<
p class=”p1″>Rep. Tom Reed (R–N.Y.) will hold a town hall meeting in Ithaca on Saturday, March 11, allowing Ithaca residents to discuss current political issues with the ardent supporter of President Donald Trump.
“Engaging in a conversation with constituents about the issues facing our district is important,” Reed said in a press release. “We continue to hold town hall meetings because I believe that having an open dialogue with my neighbors in New York’s 23rd district is the cornerstone of our democracy.”
Reed is among the top one percent in Congress for holding town hall meetings, having held 68 meetings since the beginning of his term in 2015, according to The Hill, which noted that Republicans have surpassed Democrats in holding town hall meetings.
“Among the 50 members of Congress who have held the most in-person town hall meetings over the last two years, 39 are Republicans,” The Hill reported.
In February, protesters conducted a sit-in at Reed’s Ithaca office for days demanding that the congressman speak to his constituents either in person or via video.
“Throughout the days they were camped out, people brought the protesters food and took photos of themselves holding signs asking for Reed — who was in Washington, D.C. — to make an Ithaca appearance,” The Ithaca Voice reported.
The sit-in finally ended on Feb. 16 when Reed showed up at his Ithaca office late at night and spoke with the protesters for over an hour before snapping pictures and shaking hands of those protesting him.
Reed will be holding three other town hall meetings on March 11 in Ovid, Manchester and Pulteney, N.Y. The Ithaca town hall meeting will is scheduled for 8 a.m. at the Southside Community Center.