Vulnerable Republicans are declining to hold town hall events during the long Easter recess

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) meets his voters
(Image credit: Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

When Republicans held public meetings with their constituents in February, many of the House members and senators received an earful, so few House Republicans in competitive districts have planned town hall events over the current break, which lasts until April 23. Only two of 16 swing-district Republicans who voted for the GOP health-care bill in committee, for example, are directly facing their constituents over the break, USA Today reports, based on scheduled events compiled by TownHallProject.com. And at least one of those two Republicans, Rep. Ryan Costello (Pa.), screened his audience beforehand and forbade cameras from the event.

The restrictions imposed on town hall events like Costello's have prompted jeering from Democrats and constitutional challenges from the ACLU, but the refusal of most potentially vulnerable Republicans to hold any public meeting has drawn the ire of constituents and local newspapers. Liberal organizers have taken to scheduling town hall meetings and inviting the House members to attend, putting an empty chair on stage when the invitation is declined. Many Republicans are holding forums over the phone or Facebook Live.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.