Party’s plan to prolong the tax reductions implemented under Trump in 2017 while also aiming to decrease federal expenditures.
The proposal, which would require the House Energy and Commerce Committee to cut $880 billion in spending, has become a subject of angst after the Congressional Budget Office confirmed those cuts would need to include reductions to Medicare and Medicaid to meet the goal.
When asked about possible cuts to Medicaid, Flood pointed back to the federal deficit, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, here's the deal — Here's the deal that $36 trillion number, is not going away.”
“It is not going away unless we deal with Medicare and Medicaid. Let's remain calm. Let's remain calm,” Flood said over shouts from the crowd. “Let's remain calm. And let me remind you, if you're going to ask me a question, let me answer the question.”
Flood told participants with confidence that reductions to Social Security were not part of the Republican strategy for the budget reconciliation process. "According to federal laws, nothing related to Social Security can be altered under the reconciliation bill; the Senate parliamentarian wouldn’t sanction such measures. Furthermore, they couldn’t withstand legal scrutiny from the federal courts either. Therefore, modifications to Social Security aren’t up for discussion, and rest assured, I won't reduce your Social Security benefits," explained Flood.
Once, when Flood asked the audience how they could oppose a balanced budget, and the crowd disrupted his comments, the chamber exploded with chants of "tax the rich."
President Biden suggested an additional tax for millionaires, and I must say, if implemented, it could generate approximately $50 billion annually. However, this amount is roughly 200 times smaller than what is required to tackle the issue at hand," Flood stated. "Even your plan to levy taxes on wealthy individuals utterly falls short.
The vice chair of the Main Street Caucus was questioned repeatedly regarding DOGE, along with proposed reductions to the federal government and its staff. An participant characterized these cuts as "extremely harsh" and "unfeeling."
A participant who introduced herself as both a lawyer and a former IRS worker questioned Flood about why he allowed "an unelected individual" to be making choices concerning the federal workforce.
"If the process were executed properly, we wouldn’t continually see cycles of hiring, then firing, followed by rehiring, only to fire again. We require a thorough examination of our approach to implementing these reductions. Yes, there’s inefficiency, but their method simply involves laying off staff without any strategy for transferring institutional knowledge," she stated.
Regarding queries about Musk’s engagement with DOGE and his efforts to halt the actions of an "unelected and unconfirmed" Elon Musk, Flood supported the approach being used by both Musk and Trump to pinpoint inefficiencies within the federal administration.
I understand your disagreement with Mr. Musk’s actions and how this initiative is being implemented," Flood stated. "However, this is the method we are employing to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse.
Following numerous queries regarding the Tesla CEO, Flood confidently stated, "I back Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency."
During the town hall, Flood consistently supported the president, asserting that “given his position as the president, I plan to collaborate with him.”
"I understand that many of you here have concerns regarding our 47th president. However, allow me to point out that an overwhelming number of Nebraskans and individuals within the 1st District chose to vote for Donald Trump as their president," Flood stated.
It's uncertain how many attendees at Flood's event had their political affiliations disclosed, but the congressman began his speech by mentioning that he was aware there were Republicans, Democrats, and Independents present in the audience.
"I understand that many of you here are feeling emotionally charged, and I recognize that some of you have concerns. Additionally, I am aware that there are individuals in this room who firmly believe that matters are progressing in the correct manner," Flood stated at the beginning of his comments.
Indivisible Nebraska encouraged Nebraska Democrats to join the upcoming town hall via a social media post, stating it would be "wonderful to have as many blue spots present as we can!"
Gibbs, who chairs the local organization, stated to the Washington Examiner that they didn’t monitor the number of participants due to their initiatives. He explained that the aim of the group is “merely to guide our community members towards avenues where their valid worries can be appropriately communicated to their corresponding representatives without undermining or disregarding their top issues.”
"Ideally, we'd welcome more sessions hosted by Representative Flood in places similar to Lincoln to ensure broader outreach across various parts of his constituency," Gibbs added, urging other Nebraska legislators to engage directly with their voters as well.
Ivey annoys citizens with 2026 forecasts who claim it 'might be too late.'In contrast to recent Republican town hall events, both constituents and Ivey showed considerable agreement during their discussion regarding Musk, DOGE, and Trump. At the gathering held at Suitland High School in Forestville for Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, attendees applauded Ivey when she talked about issuing subpoenas to Musk and safeguarding Medicaid amidst upcoming budget debates.
However, constituents started to lose faith in Ivey as he repeatedly responded to various inquiries with the identical statement: Democrats are outnumbered and cannot accomplish much until they regain control of the House in 2026. Those who talked to the Washington Examiner mentioned that their worries were not addressed; instead, they felt like they had just listened to a political stump speech.
“I want to hang onto my position,” I overheard her say," remarked Sandra Hall, aged 58 from Capitol Heights. "The woman expressed it perfectly, despite being distressed, when she mentioned that the House was burning down and no one seemed concerned; those were strong points."
The woman in question was an agitated voter who rose while Ivey was responding to queries, screaming at him for appearing "too composed" and asserting that individuals' lives were at risk. Her disruption garnered more backing from the audience than the congressman's replies did.
A prevalent topic at the town hall was the public’s hunger for a compelling Democratic Party platform. Numerous attendees who approached the podium voiced worries that should the Democrats postpone making changes until 2026, it would be "too late" to reverse measures implemented by Trump and the Republicans.
“One woman expressed her desire to learn about the specific actions taken by her representative.”
“A male constituent chimed in, ‘The career federal employees largely feel neglected by their Democratic representatives.’ He continued, ‘We aren’t looking for excuses about being in the minority. We’re aware of this situation. What we desire is to see more fortitude and strategic approaches from them.’”
A female constituent, who chose to remain anonymous because of her role as an employed federal worker, shared with the Washington Examiner that she left the town hall feeling unsatisfied. This reflects broader issues faced by Democrats overall.
"I have absolutely no faith in the Republicans, and what about the Democrats? Those are the folks you believe will listen to you and work towards getting things done for us—we aren’t hearing from them at all," she stated.
She added that she thinks Ivey was doing the “best he can” but was frustrated that, as a federal worker, she did not hear the congressman’s plans to stop DOGE from conducting the sweeping federal layoffs other than deferring to court battles and hoping things change in the next election cycles.
“Concretely, I haven't heard anything about what he can do for us. He talked about voting in 2026, 2028. … Wwe came out here to find out, what can we do so that we can save our jobs?” she said.
In an interview following a town hall event with the Washington Examiner, Ivey commented that she believed the gathering was successful even though there were intense emotional reactions from attendees, alluding once more to the year 2026.
It’s crucial to recognize that individuals have the right to feel anger in this situation as they are experiencing injustice.… For me, the focus should be on ensuring we listen carefully and then determine how to channel that anger constructively so they can effect change. We stand a good chance of winning in 2026; if we get opportunities to succeed in future elections, we must seize those chances as well.
Regarding the frustration over his focus on 2026, Ivey stated that the purpose of establishing a "clear strategy" at this moment is to get ready for the elections in 2026.
We must focus on the future and the upcoming major elections, but we also need to secure victories in the meantime," Ivey stated, emphasizing the significance of last week’s approval of the spending measure and the impending battle over the budget resolution.
The Democratic representative from Maryland received thunderous applause after stating that he believed Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) ought to step down from his position.
"I holdChuck Schumer in high regard. He has enjoyed a remarkable and enduring career, butI'm concernedthat it might be necessaryforSenateDemocrats to selecta newleader,"thecongressman stated.
However, Hall indicated that it could be time for a fresh leadership in Maryland’s 4th District too.
You have to engage with people on their own terms," Hall stated. "You can't remain detached and look down upon them since that won’t make things better. Instead, approach them as someone who was once in their shoes. Remember, you didn't start out where you currently are; you've been through what they're experiencing now... His tone needs adjustment perhaps he has stayed in this role for far too long.
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