U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, who represents Morgan Hill in the nation’s highest legislative body, was “preaching to the choir,” according to one attendee, at her March 4 town hall that brought a packed house to the council meeting chambers on Peak Avenue.
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Lofgren, a former immigration lawyer and a member of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, scheduled the town hall with a focus on national immigration issues. But after her brief opening remarks, she fielded questions on a variety of national topics that have gripped many of her constituents with an uncertainty about the future—including the Affordable Care Act (popularly known as Obamacare) and healthcare for senior citizens, public education, transportation (including High Speed Rail) and President Donald J. Trump’s numerous executive orders he has passed since taking office Jan. 20.
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She opened the town hall with comments on the nation’s immigration policies, after telling the crowd that interacting with local constituents like them is like “drinking a cold glass of water” after dealing with Washington, D.C.
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“We are a nation of immigrants,” Lofgren said. “We look back on the history of our country and immigration, and we see how immigration has enriched the United States.”
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Lofgren listed off Trump’s executive orders on immigration, all of which she disagrees with: the construction of a border wall, “vastly” increasing the number of federal border patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, building more detention facilities and reinstating a program—stalled under the administration of Barack Obama—to deputize local police as immigration agents.
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“I think those policies are not only expensive, but also counterproductive,” she said.
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Later, in response to a question from the audience, Lofgren said, “The new enforcement priorities are very broad, and there is great concern innocent people will be impacted adversely.” Specifically, this means Trump’s administration is shifting away from a previous focus only on deporting dangerous criminals among the undocumented, toward the targeting of a much wider segment of this immigrant population, she explained.
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She worried about what would happen to the rest of the country if undocumented immigrants who have lived in her district and elsewhere in America were deported, or encouraged to flee due to federal threats of deportation.
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“If 80 percent of our farm workers left, we’re not going to be eating any salad,” she said.
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Lofgren further lamented Congress’ repeated failure in the past to reform immigration law. “We have tried and somewhat failed to create reform of the immigration laws, which is drastically needed, from top to bottom. It’s really a dysfunctional system in many ways,” she said.
Friendly crowd
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The town hall was not like those held by Republican legislators in recent weeks, where national media reports have described angry crowds. On March 4, Lofgren received sustained standing ovations at her introduction by Mayor Pro Temp Larry Carr, and at the end of the 90-minute question-and-answer session. She gained loud cheers for her support for the ACA and denunciations of Trump’s agenda.
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“I’m going to stand up for people in this community who rely on the Affordable Care Act,” Lofgren said in response to one of the first questions from the audience, who submitted written queries for the congresswoman to volunteers who roamed the crowd of more than 400 people.
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The Democratic congresswoman took a few opportunities during the Saturday town hall to lob some jabs at her Republican colleagues in Congress. In response to questions asking her to do more to push back on the Trump agenda, Lofgren griped repeatedly that with Republicans controlling the House of Representatives, Senate and White House, there is not much she and her Democratic colleagues can do.
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“I can speak, and I can vote. And I plan to do both,” Lofgren said.
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Her answer to those who wondered what they should do about the national issues that concern them? Pick up the phone.
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“Call the White House, call the Speaker of the House (Paul Ryan). Even though he’s not your representative, he should be the Speaker for the whole country,” Lofgren said. She later said of Ryan, in response to a question about how to deal with him, that he hasn’t shown much action that backs up his stated positions on major issues, particularly ACA and the economy.
Constituents respond
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Most of those in the March 4 audience were South County residents, but many were from San Jose, where Lofgren hails from. These include Larry and Linda Ellis, who sympathized with Lofgren’s views, but remain worried about the direction the Trump administration seems to be taking the country in.
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“All the values I hold dear and grew up with are under assault,” Larry Ellis said. He thinks healthcare and “equal education”—which some fear is threatened by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her preference for privatization—are civil rights. Preserving the environment is an “obligation” for the current generation, at a time when Trump and his appointees have favored rolling back environmental regulations, Larry added.
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The Ellis’ were taken aback by the revelation—discussed by Lofgren during the town hall—that Republicans in Congress had a “secret” healthcare bill to replace the ACA (the majority party subsequently released their plan to the public March 6). They also found it unfortunate to hear Lofgren state, in response to a question on public transit, that “every Republican (congressman) in California wrote to the secretary of transportation, saying (to) defund Caltrain electrification.”
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“Let’s just screw our own state,” Larry Ellis said, sarcastically.
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Linda Ellis added that at some point, Lofgren’s complaint that Democrats can’t do much while the Republicans are in control will not be “good enough.”
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“I support her, but more work needs to be done,” Linda said.
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Morgan Hill resident Lynne Munro also identified as a supporter of Lofgren, who she said was “preaching to the choir.”
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“I hope people will do what she says” by calling the White House and their legislators, Munro said. “It’s up to us to stand up and make our voices heard, and participate.”
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The full video of the town hall meeting can be seen on the Facebook page titled “Representative Zoe Lofgren,” and on the city’s youtube channel, youtube.com/user/CityOfMorganHill.
