From LONG ISLAND – by Ann Parry (annparry.com)
April 18, 2025                – OPINION –

Wanting to get a good aisle seat at Congresswoman Laura Gillen’s town hall, I arrived at the Hofstra Student Center Theater shortly after 5pm, an hour before doors opened.

• VIDEO: Rep. Laura Gillen (NY04) gives an Update at Town Hall:

During the wait, I chatted a woman nearby on line. Suddenly she looked up at me and paused. In little more than a whisper, she said, “I have pension funds invested in the stock market… but I still hope it crashes.”

Then she gave me a little “You know what I mean, don’t you?” nod.

I knew, and I wasn’t shocked.

America’s just barely a functioning democracy. So if someone feels little is making the president obey the law and constitution, tragically, a stock market crash might seem an acceptable horror if it put Trump in check.

By the time the town hall began, I didn’t notice any empty seats. First three Girl Scouts marched up to the stage, where they led the Pledge of Allegiance. Then KIM DOMAGE, of Calvary Tabernacle, sang the Star Spangled Banner.

Rep. Laura Gillen (NY04), who’s on the Transportation & Infrastructure and the Science, Space & Technology Committees, began with  an update about her first months in Congress.  [see above video]

When the moderator, Hofstra Professor of Political Science, ROSANNA PEROTTI, explained she’d pick constituents’ questions from a bowl and read them aloud, several audience members called out that people who submitted questions should be able to ask them. 

Rep. Laura Gillen and audience members appeared to agree on several questions, including ones about working to reinstate the SALT tax deduction, improve roadway safety and poor water quality, and protect social security and medicare.

LAKEN RILEY ACT

• VIDEO: Rep. Gillen’s Town Hall, Laken Riley Act:

But there were also questions on topics some audience members strongly disagree with the congresswoman about. 

Based on angry comments I read on social media after Gillen voted for the Laken Riley Act, I wasn’t surprised when her statements such as, “I support the Laken Riley Act, and I’d vote for it again,” drew loud criticism from several audience members.

After a man shouted, “You should be ashamed of yourself!” security escorted him out of the theater.

TARIFFS & DISCHARGE

• VIDEO: Rep. Gillen Town Hall, tariffs & discharge petition:

The audience supported Rep. Gillen’s strong attack against the president’s contradictory, extreme, and unpredictable words and actions about tariffs. 

Gillen explained there’s a bipartisan (Republican & Democrat) and bicameral (House and Senate) bill, the “Trade Review Act of 2025,” aiming to reassert Congress’s authority over trade policy. It includes that any tariff implemented by administration has to be reviewed by Congress within 60 days, and Congress can stop a tariff at any time.

Rep. Gillen said she feels the bill is important and hopes it will make it through the House and Senate.  

She explained how the House of Representatives is a majority rules place, and a discharge petition is the one way to get around Speaker of the House Johnson’s control of what Congress votes on.

However, Rep. Gillen candidly described a discharge petition as a long shot, particularly because the procedure requires some Republican to sign onto the petition.

Then she added, “But the more pressure that our colleagues feel to uphold the rule of law, the more likely they might be to join us on some legislation.“

When an audience member called out asking what happens if the bill passes but Trump vetoes it, Rep. Gillen slowly said, “If Trump vetoes it… he vetoes it.”

Prof. Rosanna Perotti, the moderator, added, “We all know what happens at that point. That’s the civics thing.” Then she read the next question.

At the end of the town hall, several audience members also made their frustration clear when they shouted the president must be impeached.

FUTURE TOWN HALLS

We need to feel our elected officials are listening to us. 

Rep. Laura Gillen’s town hall was the first of a series she plans to hold. I want to attend others because I learned quite a few useful things and appreciated hearing the audience reactions during the Hofstra town hall. 

Put Q&A on looser leash

In future town halls, audience members might feel their concerns are even better addressed, if, for example, Rep. Gillen answers both questions from people she calls on in the audience and also questions that audience members submit in writing before the town hall begins. 

Focus more on “the civics thing”  

Constituents who see the president as acting unconstitutionally need to feel realistic hope, feel there are reasonable, legal ways to help curb those actions.

Civic engagement was touched on, for example, when Gillen stated how [constituents] putting pressure on [her Republican] colleagues can help pass bills.

But make it clearer what a crucial role civic engagement can play, especially now when Republicans control the Executive Branch, both Houses, and have a conservative Supreme Court.

Civic engagement – marches, protests, contacting elected officials, volunteering for candidates… – is an important part of the partnership between elected officials and constituents. It helps put pressure on officials or candidates we disagree with, and helps support ones we agree with.

And, hey, especially for those of us who agree America’s just barely a functioning democracy: Let’s all work to help get our country through this crisis.

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candidates seen at town hall:

• Dr. JOYLETTE WILLIAMS

•  JOE SCIANABLO

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fLI FYI:

from authoritarian’s playbook

• attack the Free Press
• attack the Rule of Law
• attack Academic Institutions
• attack Civil Liberties such as free speech and freedom of religion
• silence Political Opponents

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

democracy – representative democracy – republic

• Democracy has different forms, including representative democracy and direct democracy – similar to how a car can be a pickup truck, a limousine, an SUV.
• Representative democracy and republic are basically the same.
• Our founders referred to our representative democracy or republic as a democracy. 

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Feature Photo  (at top of post):  Hempstead, New York, U.S. April 16, 2025. Congresswoman LAURA A. GILLEN (NY-04) holds town hall at Hofstra University. 

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Rep. Laura Gillen’s town hall:  my PHOTO GALLERY • my VIDEOS

Rep. Laura Gillen:  gillen.house.gov • contact/newsletter subscribe

Hofstra University:  hofstra.edu • Dept. of Political Science

Girl Scouts of Nassau County:  gsnc.org

Kim Domage:  facebook.com/kim.domage

Joe Scianablo:  facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575047587490

CONTACT ME

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