My Congressman is Hiding

by Mary Strickroth

On April 14, I called the Billings office of my U.S. House Representative, Troy Downing, four times. I was sent to voicemail. I called his Helena office four times—same result. I wanted to arrange an in-person town hall while he was on April recess. I knew the chances were slim, but I’m his constituent and have every right to ask him to meet with me and my neighbors. He’s supposed to represent all of us, not just those who agree with him.

On April 15, I called the Helena office three times but only reached voicemail. I called the Billings office twice and finally spoke to a staffer. He directed me to the D.C. website for town hall listings. I had already checked the website and informed him that none were listed. He mentioned that I could sign up for the newsletter. I told him I had signed up but received only information about virtual town halls.

He said he would message the D.C. office and request that someone call me back. The callback could take “two to three weeks.” Of course, by then, the April recess would be over, and Rep. Downing would be back in Washington, saying that's why he couldn't hold an in-person town hall. Determined, I asked the staffer for the D.C. scheduler’s contact info. He said he couldn’t give that to me.

On April 16, I called the Helena office again. No answer and no voicemail. I called Billings, and the same staffer answered. I reminded him that we had talked yesterday, that I was still trying to arrange an in-person town hall, and that I hoped the answer would be different today.

The staffer said he had referred yesterday’s call to the D.C. office and repeated that a callback would take two to three weeks. He then said that the attorney general had sent a directive that there would be no in-person town halls.

Which attorney general? I asked. Montana or the United States?

“Wait a minute,” the staffer replied, disappearing from the call. When he returned, he said the Sergeant at Arms had said not to hold in-person town halls “until things settled down” because it was too dangerous.

I replied that we, as constituents, deserve to be represented. We are not being represented because the congressman hides behind a shield, and we can’t get in.

The statement that the Sergeant at Arms told the House of Representatives to avoid in-person town halls is not backed by any reporting. Instead, the New York Times reported on March 4 that Representative Richard Hudson, the chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee, told “the G.O.P. rank and file on Tuesday: Stop having in-person town halls with your constituents.” Hudson encouraged House Republicans to hold tele-town halls or Facebook Live events. “Both of those formats allow moderators to filter questions and comments.” House Speaker Johnson endorsed the approach.

NBC News reported on April 14 that most Republican House members are not holding in-person town halls.

The Guardian reported concerns about how this will affect Americans’ democratic rights, “especially as the cancelling of town halls comes after Trump began to deny highly regarded news organizations access to the White House.”

“It’s certainly a unique view of representation that representatives should hear only from constituents who agree with them,” Marjorie HerIy, professor emeritus of political science at Indiana University Bloomington, told the Guardian. “But it’s entirely in keeping with the recent direction of the Republican party: to become more and more extreme because they listen only to their far-right base.”

Herly added, “Town halls are not the only way that constituents can express their views to representatives. But they are a meaningful way: not every citizen can access Zoom, and expressing our views in person is an important way of conveying a depth of feeling that isn’t as easily expressed in a letter, an email, or a visit to a representative’s staff member.”

This national reporting reaffirmed that I’m not alone or irrational in wanting an in-person town hall.

Back on the call, Rep. Downing’s staffer transferred me to his supervisor. I told her I was trying to arrange an in-person town hall for the people of Livingston. We are growing increasingly troubled by the fact that we have not been able to access the congressman in a back-and-forth conversation.

The supervisor replied that Rep. Downing had held two town halls via phone.

I was on both of them, I said. They are charades.

She said there were 10,000 people on the last call.

There were only fifteen questions raised, I replied. It was contrived, and basically, we were all screened. There was no ability to have a back-and-forth conversation. The congressman didn’t know how we responded to his answers, and we couldn’t hear how others responded to the questions. That’s not a town hall.

“We are following orders,” she said.

What orders?

She repeated that the orders came from the Sergeant at Arms. I then asked to talk to her supervisor.

She said her supervisor is in D.C. I asked for that person’s name and contact information, but she refused to give it.

On April 18, I called Rep. Downing’s D.C. headquarters, and Russell answered the phone immediately. I said I wanted to speak with Anna Stutz, the Operations Director, whom I emailed a month earlier, unsuccessfully trying to arrange an in-person town hall despite our having reserved a location.

Russell did not transfer me. Instead, he said, “I can help you.”

I asked what’s preventing the congressman from holding an in-person town hall.

Russell said he knew no specific reason but that the congressman had held two virtual town halls.

I repeated that both were charades in which Rep. Downing repeated the “waste, fraud, and abuse” mantra to almost every question.

Russell said he could pass on my request. I asked to speak with his supervisor, but he said there was none there.

I asked if he understood the constitutional problem this created. Did he see how the congressman was hiding behind a curtain, lying down before Trump, and not representing his constituents?

Russell said he did not understand the constitutional problem.

I suggested that he study up on his civics. I asked for a callback from his supervisor, and the call ended.

While this piece details the calls I made, I was not alone in my endeavors. This was a concerted effort. During the same week, five other concerned constituents called Rep. Downing, and we shared our results. Together, we made seventy-six calls to his offices. Only thirteen calls reached a human. Despite thirty-five requests for a callback, not one was received. No in-person town hall was scheduled.

Troy Downing continues to hide and not represent all his constituents. That’s not representation. That’s not how democracy is supposed to work. Perhaps he should study up on his civics, too.