Townhalls Essential to Congressional Work

Floor Speech

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Mr. DELGADO. Madam Speaker, I rise today because tomorrow I will be holding my 33rd townhall since being sworn in, with three in each of the 11 counties making up my district.

I promised my constituents that I would be transparent, accountable, and accessible. New York Congressional District 19 is nearly 8,000 square miles, larger than Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. In the past year, we spent hours in the car, driving in the rain, snow, and sleet to meet folks where they are.

We have held townhalls in fire departments, schools, small businesses, and theaters, and even had crowds spilling into the hallway. When the broadband signal was strong enough, the entire conversation was streamed on Facebook Live.

These open forums are essential to my work to represent our district. That is how democracy is supposed to work: civil conversations with my constituents, finding common ground, and concluding with legislation reflecting the needs of the community.

Townhalls are a true highlight of my first year in office, and we are just getting started. I look forward to meeting more folks tomorrow at the Highland Middle School in Ulster.

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