Town Halls Matter More Than Ever

Town hall meetings are a beautiful part of our imperfect democracy. Now, they’re at risk of fading away– and we can’t let that happen.  

Throughout the years, town halls are where we have gone to have our voices heard and hold power to account. The conversations are open and cathartic, the speeches unpolished and authentic. Town halls are so deeply woven into the fabric of our country, that records of them go all the way back to 1633 in Dorchester, Massachusetts. To argue is human, to argue in public is American. 

I kid– these forums are rarely about arguing, and far more often about listening. Constituents speak to their leaders directly, share stories, ask questions. Elected officials explain their decisions without the bright lights and the talkshow personalities, but more importantly, they hear directly from the people who they were elected to serve

That sort of dialogue is especially important right now. Our nation is navigating numerous crises– crises of affordability, of health care access, of wealth inequality, and more. And as we fight through these challenges, Congress has passed a budget that threatens to kick millions of people off their health insurance, raise costs on food and electricity– all to give massive tax breaks to billionaires and big corporations. 

If there were ever a moment when we needed to talk with our elected officials who are making these decisions, to ask questions, to explain our perspective– it’s now. But unfortunately, many members of Congress are avoiding public forums just as vampires avoid sunlight. According to NPR, out of the 219 House Republicans, just 37 have hosted some kind of town hall during the August recess. 

It follows earlier guidance from top GOP leaders who encouraged their caucus to not hold town halls out of fear of public backlash to the Trump administration’s cuts to crucial federal programs. They know this legislation is bad. They know they cannot defend it. So they’re hiding, refusing to show up for the people they were elected to serve.

Town halls, and the perspective they bring, are too important to fade away. So we decided that if many of our legislators aren’t willing to host town halls, we will. 

Earlier this week, we joined the C.A.R.E Coalition in Charlotte to hold the first in a series of Broken Budget Town Halls. We heard from several folks who will be impacted by Washington’s Broken Budget: a domestic violence survivor at risk of losing the health insurance she needs to treat her PTSD, an educator who can no longer afford the $1600 a year it takes to supplement her students’ school supplies, a mother whose SNAP benefits were cut to just $54 a month– hardly enough to feed her and her daughter.  

These aren’t just stories– these are realities. If Congress wants to bury their heads in the sand while we’re fighting like hell to make ends meet, they can. But we will still show up for one another and listen– because that’s who we are.

C.A.R.E is hosting three more town halls next week. We’d love to hear your story, and I’m confident that by connecting with this democratic tradition, you’ll leave feeling reinvigorated and reassured that you’re among a community that is still willing to show up for one another. 

8/25- Greensboro: tinyurl.com/mwwre8ar 
8/27- Raleigh: mobilize.us/s/evITvO 
8/28- Asheville: tinyurl.com/42r3zeen