BRISTOL, PA - On Saturday, May 10th, Pennsylvania Democrats, along with Bucks County Democrats hosted a town hall at Ben Franklin Middle School in Bristol, PA which featured remarks from Arizona Senator Rueben Gallego (D-AZ), Congresswoman Madeline Dean (PA-4), DNC Vice Chair Malcolm Kenyatta,  State Senator and PA Democratic Party Chair, Sharif Street (SD-3) and State Senator and Bucks County Committee Chair Steve Santarsiero (SD-10) and Bucks County Commissioners Bob Harvie, and Diane Ellis-Marseglia followed by a lively Q&A session.

Energy was high in the middle school auditorium as eager Bucks County residents heard from Democratic party representatives amidst a notable dearth of communication or contact from Republican congressman Rep. Bryan Fitzpatrick, who along with his Republican colleagues has failed to hold a town hall or make himself available for public comment since the beginning of this term.

Speakers laid out plans for Democrats to fight back against many of the Trump Administration’s repressive actions, with a special emphasis on preserving access to Medicaid and Medicare for Pennsylvanians and Americans across the nation. The crowd seemed especially excited to hear that many actions are being taken at a state and national level and that there are opportunities for them to be involved citizens.

One common theme that was heard in all of the remarks was that just as the issues being discussed affect all Pennsylvanians regardless of political affiliation, there is room for all Pennsylvanians to protect our rights and maintain vital government programs. This event was open to attendees of all political persuasions, and the Q&A was not filtered to feature attendees of any party or affiliation.

Additionally, attendees had a chance to learn from other volunteers from their community about how they can be involved with their local Bucks County Democratic Committee and double check their voter registration ahead of the upcoming Pennsylvania primaries, which will be held on Tuesday, May 20th.

Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chair and State Senator Sharif Street had this to say about this town hall:

“At the People’s Town Hall, I made it clear: protecting Medicaid and healthcare access is non-negotiable. Federal cuts would devastate vulnerable Pennsylvanians who rely on programs like Medicaid, CHIP, and the ACA. We must fight to keep healthcare affordable, accessible, and equitable for all.”

Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie had this to say about the town hall:

“We know what the last hundred days have done … What’s Brian Fitzpatrick done? We know he doesn’t do town halls. We see him on Facebook, we see him taking pictures with kids at little league games, but we don’t see him standing up to protect the Department of Education so those same kids can get a good education. Brian Fitzpatrick’s been in office for ten years. That’s long enough, it’s time for change.”