You turn to us for voices you won't hear anywhere else.

Sign up for Democracy Now!'s Daily Digest to get our latest headlines and stories delivered to your inbox every day.

Angry Crowds Confront Republican Lawmakers at Town Halls

HeadlineFeb 22, 2017

Across the country, Republican lawmakers were confronted by thousands of angry constituents at town hall meetings and events Tuesday, as voters demanding the Republicans take action to challenge President Trump. Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, Florida Congressmember Dennis Ross, Tennessee Congressmember Marsha Blackburn and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell were all confronted by voters frustrated by Trump’s policies on immigration, education and jobs, his refusal to release his tax returns, his inclusion of white nationalists in his administration, among other issues. Some voters asked whether the lawmakers would support Trump’s impeachment. This is one woman challenging Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell during a town hall Tuesday.

Woman: “The last I heard, these coal jobs are not coming back, and now these people don’t have the insurance they need because they’re poor. And they work those coal mines, and they’re sick. The veterans are sick. The veterans are broken down. They’re not getting what they need. If you can answer any of that, I’ll sit down and shut up like Elizabeth Warren.”

The woman is referencing Senator Elizabeth Warren’s reading of Coretta Scott King’s 1986 letter against Jeff Sessions during a debate over his confirmation as attorney general. Senator Warren was silenced and rebuked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for reading this letter. In response to the wave of resistance against Republican lawmakers, President Trump tweeted, “The so-called angry crowds in home districts of some Republicans are actually, in numerous cases, planned out by liberal activists. Sad!”

The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top