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- Members of Congress customarily hold town hall meetings in their home districts while on recess in order to talk to and hear from constituents on a variety of issues.
- However, fewer than 30 Republicans have held such gatherings during the most recent recess due to the high number of protests and angry constituents showing up to voice their opposition to the current president's policies.
- Issues that have been raised at recent town halls include the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, jobs, President Donald Trump's executive orders surrounding immigration and his tax returns.
- Some comparisons have been made between current town hall meeting tactics and those of the Tea Party in 2009, after President Obama was elected. However, the Tea Party focused on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and on President Obama personally.
Class discussion questions
- Essential question : What role do town hall meetings play in a democratic society?
- Why do you think some of the town hall meetings are getting rowdy? How should U.S. representatives address their constituents' concerns?
- What do you know about the Tea Party movement? How are the current town hall meetings similar? How are they different?
- Besides attendance at town hall meetings, what other ways can constituents communicate with their elected representatives?
