U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert on Thursday defended his choice to not hold town hall meetings and tried to quell fears that the GOP plan to undo the Affordable Care Act will cause people to lose their health coverage.
In a live-streamed interview with the television station KCTS 9, the Republican from Auburn fielded a wide-range of questions sent from constituents to host Enrique Cerna, who pressed Reichert on why he chose an internet forum over an in-person event.
“My view of town halls today, it’s degenerated into a shouting, yelling and screaming match,” Reichert said, citing fears his staff wouldn’t be safe in a traditional town hall setting.
Instead, Reichert said he prefers meeting with small groups of people and urged contact with his office to do so.
“I want to sit down and talk to people and work this out,” said Reichert, a former King County sheriff.
Reichert and other members of Washington’s Republican delegation have come under fire this month for not holding in-person town hall events — mainly to discuss Republican ideas on health care reform and President Donald Trump’s controversial immigration order.
Protesters have been marching at their offices demanding town halls. Hundreds protested Thursday morning outside Reichert’s Issaquah office.
Reichert praised the demonstrators, saying they got necessary permits and “did it the right way.” Still, he made it clear he wouldn’t meet demands for an in-person town hall.
“I will not do a town hall with 4-500 people,” he said. “They’re not productive.”
Alex Bond, spokesman for the state Democratic Party, pointed to the peaceful protesters in Issaquah as an example of who might show up to a town hall.
“It’s part of his job to answer questions from his constituents, and the sheriff seems scared to do that,” Bond said.
Some of Washington’s Democrats in Congress — including Reps. Derek Kilmer of Gig Harbor and Adam Smith of Bellevue — are having town halls this month and next.
But other Democrats, such as U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and U.S. Rep. Denny Heck, D-Olympia, aren’t.
Murray said during a visit to Olympia Wednesday her schedule has been too busy to come home regularly or to plan town hall meetings. But she said she’s been trying to connect with constituents this week by meeting them “where they work.”
“We’re getting so many letters and phone calls and mail, I’m doing everything I can to stay in touch with as many people as possible,” she said.
Kati Rutherford, a spokeswoman for Heck, said the congressman is planning an event next week on the Affordable Care act but said he likes to do them in “a variety” of formats rather than in-person town halls.
