Spokane, Wash. – Outside in the chilly air, around 50 protesters waved signs critical of the Trump administration. Inside, the temperature and emotions were much warmer as Washington Congressional District representative, Michael Baumgartner, met with constituents in a town-hall meeting at Whitworth university on March 17th. The event was access-limited to “a couple hundred” Whitworth University students, with the remaining seats available to ticket holders. Tickets were snapped up within a couple of hours according to a document distributed to reporters. The event was the second of two meetings for Baumgartner on Monday. The first was held earlier in the day in Ritzville.
Early in the meeting, Baumgartner expressed concern about the perceived abdication of power from Congress to the Executive Branch. “Too much power has gone to Washington DC and it should be at the state and local level. So I don’t think the founding fathers ever thought Washington DC would be making as many decisions as they are, so big picture, I’m trying to push back to the state and local level because we are a country of 300 million people, diverse people, and the way we stay unified is allowing space for each other to have differences. Not everybody has to live the same way as other people think they should live, and that’s how we respect our federal system.” Baumgartner continued on saying “I don’t think the founders ever imagined that congress would give away so much authority to the executive branch,” he said. The statement drew jeers from the crowd, with many expressing that they don’t believe congress is doing enough to maintain the constitutional balance of executive power.
Results of a poll of attendees was projected on a screen. The top areas of concern included DOGE, checks and balances, and economic issues. In response to questions about DOGE cuts, Baumgartner said that the cuts DOGE makes aren’t real until congress acts on them. In a press availability after the town hall, Baumgartner would not answer questions about DOGE, or his feelings about their role in every level of the federal government.
Spokane resident Mary Ellen Gaffney-Brown questioned Baumgartner about threats to social security benefits, while others were concerned about reductions to Medicaid. Baumgartner stated that neither program would “be touched,” a response that drew more jeers and disbelief from the audience.
Asked where he would “draw the line in the sand” regarding the constitutional separation of powers, Baumgartner declined to provide a coherent response.
On the subject of US foreign policy, Baumgartner deferred to the executive branch citing their constitutional role. He did, however, state that he was not supportive of purported desires to annex Canada as the 51st U.S. state. “They’re a good neighbor,” he said. He also cited the more liberal nature of the Canadian population saying “republicans would never win another election” if Canada were annexed, drawing cheers from many in the crowd.
Baumgartner was supportive of annexing Greenland, only “if it can be done peacefully.” He cited unspecified national security interests for his position on the matter. “I believe it would be in America’s strategic benefit if we had Greenland,” he said
Throughout the meeting, Baumgartner cited former President Joe Biden’s efforts to cancel student loan debt as an example of the executive branch overstepping its authority. When asked how Biden’s debt reduction moves differed from current executive branch decisions regarding funding approved for USAID by congress, he said “USAID is a little different in that it is a national security issue,” without providing further specifics.
Baumgartner seemed amused by the level of pushback he received from attendees. At one point of apparent frustration, he asked those in the crowd who had voted for Donald Trump to raise their hand. Few did. The question raised concerns among many in attendance that Baumgartner only wished to represent the interests of like-minded voters.
In holding town hall meetings, Baumgartner has rejected advice from leaders in the Republican party to avoid holding such meetings. “I like holding town halls,” he said. Monday’s meeting was his seventh town hall in 75 days in office. He intends to hold more meetings but, citing safety concerns, he stated that his next town hall would likely be a telephone event.
