Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) is promising to fill a void she says has been created in representative government since President Donald Trump‘s second inauguration.
Republicans in Congress have largely stopped attending town halls in their districts, encouraged by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to avoid such gatherings in order to limit potential “bad optics” from viral videos featuring angry constituents upset about jobs and services cuts engineered by de facto DOGE leader Elon Musk.
Nevada, Colorado, Arizona:
You deserve public servants who show up for you.
The time is now to protect the public good, advance healthcare and living wages for all, and fight against corruption.
See you next week. https://t.co/8SetXWLIqg
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 14, 2025
Explaining their absence from such public appearances, Republicans have said that Democrats are infiltrating these town halls, distorting the feedback of actual constituents and, instead, creating a perception of dissatisfaction that isn’t really there.
AOC has promised to replace those Republicans who are sheltering away from the voters in their districts and be the ears of the citizens in those places where the local GOP reps aren’t showing their faces.
This attendee at a meeting in Republican Congressman Scott Perry‘s Pennsylvania district is trying to get AOC to come listen to the concerns of her fellow citizens. The Congresswoman shared the video on X.
Scott Perry town hall attendee wants @AOC to come to Central Pennsylvania pic.twitter.com/4fE70jaaM5
— SeanKitchen.bsky.social (@pennslinger) March 19, 2025
The Congresswoman has been traveling to districts — especially largely red, largely rural districts — and has promised she’ll go to any district to listen to citizens who aren’t getting the attention of their elected officials.
Her offer has many takers, she says, and she is “sorting through them” and trying to schedule visits wherever and whenever the congressional schedule allows.
Seriously though we are tracking the invitations and sorting through all of them! I will keep trying to visit more communities.
The House is in session quite a bit at the moment so we have limited windows to work with, but we’re trying to get back to as many groups as we can!
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 20, 2025
Ocasio-Cortez also took issue with a Republican work-around on the issue, which is to appear publicly at town halls but limit attendees to like-minded individuals. She shows an example below where an invitation to meet U.S. Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is open to Republicans only, with a warning that no Democrats or Independents would be admitted in order to prevent the expression of discontent, contrary views, and the kinds of viral scenes Mike Johnson cautioned against.
“It’s only free speech,” AOC says of such a scenario, “if you agree with them.”
It’s only “free speech” if you agree with them.
Everyone else gets stripped from their community’s town hall.
The fact is, we work for everybody. If Republican politicians can’t get that we work for the public, then the public should give them the boot.
https://t.co/5j1jAK66pK
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) March 19, 2025
