GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — It had all the makings of the anti-Trump town hall meetings Republicans have come to fear.
Retired health care industry worker Paul Bonis stood up and implored Republican Rep. Justin Amash to commit to keeping Obamacare — his life, the 61-year-old cancer survivor said, might actually depend on it.
But Amash refused, and the auditorium packed with some 600 mostly liberal constituents erupted in boos and jeers for a good 30 seconds.
“You are not supporting your constituents!” yelled one person.
Instead of getting defensive or ducking for cover, though, the 36-year-old Michigan lawmaker leaned in, coolly explaining his position on the health care law.
He made a point of trying to connect with the overwhelmingly Democratic room, jabbing President Donald Trump for what he called racially insensitive remarks and overreaching policies.
It was a jarring juxtaposition from the hunkered-down, protective posture many GOP lawmakers have assumed in recent weeks as Democrats storm their town hall meetings and congressional offices.
At a closed-door, all-conference meeting on Tuesday, House Republicans were advised to limit crowd sizes, hire security and ensure they literally have an exit strategy to ensure they don’t get stampeded by protesters.
...Amash effectively defused tensions, though, with jokes about his poor singing and a quip to the liberal crowd that “with Donald Trump in office, I don’t know why you’re such big fans of the federal government!”.
Twenty –five minutes after he was supposed to finish, at least 50 hands were still in the air seeking to ask questions.
When the event ended, they lined up to talk to Amash.
At a town hall in January, Amash seethed that everyone couldn’t attend because of the fire code restriction on numbers.
He picked a bigger space he was sure would hold everyone who showed up Thursday.
Even then, he learned that coordinators had to turn people away.
“At our next one," he vowed, "we’re going to have to have a bigger place."
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