Apparently visits from constituents have House Republicans cowering in terror. According to this 2/07/17 article from Politico, “Republicans fear for their safety as Obamacare protests grow,”
House Republicans during a closed-door meeting Tuesday discussed how to protect themselves and their staffs from protesters storming town halls and offices in opposition to repealing Obamacare, sources in the room told Politico.
House Republicans received advice from Rep. David Reichert, a former county sheriff, on how to protect themselves, which included
having a physical exit strategy at town halls, or a backdoor in congressional offices to slip out of, in case demonstrations turn violent; having local police monitor town halls; replacing any glass office-door entrances with heavy doors and deadbolts; and setting up intercoms to ensure those entering congressional offices are there for appointments, not to cause chaos.
Looks like Republicans are getting busy barricading themselves away from constituents. What next? Moats? Drawbridges? Barbicans? Tanks?
Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.) made this comment:
“For those of us who have children in grade school and that kind of thing, there’s a factor in all of this, saying: How far will the progressive movement go to try to intimidate us?”
Notice Walker’s raising of the “threat” level and its association with the progressive movement.
If you’re feeling anger from your constituents, Republicans, maybe it’s because you aren’t listening to them. Or maybe you are just preparing a case that constituent protests have become so violent that they require extreme measures in response?