Kilmer draws large crowd of like-minded to town hall
Duane de Lessart took the microphone at U.S. Rep. Derek Kilmer’s town hall meeting Wednesday to argue that his “quality of life” as a gay man was under attack.
The Erlands Point resident told the Gig Harbor Democrat he worries President Donald Trump's administration will unveil proposals that will negatively impact everyone in the LGBTQ community.
“I’m here, I’m queer, and I’m not going back in the closet,” he told Kilmer, drawing dozens of the energized crowd to their feet at the Admiral Theatre.
The response might have been the most boisterous at Kilmer’s record-setting town hall, which drew at least 1,000 people to hear from the third-term congressman. Kilmer, as he had at different points in the evening, told de Lessart that he could not promise “everything’s going to be OK” as a member of the minority party in Washington, D.C. “I can at least tell you that you have a representative who has your back,” Kilmer said to cheers.
Some members of Congress have returned home to stiff opposition. This was not one of those town halls. Kilmer faced a mostly friendly, fired-up crowd, many of whom had never attended such an event.
It was the first town hall for Lisa Fowler of Bremerton, who said she had a “social responsibility” to speak out on issues including the environment and education. What ultimately brought her out?
“Trump pushed me over the edge,” she said, criticizing what she found to be brash campaign tactics.
Kilmer, who has conducted 23 such gatherings since 2013, is used to crowds of 50 to 60 at the nearby Norm Dicks Government Center.
At the Admiral, he used the stage to outline bipartisan proposals, to express that he’s “deeply, deeply concerned” about the new administration and offer avenues to “challenge (the crowd’s) energies toward productive purposes,” he said.
His office mantra is, “We don’t agonize, we organize.”
He implored those in the crowd to join advocacy groups, talk to friends in other districts who could help sway Kilmer’s congressional colleagues and to get ready for the “thing I can’t talk about,” citing ethics rules.
“Which is 2018,” he said, hinting of the next federal election cycle.
Many more still had questions after the 1 1/2-hour session was over. Several wanted Kilmer to address his support for Hillary Clinton against Trump and whether an alternative like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders would have improved chances for a Democratic victory.
Kilmer kicked off the town hall discussing a series of proposals that led to cheers — strengthening congressional ethics rules, investigating foreign influence in the presidential election and making it mandatory that presidential candidates disclose their tax returns, which he pointed out Trump did not do.
The biggest applause during his remarks likely came on three issues: campaign finance reform in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision (“I do not think money is speech and that corporations are people”), tying congressional pay to a passed budget — not a “continuing resolution” — and ending the gerrymandering of congressional districts.
“Voters should choose their elected officials rather than elected officials choosing their voters,” he said to cheers.
Kilmer took more shots at Trump as the night went on, railing against the president’s appointment of adviser Steve Bannon to the Principals Committee of the National Security Council.
And in reference to the president's Twitter: “It takes years to build alliances, and 140 characters to bring them down.”
Kilmer said he supports immigration reform but is not pleased with Trump’s proposals for a border wall with Mexico and for increased deportations. Border security at ports and the northern border should be integral, too, he said, noting the only capture of a terrorist was Ahmed Ressam in 1999. Ressam was arrested in Kilmer’s hometown of Port Angeles off the ferry from Victoria, B.C., with a trunkful of explosive material he’d hoped to detonate at Los Angeles International Airport.
One person questioned whether Kilmer, as a Democrat in the minority, would be able to accomplish much. He responded by saying it likely would take working with those across the aisle. As an example, he said members of the armed services must wait 180 days to gain employment with the federal government. He believes eliminating that requirement could succeed.
“If we want to have the backs of veterans, we should have the backs of veterans,” he said.
By: Josh Farley
Source: Kitsap Sun