At raucous town halls, Republicans have faced another round of … – Washington Post
(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)
BRUNSWICK, Ga. The long August congressional recess, which Republicans had hoped would begin a conversation about tax reform and must-pass budget measures, has so far seen another round of angry town halls focused on President Trump and the stalled effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
Over just one day, in three small towns along Georgias Atlantic coastline, Rep. Earl L. Buddy Carter (R-Ga.) spent more than four hours answering 74 questions, many of them heated. Just three focused on tax reform; nearly half were about health care.
We did our job in the House, Carter said at the top of a town hall at the College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick. It got over to the Senate, and it hit a stumbling block there. Now its in their court, and they need to get something done. Folks, were not giving up.
Carters town halls he is hosting nine, more than any other House Republican mirror what is happening in swing and safe Republican districts across the country. The failure of the health-care repeal bill kick-started a tax reform campaign backed by GOP leaders and pro-business groups, who have booked millions of dollars in TV ads to promote whatever might lead to an uncomplicated tax code.
In the first spots, paid for by the American Action Network, a laid-off steelworker worries that without lower taxes for working families, more jobs will be lost to China. At rallies and forums in several states, Americans for Prosperity has pitched tax reform as a way to unrig the economy. And in a polling memo made public this week, the AAN found that 65 to 73 percent of voters responded favorably to reform if it was pitched as a way to restore the earning power of the middle class and save billions of dollars each year on tax preparation services.
But at town hall meetings since the start of the recess, tax reform has hardly come up; health care has dominated. At a Monday event in Flat Rock, N.C., Rep. Mark Meadows (R) pitched a plan to devolve ACA programs to the states, then found himself fending off constituents who backed universal Medicare.
[Bipartisan health policy coalition urges Congress to strengthen the ACA]
You can take the top 1 percent and tax them fully, and it still wont pay for Medicare, Meadows said.
At a town hall in Chico, Calif., in the most Democratic portion of a deep-red district, Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R) faced furious complaints about the repeal vote, with constituents accusing him of acting to bring about their deaths.
I hope you suffer the same painful fate as those millions that you have voted to remove health care from, one constituent told LaMalfa. May you die in pain.
Carters town halls did not reach such a boiling point, but they showed what the tone of congressional listening sessions has become: angry, wistful and loaded with progressive activists.
Georgias 1st Congressional District, stretching from Savannah to the Florida border, has been held by the GOP since 1993. In 2016, the Trump-Pence ticket carried the district by 15.5 points, while Democrats could not find a candidate to run against Carter.
(Nolan Ford/North State Public Radio)
But this week, the constituents who signed up for the meetings on Eventbrite and walked past local police officers to take their seats seemed to skew left. Two groups founded after the 2016 election, Speak Up Now and Savannah Taking Action for Resistance, had members at town halls in Darien and Brunswick.
Carter, who peppered his answers with self-deprecating jokes, sometimes called on activists whod dogged him before. In Brunswick, he quickly pivoted from a question about Zionist influence in our foreign policy by promising to put America first. After three different constituents asked him whether he supported the presidents decision to ban transgender men and women from military service, he went from deferring to our commander in chief to saying what he believed.
I dont want em serving in the military, Carter said, as dozens of constituents booed and more than a dozen walked out. Im sorry.
At each town hall, Carter provided fact sheets to advance two messages: how much work Congress had done in 2017, and how his party would not give up on repealing the ACA. A one-pager titled Health Care Reform: Myth vs. Fact, with citations from the Department of Health and Human Services, revealed just how much the party had suffered from Democratic attacks. Instead of rebutting the line that the GOP plan would cut Medicaid, it framed the ACAs Medicaid expansion as a departure from the programs mission, and one that denied choice to the working poor.
Medicaid was designed to provide a vital health care safety net for elderly, children, pregnant women, and individuals with disabilities, it read. Low and middle-income adults capable of holding down a job should have health care choices.
Behind the microphone, Carter found himself making that point repeatedly, about a slew of ideas for expanded government programs, as Democrats cheered and Republicans simmered. In Brunswick, after Carter told a college student that free tuition was a pipe dream weve got a $20trillion debt an older man took the mic and advised the student to get a job.
It wasnt the only time Carter stood back and watched as his constituents argued among themselves. Mary Nelson, 73, used her question time at the Darien town hall to insist that Republicans were all wrong about single-payer health care. She talked about an experience that her Australian relatives had gone through and described a cheap system with no hoops to jump through that could be copied in America.
They are taxed out the wazoo in Australia, interjected Adrienne Stidhams, 48, a Trump supporter.
How much do we pay for premiums? Nelson asked rhetorically.
Like Meadows, Carter suggested that Democrats and Republicans could work together on health-care bills with the repeal effort stalled.
When multiple constituents asked Carter if he would let the probe of Russian meddling in the 2016 election play out, he defended the president and suggested that special counsel Robert S. Mueller III, a good man, would probably find out the facts before long.
Im worried about some of the people he has around him, Carter said, apparently referring to lawyers hired for the probe who have been attacked in conservative media for donating to Democrats.
There were no questions about the debt limit, which must be raised when Congress returns to avoid default. The three questions about tax reform focused on the possibility of a fair tax, a national sales tax to replace taxes on income; whether companies keeping profits overseas could be taxed; and tax fairness in general.
Carter jumped at the opportunity to talk about it. Whats being proposed right now is to bring our corporate tax down from 35percent one of the highest in the world down to 15 percent, he said, citing a tax reform blueprint released this spring and a positive analysis from the conservative Tax Foundation. That will create jobs.
No constituents followed up with questions. Instead, there was more skepticism about the president and his plans, countered by constituents who asked Carter to defend the president from media attacks.
I tell ya, I dont think Ive ever seen a president thats been disrespected by the media like this, Carter said. He had more to say, but drowned out by booing, he moved on.
Read more at PowerPost
Excerpt from:
At raucous town halls, Republicans have faced another round of ... - Washington Post
- Susan Collins finally got her dream job. Fellow Republicans are making it a nightmare. - Politico - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress Shift to Backing Ukraine, Matching Trumps Reversal - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Speaker Johnson joins growing number of Republicans pressing Trump administration for more transparency on Epstein case - CNN - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump tells Texas Republicans to redraw the state congressional map to help keep House majority - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Behind Republicans Risky Bid to Draw Themselves Five More Seats in Texas - Cook Political Report - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- A closer look at where Senate Republicans stand on Trumps rescission request - PBS - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans narrowly advance Trump's $9 billion spending cut package - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- House Republicans block Democratic maneuver to force release of Epstein files - Axios - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- For Some Republicans, Trumps Shift on Epstein Is Just the Latest Breach - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans race to slash $9bn for public broadcasting and foreign aid - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans break with Trump on Epstein - The Washington Post - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans move to block Democratic effort to force release of Epstein files - The Guardian - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans renew a bid to remove noncitizens from the census tally behind voting maps - NPR - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- These Republicans Want More Details Over Handling of Epstein Files - Newsweek - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Opinion | Mamdani for Mayor (if You Want to Help the Republicans) - The New York Times - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans Proceed with Bill to Increase Energy Costs and Make Americans More Vulnerable to Nuclear Threats - House.gov - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Redistricting Maneuver May Harm Republicans More Than It Helps - The American Prospect - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans Oldest Trick In The Book - split-ticket.org - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans in Congress break with Trump on his handling of the Epstein files - NBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - AP News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans declared it crypto week in the House. Its not going as planned - WHEC.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Ohio House Republicans will try to override Gov. DeWine property tax vetoes - Ohio Capital Journal - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- 211 House Republicans Vote to Block Release of Epstein Files - The New Republic - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- NC Republicans in Congress respond to Gov. Stein's letter on Trump budget - WRAL.com - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans divided over looming vote to rescind $9 billion in spending - The Spokesman-Review - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Republicans confirm Whitney Hermandorfer, the first judge of Trumps second term - MSNBC News - July 16th, 2025 [July 16th, 2025]
- Trump is crushing it, but the Republicans can still blow it in 2026 and 2028 - The Hill - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Jan. 6 Rioters Are the New Hot Event in Town for Republicans - The Wall Street Journal - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans and Democrats visited Alligator Alcatraz for the first time. Heres what they saw. - Politico - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Pollster: Republicans outnumber Democrats in number of active registered voters in Louisiana for first time - louisianaradionetwork.com - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Cortez Masto Blasts Republicans for Refusing to Fix the Provision in Their Tax Bill that Limits the Wagering Loss Deduction - Senator Catherine Cortez... - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Karoline Leavitt Just Made A Trump Claim So Ridiculous That Even Republicans Are Calling It Out - Yahoo - July 14th, 2025 [July 14th, 2025]
- Republicans Blame Canada for Wildfire Smoke Suffocating the U.S. - The New York Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Senate Republicans block attempt to roll back massive tax hike on professional gamblers - AP News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans run a risky strategy for holding the House that rests on redrawn maps - Politico - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- As Texas Republicans prepare for mid-decade redistricting, cautionary tales loom from the past - The Texas Tribune - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Trump warns Republicans against rejecting cuts to PBS and NPR - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans probably shouldve read their far-right megabill before passing it - MSNBC News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Changing Their Tune on Immigration: Poll - Newsweek - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Kelly: Republicans cut health care and food for AZ families so the wealthy could pay lower taxes - Arizona Mirror - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Think Democrats and Republicans can't work together? On sealing eviction records, they do. - Stateline - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- How Republicans Rejected A Texas Flood Warning System - The Lever - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Texas Republicans have a brazen new plan to block Democrats from retaking the House in 2026 - Mother Jones - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Ron Faucheux: Will the Big Beautiful Bill sink Republicans? - NOLA.com - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- The big, beautiful bill could get ugly for Republicans - The Hill - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans push for business sanction on sanctuary cities - NJ Spotlight News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Nicolle Wallace: Trump 'has turned Republicans in the Senate into ghosts' - MSN - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jury finds former head of Island County Republicans guilty in Elections Office mask mandate case - Whidbey News-Times - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Charlie Kirk sounds the alarm on the biggest threat to Republicans holding the White House in 2028 - Fox News - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Jon Stewart Rips Republicans for Trying to Jedi Mind Trick Americans Into Thinking There Never Was an Epstein List | Video - Yahoo - July 12th, 2025 [July 12th, 2025]
- Republicans toe Trump line even in aftermath of deadly Texas floods - The Guardian - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | How Republicans can defy history and survive the midterms - The Washington Post - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- What the Big, Beautiful Bill Reveals About Republicans - Slate Magazine - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Are Republicans bowing to Trump even more than they used to? - KCRW - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts - STAT - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans urge US universities to cut ties with 'nefarious' Chinese-backed scholarship program - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Full List of Republicans Who Voted To Slash Weather Forecasting Funding - Newsweek - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans are already getting hammered over the OBBB - Punchbowl News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Will Republicans in Virginia pay a price for the One Big Beautiful Bill? Here's what the math shows. - Cardinal News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- These Republicans fought for green energy tax credits. Trumps latest order could threaten them - Deseret News - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- 'Nefarious mechanism': Republicans issue stern warning to US universities against Chinese scholarship pro - Times of India - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans Are Already Licking Their Lips at the Chance of Another Reconciliation Bill - NOTUS - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Republicans say 'big, beautiful bill' will address states with high SNAP payment error, including Colorado - Denver7 - July 10th, 2025 [July 10th, 2025]
- Opinion | Everyone Hates This Bill. Dan Osborn Could Make Republicans Pay for It. - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 'Big, Beautiful Bill': Which House Republicans voted against the bill? - FOX 5 DC - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- 2 Ohio Republicans taking on their own party to protect access to marijuana - News 5 Cleveland WEWS - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans just cut Medicaid. Will it cost them control of Congress? - Politico - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- News Analysis: The healthcare cuts approved by Trump, Republicans go well beyond Medicaid - Los Angeles Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- People Are Saying We Might Not Even Make It To The Midterm Election After Elizabeth Warren Tried To Give Hope About Republicans Having To "Face... - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Fake Weather, Fake Flooding: Republicans Are Spreading A Bizarre Conspiracy Theory After The Deadly Texas Floods - HuffPost - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- WHAT THEY ARE SAYING: Trump & Congressional Republicans Big Ugly Bill Will Hurt American Families - New Democrat Coalition (.gov) - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- What the Republicans New Policy Bill Means for Higher Education - The New York Times - July 8th, 2025 [July 8th, 2025]
- Republicans used to be the fiscally conservative party, but look at us now - Idaho Capital Sun - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Trump Goes on a Charm Offensive as He Woos Holdout Republicans - The New York Times - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- U.S. Rep. Castor Statement on Republicans Big Ugly Bill That Will Inflict Outsized Harm & Raise Costs on Floridians - U.S. Representative Kathy... - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Opinion | Republicans may be cooking up a mess in Texas - The Washington Post - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans, Democrats start gaming out Trump's tax-cut bill hit to 2026 elections - Reuters - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- Republicans Pass the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Ahead of the July 4 Deadline - Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP - July 6th, 2025 [July 6th, 2025]
- These Republicans Savaged Their Partys Bill, Then Voted for It - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]
- How Republicans Re-engineered the Tax Code - The New York Times - July 4th, 2025 [July 4th, 2025]