INDIANAPOLIS — As significant votes unfold in Washington, D.C., many residents in central Indiana are having a hard time connecting with their congressional representatives.
Last week, Congress was on recess, and only Representative André Carson held a virtual town hall to engage with constituents.
Town halls provide an opportunity for everyday Hoosiers to direct questions at their elected officials. However, with the fast pace of legislative developments in Washington, many residents feel their questions are going unanswered.
With President Trump's second term underway, numerous Hoosiers are asking how their representatives are supporting or opposing the President's agenda. Some constituents report feeling unheard.
“It is part of your job to communicate with your constituents," Gerrie Bonarrigo, a resident of Victoria Spartz’s district, said. "You don't get a free pass by hitting send on an email or having a college kid pick up the phone or 'I don't know' or 'No comment' or whatever it is that they've been told to say."
Camille Deerine, who lives in Jefferson Shreve’s district, shared similar sentiments.
“It feels like he is hiding; it feels like he is weak, and it feels like he isn't answering the questions that will be difficult to his constituents, and that is his number one job," she said.
These Hoosiers, as well as others, who have contacted WRTV have shared how there has been a lack of communication from their central Indiana representatives. They say that staffers often don’t answer phone calls, and when they do, answers are limited. Frustration is furthered by the absence of town hall meetings.
“In order to reach her, the office was saying it would normally be town halls, but they don't have a schedule yet this year. Here we are in February, and there is still no schedule for any town halls," Melanie Guzzi, also from Spartz's district, said.
"People voted you in, you answer to them," Deerine added. "You don't answer to people who, quite frankly, were not even elected to do that; they are doing Washington."
In an attempt to reach the representatives, WRTV made phone calls to local offices of central Indiana’s congressional delegation.
Offices for Representatives Shreve and Jim Baird, as well as Senator Todd Young, did not answer the phones at their local offices. However, the offices of Representatives Victoria Spartz and André Carson and Senator Jim Banks answered but had no upcoming town hall dates to share.
Experts suggest this may reflect a trend when constituents express frustration.
“In Indiana, we don't have very many competitive districts, so the incentive to go and shake hands with the people and talk to them is less because almost all the districts in the state are non-competitive,” Aaron Dusso, an associate professor of political science at Indiana University Indianapolis, said.
Many constituents are left with a sense of disconnection and that their voices aren't being heard.
“We don't have a voice in it," Guzzi said. "They have decided what they are doing or not doing, and they are going to ride with it. They are not going to be open to what their constituents actually want.”
It is essential to recognize that politicians are not legally required to communicate with constituents in their districts. However, experts indicate that maintaining dialogue is generally good politics.
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