Live town halls are back for this U.S. congressman even if few attend
U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer held his first in-person town hall since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic Saturday.
Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, held the open-to-all event in Tacoma Community College’s auditorium. He touched on subjects ranging from affordable housing to gas prices to Ukraine.
About 20 people sat in the audience. At least five worked for Kilmer or TCC.
Kilmer had two overarching subjects in his opening remarks: the economy and a dysfunctional government. He began by showing a photo of his two children on a screen behind him.
“I care about what kind of country they grow up in, and, frankly don’t want their future dictated by a completely screwed up federal government,” he said. “And that drives a lot of the work that I do.”
Kilmer’s district includes Tacoma and the Olympic Peninsula.
The questions he received after 25 minutes of opening remarks covered a range of topics. His audience, though small, seemed to be in the Democratic Party camp.
A nation divided
The first question put to Kilmer, from a Gig Harbor woman, centered on the nation’s ongoing political divide.
“We have become increasingly concerned with the kind of negative things that we see every day, anywhere we go,” the woman said. “We are definitely focused on bringing our community together, which is something I know you believe in as well.”
It’s a concern Kilmer hears consistently, he told The News Tribune in an interview following Saturday’s town hall.
“People are worried about how divided things are,” Kilmer said. “I think there’s a sense of like, a palpable, pulling at the seams. That’s coming up in nearly every group I meet with.”
Kilmer serves on the Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress that is working to foster a more collaborative and civil environment.
The goal is not to get everyone to agree on all issues, he said.
“But, I think that the notion is you can have strongly held beliefs, but you gotta be able to go work out at the Y or go to your faith institution without having to worry,” Kilmer said.
Congress
Kilmer said government has become more about bickering and less about process.
“I am conscious that as a member of Congress, I’m part of an organization that, according to recent polling, is less popular than head lice, colonoscopies and the rock band Nickelback.”
He said government shutdowns have eroded the public’s faith in Congress.
Kilmer wants the Federal Election Commission to have more teeth in its enforcement against politicians who cheat. He wants to see political internet advertising held to the same standards for broadcast and print media. He wants public disclosure of tax returns to be a requirement to run for president.
The few who asked questions of Kilmer wanted to know how he was aiding veterans, reducing homelessness, addressing gas prices and other topics.
One questioner thanked Kilmer for being a “climate hero” and then asked him why Republicans can so easily block legislation.
“I feel that the minority in this country is using alternative facts to sway minds ... and try to, to me, undermine democracy,” he said.
The congressman, who delivered long answers, covered a variety of subjects.
“I’m deeply concerned about the continued efforts in some states to suppress voting,” Kilmer said.
Internet to salmon recovery
Kilmer asked the mostly older audience how many had recently been stuck in traffic. Most raised their hands.
“I’m pretty sure there are parts of our region where the speed limit signs are only there for nostalgic purposes,” he said.
Kilmer said replacing and improving infrastructure ranging from aging bridges to the internet was a priority.
“It’s about whether you can take an online course with Tacoma Community College, or whether you can have that telehealth appointment with your medical provider,” he said.
The passage of the American Rescue Plan included funding for salmon recovery and preparing infrastructure and coastal communities for the coming impacts of climate change and extreme weather, he noted.
Part of the salmon recovery funding includes fixing failed culverts — a common impediment to spawning salmon.
Virtual versus live
Before the pandemic, Kilmer said he held one live town hall per county in his district during each of his terms. He was re-elected to a fifth term in 2020 and is up for re-election this year.
Live events halted when the pandemic hit.
Kilmer’s last telephone town hall drew 10,000 participants, he said.
He didn’t find Saturday’s attendance numbers to be unusually low. The most he’s had for a live town hall was shortly after the 2016 election of President Donald Trump.
“We filled up the Admiral Theater in Bremerton,” he said. “It was hundreds and hundreds of people.”
Despite the numbers, holding the town halls fulfills one of his priorities, he said.
“For me to be available and accessible and accountable to the folks I represent — that’s a priority,” Kilmer said.
Health care and social programs
One attendee told of being quoted a cost for medical imaging and then getting charged substantially more.
Kilmer was ready with an answer: a “no surprises act” that would end the practice of getting exorbitant medical bills when someone is treated out of their network, as often happens with emergency department visits.
Kilmer then went into drug cost issues, the lack of providers and Medicare costs.
“I cannot tell you how many families I’ve spoken with, particularly working moms, who are just feeling squeezed,” he said of recent inflationary price hikes.
Kilmer brought personal touches into his presentation, including a photo of his grandmother, who died at age 108. Her husband died in 1981.
“Her ability to live with dignity for 37, 38, 39 years before she passed, was really tied to two of the most successful public policies in the history of our country, Medicare and Social Security,” he said.
The congressman associated her with the Social Security 2100 Act which would increase minimum benefits. It would also tie the cost of living raises to reality.
Switching subjects
One questioner pitched the idea of sanctions against India for buying oil from Russia and removing Indian citizens in the U.S. on work visas.
Kilmer agreed that gas prices are too high and then gently switched the subject to sanctions against Russia.
Kilmer told the audience to, “keep showing up and keep making your voices heard.”
The audience ran out of questions before the town hall was scheduled to end.
“I’m really impressed that you’re going to come out at 10:30 on a Saturday morning to hang out with your congressman, that automatically makes you unusual,” Kilmer said.
This story was originally published May 7, 2022 at 3:24 PM.
