Close to 100 constituents lined up in a Montgomery converted church venue on Thursday to question U.S. Rep. Martha Roby and U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers about access to healthcare, immigration reform, President Donald Trump’s alleged ties to foreign powers and freedom of the press — among a number of other issues.
But they didn’t receive any answers. Roby, who represents Alabama's 2nd Congressional District, and Rogers, who represents the 3rd Congressional District including Auburn, were not there.
Congress is in recess this week. While many members of Congress scheduled town halls or similar public meetings in their home districts, Roby and Rogers did not. Around the country this week, citizens, as they did in Montgomery, have decided to hold their own meetings with or without the representatives present.
The event was put together only in the past week, which Scott Page, one of the organizers, said may be a reason why the representatives weren’t able to attend.
“We kinda were a little bit behind in inviting them, so that’s probably why they weren’t able to show up,” Page said. “I hope that’s it, anyway.”
Instead, the attendees directed their questions towards a camera. Organizers live-streamed the event and said they plan to send the footage to the representatives in hopes of getting answers.
“I didn’t do this to embarrass or to ambush anybody,” said Rebecca Seung-Bickley, one of the event's organizers and a constituent of Roby, to the camera. “That’s not why I’m here. I’m here because good or bad, Montgomery is my home. ... You represent us. How can you speak for me, if you will not speak to me?”
In the months following the election of Trump, more and more liberal groups have been forming online and organizing similar events. The Montgomery event was put together by members of the local chapters of Cafe Resistance, Together We Will, and Indivisible.
Some have compared the newfound energy of the left to that of the conservative Tea Party, which cropped up following the election of Barack Obama. But the White House has rejected that comparison, claiming the liberal groups are inorganic and “astroturfed”— highly organized, well-funded efforts disguised as a grassroots campaign.
Early on Feb. 23, a spokesperson from Roby’s office described the Montgomery event as an illegitimate “organized liberal protest” meant to rile up animosity towards Republican members of Congress, pointing to the apparent fact organizers didn’t invite Democratic Rep. Terri Sewell, AL-07, who also represents parts of Montgomery.
Though the flier put out ahead of the event lists only Roby and Rogers as invitees, Seung-Bickley said they decided to invite Sewell at the last minute. Sewell was not in attendance and is also not holding any town hall events in Montgomery during the recess. However, she held a town hall in Selma on Feb. 24 and a "tele-town hall" on Feb. 18.
Every attendee who spoke to The Plainsman said they were a constituent of either Roby or Rogers and denied receiving money from anyone. Organizers said the venue was provided to the group free of charge for the night.
“There’s nothing fake about these kinds of meetings,” said Jerry Milner, a constituent of Rogers. “Who organizes them is irrelevant. We’re still voters, we’re still their constituents. They ought to try to participate. And if not, you know what, announce your own town halls, and we’ll come to those.”
Roby's office said she is planning public meetings in her district and will announce when they've been scheduled. Roby's last public meeting in the area was in 2013.
Two days later, on Saturday, another group assembled 60 miles down I-85 in downtown Opelika with a similar goal. Also put together by local chapters of online liberal groups, over 100 members of the “Polite Brigade” met in front of Rogers’ office in Opelika to ask the congressman to schedule a town hall.
“We’re just here because we asked repeatedly for a town hall from our representative,” said Kelli Thompson, who helped organize the event. "It’s already hard enough to feel like your vote doesn’t count in Alabama. ... We just want a town hall. We want space to have a debate.”
Members of the Polite Brigade dressed in old-fashioned clothing, and sang tunes like “God Bless America” and the theme song to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood while marching in front of the empty office.
Rogers has not held a town hall in Lee County in years. The Polite Brigade say his office told them Rogers would consider holding one in August. They say that’s not soon enough.
"We will be glad to talk with him in August," said Stephanie Shepherd Prater, who helped organize the event. "But we just feel like things are happening so rapidly on both the state and federal level, that we need to talking to our representatives sooner."
Among the list of concerns for the Polite Brigade: the future of the Affordable Care Act, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
When asked for comment, Rogers’ office told The Plainsman Rogers is planning town hall events in the future and that the congressman’s schedule this year was “especially packed with work on implementing President Trump's agenda and previously scheduled commitments." Rogers’ office did not respond to follow-up questions.
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