A Washington state Democrat came under fire during a town hall after backing a bill that would require voters to prove their citizenship when casting a ballot.
On Thursday, U.S. Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez walked into a town hall attended by hundreds of her constituents in Vancouver and was met with resounding boos.
Voters were upset she’d voted for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act and other pieces of legislation.
The second-term congresswoman struggled to speak over the disturbances during the hour-long event, according to KOIN 6.
Attendees told the outlet they wanted their representative to know they were outraged, even though Gluesenkamp Perez had told them the bill wouldn’t pass in the Senate.
“Americans believe that only US citizens should be determining the outcome of American elections. And any idea that I am standing to disenfranchise people is patently false,” the representative said at the meeting.
Anna Brouns, who lives in the congresswoman’s district, said: “I came here to hear what she has to say. Unfortunately, it always sounds like the same thing.”
She said she wants the representative to be angrier than she is and get more done.
“I wish that she would stand stronger and voice more of like, ‘This is what I’m doing. I’m doing x, y, z. I’m talking to the Republicans. I’m trying to get them to shift.’ That would be helpful. Instead of talking about shop class,” Brouns said.
Gluesenkamp Perez reiterated her commitment to “being here and present and available and accountable and trying to have as productive of a conversation as we can.”
The congresswoman was whisked away after the event for security concerns, her team told the TV station.
