U.S. Representative Tom Reed (NY-R) will visit Fillmore tomorrow to speak with constituents, including a group of Student Government Association and Eco Reps members. “A town hall meeting is a public gathering where ordinary citizens can ask questions of their elected representatives,” according to Eco Reps faculty advisor, Brian Webb.
Sergio Matta ‘18 and Eco Reps have partnered the last two semesters to advocate for action in environmental and immigration policy by contacting Reed every week. They’ve accomplished this through the Do Something Table project, which is open in the Van Dyk Lounge every Thursday. The table, staffed with Matta and Eco Reps members, urges students to contact Reed regarding different policy issues. The project is sponsored by the Center for Faith, Justice, and Global Engagement, according to Webb.
Matta, who is an intern with the Washington, D.C. based lobbying group Friends Committee on National Legislation, is fulfilling his internship duties by organizing students toward political activism through the project. Matta said, “The Do Something Table focuses on the environment and immigration. One week we do immigration, and the next we do the environment. Immigration policy is the focus of my internship.”
“These topics were chosen for two key reasons,” Webb said. “First, they are same topics as the past two Faith and Justice Symposia, so in that way we’re building on issues that have been widely discussed on campus in recent years. Second, of the various justice-related issues that are currently being debated in the public sphere, these seem to be two of the issues where we’re most in danger of making backward progress.”
Matta expressed hope that Reed will be open to bipartisanship in the polarized political climate on Capitol Hill. “He opposed the shutting down of the House Ethics Committee” Matta said, a move which was contrary to many of Reed’s Republican colleagues.
Sarah Vande Brake ‘18, a member of Eco Reps, said the Do Something Table has encouraged students to urge Reed to support specific environmental legislation. She said, “For climate change, [we’ve asked Reed to support] a carbon tax, [and have asked] Reed to join the bipartisan Climate Solutions Caucus.” At the Table, students are given a script for making the call.“ To make the situation less intimidating, we provide scripts for people so they’ll have something to guide them when making the phone call,” Vande Brake said.
In regard to immigration issues, the Do Something Table asked students to urge Reed to stand for certain principles regarding legislation, such as “encouraging him to keep families together,” according to Vande Brake. They also counseled more left-leaning students to “appeal to the more Republican side” of the issue by “telling Reed that immigrants are important to our economy,” she said. Vande Brake estimated that about 10 to 15 students call Reed every week to discuss policy issues.
“There’s a liberal bent obviously as these issues tend to be more Democrats’ issues and Reed is a Republican,” she said. “The point of it is not to advocate for a particular party. Essentially, bipartisan solutions are what the goal is. Anyone can call their congressman. I’m happy to see people being politically active regardless.”
Anna Schilke ‘19, who regularly mans the table, agreed. “I decided to get involved with the Do Something Table because I like the idea of constructive action. There was a lot of frustration about the election, from both sides, and this is a good way to channel those feelings into something productive.”
In Webb’s view, tomorrow’s town hall meeting is a chance to see the work of the Do Something Table come to fruition. “This is our opportunity to ask Tom Reed face to face what he wants to do about climate change, immigration reform, racial issues, [and other justice issues],” he stated.
Still, sustained contact with elected officials through phone and email influences officials as well, Schilke stated. “ It’s hard to get people to stop by the table and make a call, and although that’s understandable – it can be intimidating to call a congressman – I would love to see more people get involved. Imagine if even twenty percent of the student body made a call or typed an email. Two hundred messages in the space of two hours would be hugely influential.”