Angry Florida voters are staging creative protests as their congressional representative continues avoiding public forums. Fed up with Republican Rep. Kat Cammack’s refusal to hold town hall meetings, constituents in Florida’s 3rd District have begun organizing “empty chair” events to voice their concerns. The unusual gatherings highlight growing voter frustration with inaccessible elected officials.
The National Republican Congressional Committee recently advised GOP lawmakers against holding in-person town halls after several viral incidents. Videos showed Republican members of Congress facing furious constituents protesting federal worker firings and budget cuts. In one notable case, police used a stun gun and arrested three protesters at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s event earlier this month. Similar heated exchanges occurred at forums hosted by Senator Chuck Grassley and Rep. Mike Lawler.
Despite multiple requests, Cammack hasn’t hosted any town halls virtual or in-person since before President Trump’s January inauguration. This silence prompted action from frustrated voters in Gainesville and High Springs, where more than 150 people combined attended two “empty chair” town halls last week. The events allowed constituents to direct their questions to an empty seat representing their absent congresswoman.
At the April 25 Gainesville gathering, retired federal workers and teachers expressed particular concern about threatened Social Security benefits and research funding cuts affecting the University of Florida. “People are literally celebrating when their Social Security checks arrive because they’re afraid they might stop coming,” said Jenn Powell of the Alachua County Labor Coalition, one of the event organizers. Attendees questioned why Cammack hasn’t protected critical research programs that drive the local economy.
The April 27 High Springs event drew similar complaints about federal program cuts and perceived constitutional overreach by the Trump administration. Several participants noted Cammack previously sponsored legislation to limit executive power but hasn’t pursued it during Trump’s second term. Ebonie Bryant, chair of the Alachua County Democratic Party, summarized the prevailing sentiment: “How can our representative properly serve us if she refuses to hear our concerns?”
Organizers plan to compile questions from both events and deliver them to Cammack’s office along with video documentation. Meanwhile, President Trump has dismissed town hall protesters as paid disruptors, tweeting that they should be “immediately ejected” from such events.
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