Republican Rep. Pete Sessions (TX) held a town hall over the weekend where he faced off against angry constituents. But when he spoke about it to CNN on Monday, Sessions claimed it was actually "quite civil."
Sessions held a town hall in Trinity, Texas, a small rural community in the eastern part of the state with a population of a little less than 2,500 residents. A whopping 83.2% of the county voted for President Donald Trump in 2024.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the room was packed as Sessions heard from those on both sides of the political spectrum looking for guarantees that there won't be cuts to critical services.
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"The executive can only enforce laws passed by Congress; they cannot make laws," complained lawyer Debra Norris, who lives in Huntsville. She said that the mass layoffs and agency closures are unconstitutional.
"When are you going to wrest control back from the executive and stop hurting your constituents?" she asked.
While many complaints came from Democrats, the Times' report said a number were from Republicans, too.
When questioned about it on Monday, Sessions said the event was mischaracterized by the Times.
"Anybody that was there would have disagreed with the article that was in the New York Times. It was a very thoughtful, articulate meeting where people expressed their views," he said. "I provided them information, data, and understanding about where we're trying to head. And it really was not only quite civil, I think that every person that was there felt like it was worth their time."
Sessions said he understands Americans have questions and that lawmakers owe them answers.
"Not all the answers are necessarily available right now," said Sessions.
See the interview below or at the link here.
- YouTube youtu.be
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