A Town hall held jointly by Congresswoman and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell brought hundreds from surrounding communities to McDevitt Middle School in Waltham on Saturday.
The Town Hall comes amid a whirlwind of changes to the federal government at the direction of President Donald Trump. The first two months of his second term have seen massive staffing cuts at multiple federal agencies, a shift in foreign policy objectives, and threats of trade wars with most of the nation’s trading partners.
Clark’s 5th Congressional District includes Belmont.
Hundreds turned out Saturday, with the auditorium packed and overflow seating in the cafeteria.
“I think a lot of people are here to figure out what to do,” said Natick resident Bill Peverill. “It seems like the most effective way we can take action right now is with the law.”
Despite attending four rallies, Waltham resident Roger Abrams felt he hadn’t done enough.
“I came today because I was curious to find out what recourse we have against the Republican movement and what our politicians are doing about it,” he said.
The meeting began with a presentation from Clark and Campbell on the Trump administration and the Democratic response to the stampede of changes.
“You probably aren’t here because you think things are going OK,” said Clark. “We need to fight this with everything we have.”
Campbell and Clark emphasized a three-part action strategy called “Litigation, Legislation, Mobilization,” which uses courts, Congress and constituent action to blunt the Trump administration’s actions.
They also stressed the importance of sharing personal stories with legislators, inviting Waltham resident Sarah Wroblewski on stage to share her story of how the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) targeted funding that helps her 4-year-old son fight cancer.
Following the presentation, the majority of questions focused on specific steps Democrats in Congress are taking to combat DOGE’s actions and Republican efforts to target different government agencies with cuts or outright elimination.
Many in the crowd expressed frustration with perceived inaction from Democrats, shouting, “What are you doing?” and “That’s not enough!”
The message was clear for those who attended seeking information about what individuals can do in the face of the Trump administration’s agenda.
“Step up, be bold, be unafraid, kick A-S-S,” Campbell said.
The overarching sentiment in the crowd: Act now.
“We have to stop acting as if there isn’t a crisis happening right here, right now,” said Betty J. Ruth, a constituent from Waltham.
A recording of the entirety of the town hall can be found on Congresswoman Clark’s Facebook page.
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Original story HERE.