Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill Hosts a Town Hall in Parsippany – TAPinto.net

PARSIPPANY, NJ — New Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill hosted her first “Town Hall” meeting on Jan. 27 at the Parsippany PAL building on Baldwin Avenue.

More than 400 people attended, and the crowd was mostly supportive as the congresswoman fielded few tough questions.

Town hall meetings became a big issue in the 11th Congressional District last year when then-Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, R-Harding, declined calls to hold one. That fueled weekly protests outside Frelinghuysen’s Morristown office. The congressman refused to budge, although he did hold “phone-in” sessions with residents.

Sherrill, a Democrat from Montclair who won election last fall, has pledged to hold regular meetings with residents. The first was set for Jan. 22, but was delayed until Sunday because of the government shutdown.

One of the few provocative questions came from Barbara Eames, a well-known conservative in county political circles. Eames noted Sherrill’s support for campaign finance reform, but also pointed out that she had widely outspent her GOP opponent Jay Webber in last year’s election.

So, how does the congresswoman square the circle?

Sherrill acknowledged the premise of the question, but said she began her campaign running against Frelinghuysen, who was both an entrenched incumbent and a very wealthy man. So, Sherrill said she had no choice but to raise as much money as she could. (Frelinghuysen bowed out of the race last January.) But she also said reform is needed because the bar to running for Congress has gotten so high. Sherrill lamented that the first – and many times the second and third – question many people ask of a congressional candidate is, how much money can they raise? She said that is not how democracy should operate, pointing out that average people should be able to run for Congress. Sherrill said she was fortunate in that she was able to run for Congress full-time, but that many people cannot do that.

Fielding a question on impeaching President Trump, Sherrill said she wants to wait for the Mueller report before making a decision. She said basically the same thing during the campaign.

Probably the loudest applause from the crowd came when a questioner urged Sherrill to support “Medicare for all.” Sherrill said the Congressional Budget Office is studying the issue and will soon come up with its findings. She said this is a complicated matter that will produce “winners and losers.” She also said that it’s not the type of thing that can happen overnight.

The congresswoman was asked if she favored cutting the defense budget. She does not. Sherrill said “waste” must be cut, but she said more money may be needed for cyber security. A former Navy helicopter pilot, Sherrill has gotten a spot on the Armed Services Committee. Picatinny Arsenal, a military base in Rockaway Township, is in the district, and Sherrill has pledged to protect it.

Sherrill said one of the benefits of these meetings is that the public often asks questions that reporters and others in the bubble of Washington D.C. do not ask. One such observation from an audience member was the need for better care for children with disabilities.

Afterward, Sherrill said her first public meeting produced good questions that she said were symbolic of the district. The 11th District, which spans parts of Morris, Sussex, Essex and Passaic counties is affluent and well-educated. She said she would hold more town hall meetings in the future.

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