U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, and a sometimes raucous crowd battled this morning in a 60-minute town hall standoff, with the senator attempting to deliver a message and about half the crowd wanting him to answer their questions.
The Advertiser reports Cassidy touted President Donald Trump’s job creation plans; critiqued the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare; detailed the health plan he and Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, are co-sponsoring; and promoted additional support for mental health.
The crowd of about 200—about half of whom seemed to support Cassidy—frequently interrupted, expressing disagreement with some of the senator’s positions and shouting out their own questions. Many expressed support for Obamacare, including participants who said they were part of the “Indivisible” group of citizen activists. Cassidy also encountered an angry crowd in Metairie earlier this week.
Town hall meetings around the country have been flashpoints for disagreements between Republican lawmakers and citizens whose positions reflect Democratic Party viewpoints. Cassidy conceded to the crowd, “Some of you hate Donald Trump and may not like me.” But, he said, he welcomed them to the meeting nonetheless.
At least a few times, the senator implored the crowd to listen to his responses or the responses of others without shouting over him or them. “Listen to each other and we will hear each other,” he said.
But many in the crowd wearied of the senator’s presentation; some accused him of speaking too long so participants could not ask questions. Indeed, Cassidy did not take questions until about 40 minutes into the hour-long meeting.
