Schneider Answers Constituents At Northbrook Library

NORTHBROOK, IL — With Congress in recess, members have returned to their districts, where many have been facing increased interest from newly politically active constituents.

On Saturday morning, Rep. Brad Schneider (D, IL-10) held a town hall at the Northbrook Public Library, where he was greeted by an overflow crowd eager to aid what he called "a long resistance."

Opposition groups have been organizing several nationwide efforts to attend local congressional town hall-style events. Some representatives have been loudly challenged by large crowds disputing factually dubious assertions*.

The crowd for Schneider's roughly 90-min event was raucous, as the congressman from Deerfield handled a series of questions from constituents who gave him a standing ovation when he entered and often shouted out questions and comments without being called upon, according to Pioneer Press.

They asked about the president's refusal to release his tax returns, his potential violation of the constitutional ban on accepting money from foreign governments and an independent investigation of former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn's ties to Russia.

"These are all fair concerns. The challenge we face — and there is nothing I can do about it, but we are in the minority," Schneider responded, saying there was little House Democrats could do without convincing some of their Republican colleagues to join with them, Pioneer Press reported.

"If all of us try to do everything, we will accomplish nothing," the congressman told the packed library auditorium, which could not fit everyone who showed up. Instead, he suggested, they should focus on educating friends and neighbors and get involved with organizations locally that are fighting for the change they're seeking, according to Pioneer Press.

He also specifically mentioned his Republican colleagues in nearby districts, like Rep. Peter Roskam, who avoided another potentially embarrassing scene (like arrest of a pediatrician who attempted to enter one of his events earlier this month) by holding his town hall with screened questions over the phone.

Officially, the recess is called a "district work period," congress next convenes in Washington on Monday, Feb. 27.

*Subsequently to that event, Rep. Gus Bilirakis, (R, FL-12) introduced the Pre-Existing Conditions Protection Act, saying, "I made a promise to gather input from the people of Florida’s 12th District about the future of our nation’s health care, and I am keeping that promise with this legislation."

(Photos courtesy of Rep. Schneider's office.)