Compared to some Republican members of Congress enduring angry crowds of constituents this week, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan had it easy at their town hall at New Hampshire Technical Institute on Friday.
After both senators spent the first moments of the hour criticizing the new Republican president – to a room full of cheers – Concord resident Wayne Fuller put some pressure on the Democratic party.
At least Republicans, he said, have a core set of values that drive the party’s policies and opposition: limiting government to allow creativity to thrive and people to make their own opportunities.
“We may not agree with those values,” Fuller said. But, he added, the Democratic party seems like it lost its set of core beliefs in the 90’s.
“What is the ‘why’ of our existence?” Fuller asked. “What is the driving set of beliefs that’s going to drive us not to oppose things, but to be for things?”
Hassan responded with her guiding principle, which she sourced from the U.S. Constitution: “Every single person counts.”
In order to put voice to that value, both senators repeatedly told the audience at New Hampshire Technical Institute that they, as citizens, would have to be more involved both at the federal and state levels.
“James Madison made sure that we had a government of, by and for the people,” Hassan said. “…the people, through the democratic process, decide that there are things they want to do to together to improve their government that they control.”
That’s what most people in the audience seemed interested in, anyway: what exactly they could do.
Maggie O’Neill from Newmarket wanted to know how she could personally ensure protected access to reproductive health care at the state level, “if things go awry” at the federal level.
“It’s very clear Congress is already trying to defund Planned Parenthood,” Shaheen said. Hassan said in New Hampshire in the past, it has come down to then-executive councilor’s Chris Sununu’s vote whether the organization received funds.
Now that Sununu is governor, Hassan suggested O’Neill reach out to and pay attention to New Hampshire’s new executive councilors. They not only approve funding decisions but also accept or reject judicial nominations.
More people asked what grassroots work they could take on to support Democrats. After thanking Hassan for her tough question of the new federal education secretary Betsy DeVos, a man in an argyle sweater wondered, “Do I waste my time if I’m writing a senator from another state?”
Hassan let the man know he should maybe find some friends in that state to write instead.
One woman floated the idea that the American people, as the employers of the U.S. President, could subsequently fire him.
“We have a system that requires, in order to be president, to win the most electoral votes,” Shaheen said. “Now, I would like to change that system. But I can’t change it on my own.”
Some in the room Friday saw their chance to play citizen by asking their elected representatives to protect what was important. In response, both senators promised to fight for protecting education and healthcare funds as well as mainstays of the American democracy: voting rights and a free press.
Shaheen suggested an independent commission be formed to investigate the Trump administration’s ties to Russia – that garnered the loudest applause of the morning.
Hassan added, “The new attorney general should be recusing himself.”
Those ideas were welcomed by the crowd, but not everyone was thrilled at the senators’ plans for President Trump’s U.S. Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch. Shaheen said Democrats should allow him a Senate hearing, a courtesy not extended by Republicans to President Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland.
Speaking through some scattered boos, Shaheen said, “I’m not going to go out and say it’s wrong for (the GOP) and right for us.”
Near the very end of the event, both Shaheen and Hassan also said they would do all they could to address climate change. Some in the room weren’t impressed – one man shouted that the two women weren’t even using reusable water bottles, but plastic ones.
Shaheen and Hassan told town hall-goers, more than once, to email, call or write their offices.
“The way we will continue to stand for Granite State values and American values, is to continue what so many of you have already been doing: to speak up,” Hassan said.
The room seemed ready to act. After the senators exited the stage and the final applause died out, one woman lingered and held up a sign from her seat.
It read, “Never give up.”
(Elodie Reed can be reached at 369-3306, ereed@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @elodie_reed.)