What Waltham People Said at the Town Hall
A jam-packed town hall Saturday at McDevitt Middle School felt like a rally opposing the Trump administration.
As the president’s executive actions dominate national politics, Democratic Congresswoman Katherine Clark and Mass AG Andrea Campbell described the threat and what they’re doing to counter it.
But Democrats can only do so much against Republicans who hold all the levers of power in Washington.
Q&A speakers, including Waltham residents, were supportive but unsure if continued resistance is enough.
“Try to reclaim this country and get out of this divisive world”
Democratic elected officials from Waltham attended the town hall, as did two State House politicians who spoke.
“Our budget is roughly 60 billion dollars,” said State Rep. Tom Stanley, who represents Waltham in the 9th Middlesex district.
“15 to 16 billion dollars comes from the federal government—14 billion through Medicaid, which is under threat of being cut right now,” he said.
His colleague John Lawn, the 10th Middlesex State Representative, also represents Waltham.
He earned a few welcome laughs while reflecting on federal assistance on the chopping block—and how it helped him and his wife years ago.
The Watertown couple was struggling, suddenly finding themselves with five kids under five. “We were on WIC [Women, Infants, & Children Nutrition Program] on South Street in Waltham to get formula and diapers. We got through a tough stretch and dug ourselves out of a hole.”
Now many in similar positions face a flurry of executive orders aimed at cutting federal spending.
“Some of these cuts are going to have a drastic effect on how people get services,” Lawn said.
But he didn’t recommend criticizing Republicans, saying he works with “some really good people” across the aisle at the State House.
“The Democratic party has to do a better job of explaining what government does for people,” he said.
“The chaos is a strategy to distract us”
Minority Whip Clark (MA-5), the second most powerful Democrat in the U.S. House, easily won Waltham and the Massachusetts 5th congressional district in the last state election.
She addressed a packed McDevitt auditorium and two overflow rooms via remote screens—all told, roughly 1,000 people from across the district.
Clark said Trump health care cuts could affect 1.3 million people in Massachusetts, including 700,00 kids.
Her three pronged opposition strategy involves legislation, litigation and mobilization.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell, a key partner in the strategy, has filed federal lawsuits over various Trump actions involving birthright citizenship, research funding and other GOP targets.
“The law is on our side,” she said, pointing out wins in court.
But both leaders acknowledged that they are swimming upstream against an administration that dominates headlines with shocking cuts, layoffs and daily outrage.
Democrats engaged in the “daily block and tackle” against the onslaught struggle to make the same impact, even when the Supreme Court rules against a Trump action.
“Do you know how challenging it is for us to break through the noise?” Campbell said.
“What happens if it doesn’t work?”
A Q&A that followed laid bare some of the frustration for residents facing potentially life-changing consequences.
Betty from Waltham relies on Medicare for herself and Medicaid for her adult child.
“I’m concerned about Democratic unity, knowing that it isn’t enough at this time,” she said.
“What is the emergency plan for Medicare and Medicaid, should these fall this spring?” she asked. “What happens if it doesn’t work the way you’re hoping it's going to work?”
“There is no plan B,” Clark responded, adding that states cannot pick up the federal tab for healthcare.
“We have to go after the political power that is driving them and drive down these poll numbers and take away their political power,” she said.
“I’m not so much a political person”
Former WBZ-TV meteorologist Sarah Wroblewski is the mother of 4-year-old Delcan Lyons, whose battle against stage four brain cancer has inspired many across the region.
Last week, the Waltham mom of four joined Rep. Clark in Washington to criticize the potentially deadly impact of proposed cuts to medical research funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
“Declan went through protocol that was NIH funded,” she said. “It was toxic, it was excruciating.”
Although Declan’s scans are clear now after all his treatments, his cancer could return as he starts on a new clinical trial that is also NIH funded.
“So cutting this funding is taking away a chance for our kids to live,” Wroblewski said, adding that another cancer mom she met lost her son because there was no funding for his clinical trial.
“I’m not so much a political person, but every one of us has a voice and I stood up and went to Washington to tell my story and I feel like I made an impact,” she said before embracing Clark and Campbell.
Blaming Democrats
Edie from Waltham, a “full-time political activist” for the last 12 years, started a Facebook page called “Mom’s Persistence.”
She worries about Donald Trump enacting the Insurrection Act and that Republicans would find a way to blame Democrats for a government shutdown.
Clark pointed out that any shutdown would fall on the Republicans in power currently.
“They are already shutting down our government, taking away our constitution and we have to meet them tooth and nail,” Clark said, earning applause.
“I’m very concerned about the future of my job”
Another Waltham resident, an educator named Sean, teaches deaf and hard-of-hearing students with federal support.
But with the Department of Education (DOE) now in Republican crosshairs, they are worried about their students. “Where do they go? They’re not going to thrive in a regular education setting.”
They also challenged Rep. Clark on her connections to donors, citing an opensecrets.org report.
“Half a million of your campaign funding came from Big Pharma and health insurance. How can we trust that Medicaid and Medicare and everything you’re saying to us is the truth?” Sean asked Clark.
“My vote is not for sale to anybody,” Clark responded. “I do take money from people, but they don’t get to tell me how to vote,” pointing out past legislative victories.
Reaching the Other Side
Roughly a dozen people asked questions during a town hall that could have gone on for hours. Some in the audience felt more could be done about the current crisis and interrupted Clark and Campbell.
Are Democrats reaching people other than older, well-educated voters who attended Saturday’s event?
“This is Massachusetts. What are the Democrats doing to get Republicans from swing districts on board?” the final speaker asked.
“We are going to meet them everywhere they are,” Clark said. “Because we have to hold them accountable and have to make them feel the political pressure from their own people.”
Retired Waltham small businessman Bob Marcou, a lifelong benefactor of local non-profits, hoped to see more Waltham people at the event, but was energized.
“Katherine Clark was excellent as usual, and I was very impressed and proud of the leadership that Andrea Campbell is doing on the national stage,” he said afterward.
“The whole day gave me some hope in this very challenging time.”
Watch the entire Town Hall, video courtesy of the Office of Rep. Clark
