Citizens gather to demand town hall meeting from Rep. Austin Scott

WARNER ROBINS – Middle Georgians for Democracy gathered at Representative Austin Scott’s office, demanding a meeting and answers to their concerns on Monday, March 17.

Scott represents the eighth congressional district, which makes up middle Georgia. He is in his eighth term as a U.S. representative, according to his website. 

Organizers put together a “town hall” since he has not hosted one in approximately a decade, which was for veterans only. Attendees were encouraged to voice their concerns, bring questions, and leave them on an empty chair, which represented Scott’s absence. 

Concerns ranged from Scott’s support of executive orders being signed by President Donald Trump and how it’s affecting his constituents. This includes:

• Federal employees and veterans.
• Voting in favor of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which requires individuals to provide documented proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Funding cuts to the Department of Education, school lunch programs and food banks.
• Funding cuts to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
• How tariffs will affect agriculture.
• Immigration and Scott’s support of mass deportations.

Attendees who spoke up were retired educators, veterans, local activists and, overall, citizens of District Eight.

An organizer, Anita Barkin, said attendees felt their voices were not heard, especially by Scott. She said he has refused their request to host a town hall meeting. She also said whenever people send him their concerns, they receive generic responses instead of informing his constituents how he plans to address their issues. 

“We felt it was important to hold the town hall so that people had the opportunity to voice their concerns and to let him know that he works for us, that is his job as a representative who is duly elected to office, unlike Elon Musk,” Barkin said.

Barkin hopes people will walk away knowing they’re not alone in their concerns and their fears about the current administration. She also hopes attendees will feel uplifted by the fact others share their concerns.

One of many attendees was DeMarcus Beckham, a Senior Regional organizer for the Human Rights Campaign.

Beckham said people think the relationship ends when they vote for a representative. He believes it is an ongoing relationship, where the constituents hold representatives accountable and highlight issues in the community, the goal of the town hall.

He believes national leaders are causing concern, uncertainty about the economy, and general uncertainty in lives. Beckham wants answers from Scott on what he will do to stop the chaos.

“You are representing us, from healthcare to veterans. [He] has spent his whole career talking about how he protects our veterans yet we recently saw many of them being disbanded from serving in our services. We are now seeing our Department of Education being disbanded,”  Beckham said.

Beckham wants Scott to tell his constituents why he is supporting those executive orders. He also wants to know what Scott is doing to protect his citizens’ way of life.

Julia Adele Callahan, Vice Chair of Macon and Bibb County Democrats, member of Young Democrats of Georgia, and Co-Founder of Middle Georgia for Choice, also attended the town hall. As a reproductive justice activist, her questions to Scott involve his stance on contraception, IVF, and abortion access.

“What are you going to do on behalf of your constituents to make sure we are represented to the administration? As an elected official, you have an obligation to come to the people you represent and I think a lot of the questions today will be about that and why hasn’t he been here,” Callahan said.

Callahan believes their power is collective and believes when people come together to demand change, that is when it happens.

“People are losing their jobs and we are trying to afford rent and groceries,” Callahan said. “[Scott] may not know those things and he might not be in touch with the constituents in his community. We want him to see what his community looks like, what the constituents in his community look like, and what problems we’re actively facing.”

Callahan believes the town hall is a reflection of a need for more working-class in politics rather than established politicians. She hopes the town hall will help Scott realize they need to meet and he will do it soon.

Barkin was thrilled to see a turnout and to see people around middle Georgia come together.

“I think it shows a demonstration of the strength of the American people,” she said.

The event ended with a singing of “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee,” which she explained was a reminder of the country’s founding principles and a display of patriotism.

“It was founded on freedom, on liberty and we are all part of that. We will, as a whole, let our voices be heard,” Barkin said. “I applaud those who came today because they took time out of their day and they had courage to come here and speak out.”