U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam took questions about the Affordable Care Act, the ban on travel from seven majority Muslim countries and Russian influence in the administration of President Donald Trump Monday night via a telephone conference arranged through his campaign website.
On social media, some reported technical difficulties that dropped them from the call, cut off the sound or provided poor quality audio that they could not understand. Roskam’s office reported that 18,000 live participants were on the call with the Wheaton Republican.
The 72-minute event featured questions from more than a dozen listeners, including many who challenged his refusal to participate in town halls where critics could face him in person.
During a tense exchange with a woman who identified herself as a member of the League of Women Voters, Roskam was asked to explain why he declined an invitation to debate his opponent during the last election. He said participating in that type of event didn’t fit into his campaign strategy.
The caller then asked him to commit to appearing with his opponent at a forum during the next campaign.
“I am not willing to make any commitments in advance of any sort of campaign. So, no, in answer to your question,” Roskam said.
Roskam recently declined an invitation from area League of Women Voters groups to participate in a town hall this month. He also has been criticized by groups of constituents who wanted to meet with him to share their views of the Affordable Care Act, which he opposes.
Some have protested at his office and hundreds appeared outside a closed event in Palatine while Roskam spoke to Republicans inside. During the call, he said he left that event through a back door because of a police recommendation.
Responding to a number of questions about health care, Roskam emphasized his desire to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, using the forum to stress his views that the individual mandate does not help control costs and that people with pre-existing conditions should have access to coverage.
He also used the event to call the rollout of Trump’s travel ban, “inartful,” and said he is “very, very concerned about any softening or any weakening of U.S. policy toward Russia.”
Roskam opened the call by calling it a “highly interactive format.” It allows selected callers to ask questions, but few were allowed follow up questions or share their own views or experiences.
When one caller challenged the congressman’s refusal to appear in an open meeting with constituents, Roskam said he determined the town hall format is unproductive after he participated in one.
“Here was my experience … people come in, and they get angry and they hold placards and they shout at one another and they feel bad and they escalate and they end up being a disaster,” Roskam said on the call.
He concluded with praise for the questions, noting that some were critical and that, “reasonable people can differ on issues.” He emphasized the need for people to remain engaged in the political process.
“As tumultuous and sometimes chaotic as it might seem, this system works, and it is given life and buoyancy when people participate,” he said.
