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Topspin
Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton says he’s no fan of “circus” town hall meetings and prefers a more controlled setting for town-hall-style meetings by telephone, which he will conduct on Monday night.
Roskam has come under criticism from political opponents for refusing to appear onstage at a large event to hear from people concerned about GOP plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, in addition to budget issues, gun laws and changes to the federal tax code.
Some recent congressional town hall meetings held by Republicans have seen visible protests, in some cases a Democratic reaction to the early days of Republican President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Town hall meetings tend to be platforms for people to shout at one another and get angry at one another and leave more upset and disappointed and bent out of shape than when people came. And the proof of that is just look at the national news,” Roskam said Sunday in an interview on WGN 720-AM.
Roskam said he’s held only one town hall public forum during his decade in Congress representing the west and northwest suburbs and “didn’t find it particularly productive." Instead, he said he favors conducting telephone town halls and held 11 of them last year.
“There’s an opportunity for people who don’t go to town hall meetings and don’t write their congressman and don’t write letters to the editor, but you go into their kitchen, so to speak, and they can actively participate. And the feedback I’ve gotten is terrific,” he said.
“I have no plans to have one of these big, sort of circus meetings, but instead try to hear from my district — both people who you know are concerned about some of the positions that I’ve taken … from people who are going to let me hear their opinion and it’s counter to mine and that’s part of the democracy,” he said.
Roskam said he usually has 10,000 participants in the telephonic town halls but predicted he’d “probably, based on the interest, have much higher numbers” on Monday night.
Participants for Roskam’s phone meetings are asked to register through his campaign website in order to to be called for the town hall. That web site is here.
Meanwhile, Roskam’s colleague, Republican U.S. Rep. Randy Hultgren of Plano, said he will soon be announcing “several opportunities for constituents to engage with me in coming days,” including public meetings.
Hultgren, however, also said some of his staff members have felt “threatened and intimidated” by the actions of some political opponents, and he has beefed up security measures in his district office.
“We unfortunately are living in a time when emotions are high and reactions can be unpredictable. At the recommendation of Capitol Police and advice of local law enforcement, I have brought my constituent office up to par with security procedures that exist in other public meeting places,” Hultgren said in a statement. He added that his small office cannot accommodate large groups that recently began showing up without notice.
“We aren’t quite at the level of a federal building, but my staff now has the peace of mind needed to conduct the important work they do for seniors, veterans, international travelers, and more. The vast majority of constituents are peaceful and respectful,” he said. “However, there have been a couple of instances where my hard-working staff members — who live in our communities — have felt threatened and intimidated. No one should stand for that, and I won’t either.”
Hultgren said he announces public meetings through his e-newsletter, The Hultgren Huddle, and through his website at Hultgren.house.gov.
“I am very happy with the level of constituent engagement in the 14th District — it’s one of the best ways to ensure our democracy prospers,” he said. “While constituents have communicated a high level of frustration, many offer rock solid solutions after being able to convey their concerns. Unlike other areas in the country, we are fortunate in the 14th that we haven’t forgotten that in the end we are all neighbors.”
While Roskam and Hultgren both have traditionally strong Republican-leaning districts, that didn’t prove to be the case in the balloting for president.
Research from the FiveThirtyEight.com website shows the Democratic presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, defeated Trump by 7 percentage points in Roskam’s district. In Hultgren’s district, regarded as more strongly Republican than Roskam’s, Trump won by 3.9 percentage points over Clinton. (Rick Pearson)
What’s on tap
*Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s schedule wasn’t available.
*Gov. Bruce Rauner has no public schedule.
*Monday is the observation of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, a state and city holiday.
*The week ahead: The Illinois House and Senate will meet again this week, with Rauner set to deliver his budget speech to lawmakers Wednesday. He has signaled what might be coming.
From the notebook
*The Sunday Spin: On this week’s show, Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson’s guests were Elliot Richardson, founder and CEO of the Small Business Advocacy Council; Wheaton Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam; and Michael Golden, author of “Unlock Congress.” The "Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. on WGN 720-AM. Listen to the full show here.
What we’re writing
*Rauner dodges on sanctuary state question, Emanuel meets with Mexican mayors.
*Mexican mayors visiting Chicago send defiant message to Trump.
*Rep. Roskam turns down League of Women Voters request for public forum.
*Meet the mystery man whose idea turned into Chicago peace plan Trump praised.
*Pardoned suburban man: ‘I got my name back,’ Pence ‘abandoned me.’
*Sears, Kmart join other retailers in dropping Trump-branded items.
*Private prison firm sees Trump immigration push as opportunity.
*Former Bush press secretary Ari Fleischer weighs in on whether Toby Keith should play Naperville’s Ribfest.
What we’re reading
*Girls, ages 11 and 12, critically wounded in weekend shootings.
*Pew report: More than 2.5 million immigrants live illegally in Chicago, LA, NYC.
*Millennials: Here’s how to jump-start your saving habits.
Follow the money
*State Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, a Democrat running for mayor of Aurora, reported $17,000 in contributions across three different reports.
*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.
Beyond Chicago
*The author of Trump’s travel ban defends it Sunday.
*And a Trump friend calls Priebus "way over his head."
*Supreme Court nominee Gorsuch has defended free speech and religion.
*North Korea test-fires a missile.
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