The 3rd Congressional District Democrats of Wisconsin condemn Rep. Derrick Van Orden for hiding from his constituents who are trying to talk to him about his damaging cuts to Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Three separate times in the last two weeks, Derrick Van Orden and his staff have either skipped or moved the venue of “listening sessions” in order to avoid talking to constituents about his unpopular votes supporting President Donald Trump.
First, Van Orden skipped a Wisconsin Farmer’s Union Town Hall to discuss the challenges Trump’s policies are presenting to Wisconsin farmers. Numerous Democratic lawmakers were present, but Van Orden was a non-show. Next, Van Orden refused to appear at a scheduled meeting with Chippewa Valley Indivisible, because too many people signed up to register their complaints against the proposed Republican budget. Van Orden claimed, falsely and with no evidence, that the activists were paid protestors, not citizens of the 3rd CD. Finally, after determining that a listening session with the North La Crosse Business Association would be attended by people upset with his voting for the Trump budget, the organization uninvited anyone who was not a dues paying member of the organization, even if they had already obtained a ticket. Then, hearing that there would be protesters present regardless, the event was moved to an undisclosed location, so that Van Orden would not have to see the protestors.
Hearing that the protestors would protest anyway, Van Orden then waited until 3 hours after the start of the event (6:00pm) to return to the original location and record a video for Twitter mocking the protestors for being gone (despite arriving three hours after the event was scheduled to begin) and attacking them both as both “funded by George Soros” and “unemployed”.
The 3rd CD Democrats of Wisconsin demand that Derrick Van Orden stop hiding from his constituents and hold genuine town hall meetings where his constituents can communicate the pain and suffering the Republican budget will cause for his constituents. Van Orden should be a Congressperson first, listening to his constituents regardless of their political affiliation. He should be brave enough to face his voters, and not so cowardly as to attack them for wanting to speak their mind.
According to William Garcia, 3rd CD Democrats chair and attendee at the La Crosse protest, “it is reprehensible that Van Orden would go to extreme lengths to hide from his voters, just to turn around and verbally attack them once he is sure the coast is clear. As a US House member, Van Orden owes it to all of his constituents to hear their concerns and face their criticisms. If he is afraid to do that, we should not be a member of Congress.”
