Government shutdown takes center stage during Rep. Madeleine Dean town hall

An 8-year-old named Alex got on the phone earlier this week to ask U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean a question.

“My mom is a teacher and my dad works for the national parks service. When will my dad get paid again?” Alex asked.

The Bala Cynwyd child was among 5,500 people who participated in a telephone town hall from Washington hosted by the congresswoman representing Pennsylvania’s fourth district.

“I don’t have a good answer for you yet, Alex, but I do want you to know I’m here, and I’m fighting to make sure that your mommy and daddy get paid,” Dean said.

There are around 2.9 million federal employees across the nation, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and around 66,656 in Pennsylvania. Dean speaking in a phone interview following the town hall said she was charmed by the child. She noted Alex’s father is one of thousands of federal workers being impacted financially as the government shutdown passed the one-week mark.

“I can’t think of more important service to our communities, and so while he gets the charm award, I am heartbroken this child is even aware of this conversation,” Dean said.

She’s held several in-person and virtual town halls throughout the year, including one attended by hundreds in April at Montgomery County Community College. The Oct. 8 forum allowed residents from Berks and Montgomery counties to ask Dean questions on a number of topics, but the government shutdown remained front and center.

“Republicans control the White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives. It’s a trifecta, and they are failing to govern,” Dean said.

‘Continuing harm’

Categorizing budgets as “moral documents” that “reflect our values,” Dean was candid during the Oct. 8 town hall for her reasoning behind voting against a continuing resolution.

“I want you to know I voted no on the temporary funding bill that the Republicans put forward because I didn’t see it as a continuing resolution. I saw it as continuing harm,” she said, citing the slashing of food assistance, health care and research monies.

“I won’t be complicit, and give my vote over for a budget that only does more harm, that serves a president’s cruel purposes and does nothing for our nation’s greater good,” Dean said.

Health care was a priority for Dean as she spoke about the ongoing government shutdown and the stalemate between Democrats and Republicans to extend Affordable Care Act subsidies amid fears of possible hikes to insurance premiums.

Dean warned that “millions of Americans will see their health care costs … more than double at the end of this year if Congress doesn’t act.”

“I’m heartened to see the unity among Democrats here, and I really want to report to you that in both the House and the Senate, we’re fighting for a budget that prioritizes Americans’ health and cost of living, a budget that will literally save lives,” Dean said. “So I call upon my Republican colleagues to come back to Washington.”

Standing firm

While acknowledging people will “experience some difficulty because of” the government shutdown, a Berks County resident praised Dean and fellow Democrats for standing firm.

“I’m going to be satisfied with it because I know [you’re] thinking long term for the benefit of the people’s health care, and I think you’re doing the right thing. So stick to your guns. Do not vote for that bill that wants to rob us of health insurance,” she said.

Margie, of Glenside, pressed Dean with a concern about Democratic messaging not reaching “the Republicans or the Trump supporters.” She went on to take issue with remarks made by Vice President JD Vance earlier this month concerning health care access for undocumented immigrants.

“If you’re an American citizen, if you’ve been to a hospital in the last few years you’ve probably noticed that wait times are especially large and very often someone who’s there in the emergency room is an illegal alien, very often a person who can’t even speak English,” Vance said. “Why do those people get health care benefits at hospitals paid by American citizens?”

“The willingness of the vice president of the United States to lie on the podium and the platform that he holds on the world stage is so troubling to me. That is a direct lie,” Dean said, referencing his comments.

Eligibility parameters for American Care Act marketplace access require people to reside in the U.S., be a U.S. citizen or national and cannot be incarcerated, according to usa.gov.

“That is the law. We’re not trying to change that,” Dean said.

Dean sat in her office in the Cannon House Office Building as the government shutdown continues. The last government shutdown, which occurred during President Donald Trump’s first term in office lasted 35 days from 2018-2019.

“How does it end? I don’t know. I pray to God it’s because good people stand up and say enough is enough. This has gone too far and real people are hurting,” she told MediaNews Group.

Concerns over democracy

Concerns over the fate of democracy were also on the minds of constituents calling into the town hall. A Glenside resident expressed concern over comments made by Stephen Miller, a deputy chief of staff for policy with President Donald Trump’s administration, on CNN earlier this week, citing that Trump has “plenary authority.”

“I am gravely worried about the role Stephen Miller is playing,” Dean said, referring to activities in Trump’s past administration and the creation of Project 2025, also known as the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, which lays out a conservative blueprint on government agencies and executive powers.

“Stephen Miller has been right out front, right out on the White House lawn, saying all kinds of things that support what I think he is crafting and driving in this president’s agenda, which is authoritarianism,” Dean said. “… This idea that you put all power within the president.”

Dean vehemently opposed the deployment of National Guard troops and castigated Trump’s speech to military generals, suggesting American cities should be used as “training grounds.”

“You don’t even have to be in the military to know that that is not within what our military is supposed to do, which is to keep us safe,” Dean said. “They are warriors. They are trained warriors. They’re not supposed to be law enforcement on our city streets.”

‘Losing our democracy?’

Dean also raised the alarm on Trump’s conduct throughout his time in office and asserted “he’s not living up to his constitutional oath.”

“Are we losing our democracy? And how do we fight to maintain it? And what is ‘fight’ going to require? And finally, what can be done to influence voting Republicans to fight for our democracy when the majority Republican congress refuses to?” asked a Norristown resident identified as William.

“I am a big believer this is on all of us, and I am gravely worried about our democracy,” Dean replied. “What we have seen in the courts of these nine months of this administration is a rapid grab of power by the president to himself, to the executive.”

While Dean acknowledged that “we are in a grave place,” she said she’s “not without hope” as she encouraged people to continue speaking out.

“I am confident through free and fair elections, we will get to a better day,” Dean said. We will protect this democracy, and then we will strengthen it to make a more perfect union under a different set of administrations, but I thank you, William, for your question, and thanks for worrying about it.”