MORRISTOWN -- Friday, they brought a cake. Two weeks ago, it was cookies.
Each Friday, NJ 11th for Change gathers at the office of U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11) to bring him treats and their concerns about his recent votes to begin the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Carrying "Where's Rodney?" signs and petitions, their tactics have been more congenial than confrontational.
But as Frelinghuysen continues to appear to avoid them, and fails to schedule a town hall meeting, reportedly citing scheduling conflicts, the crowd has swelled from just three people on Jan. 9 to several hundred this week. Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th) has faced similar protests at his office in Westfield this past week.
"We have been trying to engage our congressman about what concerns us," said Marion Jacobson, one of Frelinghuysen's constituents and an organizer of the group of protesters, who say they are nonpartisan. "Many of us here have voted for him. He's been a moderate, but his recent votes have been with the (President) Trump agenda."
Such open protest against two longtime Republicans -- Lance is serving his fourth term and Frelinghuysen was re-elected in November to an 11th term -- is unusual in these heavily Republican districts. They, however, aren't the only Congressional leaders who have had to deal with the recent wave of displeasure from their constituents.
Hunterdon County typically runs Republican, but, according to WNYC, a first meeting was recently held for "Progressive Hunterdon County," where so many people showed up the group ran out of name tags, agendas and seats.
Outside of the Garden State, U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, faced boos in his home district during a town hall Thursday over his support of President Donald Trump, NPR reported, and, according to the Los Angeles Times, U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) had to be escorted out by police from a heated town hall meeting on Saturday.
Congressional Republicans have reportedly been developing strategies for how to handle protests such as these at their offices and town hall meetings in light of the proposed repeal of the ACA, including having plans in place to slip out of the back doors of their offices or quickly escape town hall meetings if they have safety concerns, according to a report by Politico.
In Frelinghuysen's case, one group -- NJ 11th for Change -- has been showing up at his office every Friday for the past month seeking a face-to-face meeting.
Frelinghuysen has repeatedly advocated for the repeal of ACA. A statement on his congressional website outlines the steps taken by Republicans to "partially repeal, defund and dismantle the law" with "the ultimate goal of full repeal."
Members of NJ 11th for Change hand delivered about 2,300 petitions from around the district to Frelinghuysen's office on Friday -- as well as a homemade cake for his staff.
"We're not there to antagonize them," Jacobson said. "But he's made 10 votes against our district and there's no substitute for a face-to-face meeting."
Along with the petitions, the group also provided four different dates and venues within Frelinghuysen's district where a town hall meeting could be held.
In addition to 120 protesters at Lance's Westfield office on Wednesday and more than 200 at Frelinghuysen's office on Friday, dozens more honked their horns in support as they drove past the demonstrations.
The pressure may have begun to work. Lance's spokesman, John Byers, announced Thursday the congressman plans to hold a town hall meeting at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m.
Frelinghuysen, in a statement, offered to listen to the community but wouldn't specify when or where.
"I represent over 700,000 people across the 54 communities in four counties of the 11th district," he said. "To keep current on their views, beliefs and concerns and solutions, I listen to constituents at community events, civic get-togethers, social gatherings, business meetings, veterans engagements, a wide array of breakfasts, lunches and dinners and formal and informal meetings in my offices. I will continue to do so."
Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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