Surprisingly few Georgia congressmen are hosting public meetings with constituents during the legislative recess, to the dismay of many of their constituents. Republican Reps. Buddy Carter, Doug Collins, Jody Hice, and Senator Johnny Isakson all have town halls schedules while they’re back home, while on the Democratic side of the aisle only Rep. David Scott is hosting an event.
Earlier in the year during a recess Georgia’s representatives were again wary of hosting public events, as Carter was the only member of the state’s Republican delegation to host a town hall, as lawmakers nationwide were faced with anti-Trump protesters and rowdy crowds upset at the attempts to replace Obamacare, (or lack thereof).
This time around Carter is stepping up his game, hosting a whopping nine town halls across his southeast Georgia district. Those events, held over three days this week, will allow for constituents to voice their concerns and express their desires to their representative in Washington. One issue that will undoubtedly figure prominently is the failed repeal of Obamacare, which has many Republicans furious at their party’s inability to affect change despite majorities in both houses.
U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson will surely face that same question, particularly as part of the upper house where the attempt to repeal Obamacare died just weeks ago. His town hall will take place at Kennesaw State University next Monday, offering hundreds of Georgians the opportunity to ask questions and get answers as to what their senior Senator’s goals are in D.C.
Rep. Tom Graves is hosting a series of town halls in October, but the rest of Georgia’s legislators have proven hard to reach. Like many of their peers throughout the country, public forums have apparently proven more trouble than they are worth, leaving phone calls and emails as the frustrating recourse for constituents hoping to make their voices heard. In modern day politics face to face meetings like Carter’s have become the exception, not the rule.
