BELLOWS FALLS-Unlike several of her Republican colleagues who have faced some very vocal voter outrage at town halls around the country, U.S. Rep. Becca Balint, D-Vt., was greeted by cheers and a lengthy standing ovation from the crowd at a packed-to-the-walls Bellows Falls Opera House on Monday evening.
In her invitation to the meeting, Balint pledged her commitment to "standing against policies that undermine our democracy, attack our rights, raise prices and prop up billionaires at the expense of working families."
And she stuck to that theme, beginning with an overview of recent events in the Republican-led government. She said that people are feeling hopeless and overwhelmed, which is understandable.
Balint said she was trained to "try to find the common ground" in dealing with others. But the Republican caucus, she said, had instead decided that there would be no compromises, and they would simply "rubber stamp" all the initiatives of President Donald Trump.
She said that only four Republicans would have to cross party lines to vote with the Democrats, but so far that hasn't happened - "and that's why we can't stop Trump."
"They are not going to meet us halfway," Balint said of the Republican legislators. "So let's throw some punches."
At that comment, the audience erupted in applause and cheers.
Balint said she wanted to make one thing very clear - that the Trump administration "does not give a damn about working people! Not a damn! Not a damn!"
'A generation or more to rebuild'
After her comments, Balint took questions from the audience for over an hour. A major concern was the potential loss of income from Social Security or disability payments due to Republicans cutting federal jobs and threatening to slash social programs.
Balint stated that she believes that the Trump administration has destroyed eight decades of social progress.
"It'll take a generation or more to rebuild what we've lost," she said.
She added that Vermont needs to be a "beacon of light" to Canada, to reassure that "we in Vermont are still their partners."
When asked if she would favor articles of impeachment against President Trump, Balint made her feelings clear.
"Oh, my god!" she said. "He's the most corrupt president we've ever had. This man doesn't deserve to be in office."
But she pointed out that, as the minority party, Democrats don't have the power to move an impeachment forward. If Democrats did try to bring impeachment articles to the House, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson "won't bring it to the floor," Balint said.
She referred to Johnson as the "lapdog of the president" and said that he needed to be reminded that "you're not in Congress to lick any man's boots." If legislators "are not willing to risk our seats with every single vote, then get the hell out of the way," she said.
Balint also warned that people need to be cautious about the new Republican budget bill.
She said that while Republicans have publicly stated they would not touch Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, the new budget bill is calling for $880 billion in cuts - and that the only part of the budget that could handle a cut that massive are these social programs.
"They are not using the word 'Medicaid,'" she said, "but that's what they mean."
When asked about her concerns regarding the U.S. Supreme Court, Balint said that she has grown more positive in the last few months.
She said that she also realized that "even the Republicans who were troubled" by Trump's actions "don't dare vote against him."
Adding that "they've fired all the nonpartisans," she said "the possibility is real that the Trump administration might decide to ignore decisions from the nation's courts."
And if so, Balint said, it will trigger a Constitutional crisis.
"Then we take to the streets," she said.
This News item by Robert F. Smith was written for The Commons.