On the same day when Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed by an unknown substance during a town hall in Minneapolis, fellow Democrat Becca Balint held a similar meeting in Montpelier. The atmosphere in Vermont was welcoming and civil as residents lined up to address their representative.
News of the attack on Omar broke after Balint’s town hall in Montpelier. But, as if in response to what happened in Minnesota, the Vermont Democrat opened her meeting thanking people for being active citizens trying to figure out how to bring the country back in line with its values.
“It was only a month ago when we turned the corner on the year and I know I heard from so many of my friends in Congress, but also my neighbors and my family, good riddance to that year. Right? How could it be worse? Turns out it could get a lot worse real quick.”
Balint told the audience she traveled with 28 other Democrats to Minnesota about a week and a half ago to talk to residents and understand what is happening there after federal agents killed two U.S. citizens less than a month apart.
“This is the largest surge of federal law enforcement in a concentrated area in the history of this nation. This is about abuse of power. This is about terrorizing a community and it is about trying to break us. And I know from the phone calls that I’m getting people are overwhelmingly concerned and frightened about what is happening with ICE and Border Patrol. A lot of Vermonters also concerned about health care and just generally about the health of the democracy going forward.”
Vermonters asked Balint about a number of issues. Joanne Garton said she is a naturalized citizen living in Montpelier.
“And I don’t take that for granted at all. I love being able to vote. What can we do to make sure that people in Vermont can vote and that people in other states can vote and that our votes are actually counted?”
Balint responded, “Yeah, I have a tremendous amount of faith in our Secretary of State and all of our town clerks across Vermont. In terms of the vote in particular, if we don’t have faith in the process the whole thing falls apart.”
Fran Dodd brought up what she felt were the president’s questionable financial actions.
“I want to know what can be done or what is being done about the account that Trump has set up in Qatar...”
“Yes, the slush fund,” Balint said.
“...To put in the Venezuelan oil money?”
“We’re saving all the receipts,” noted Balint.
Balint told the audience that she and other Democrats are planning their own Project 2027 to restore the economy and government if they gain the majority in the midterms.
“I’ve got my hard days, I won’t lie. Sometimes, like in the Jack Smith hearing last week I felt like I was in upside down land. We can’t even agree on basic facts of what happened in the Capitol. And certainly the most immediate concern for us right now are making sure we have free and fair elections. We know that we cannot get caught flat-footed and we have to plan for every horrible eventuality.”
Throughout the nearly hour-and-a-half public comment, no one offered any criticism of Balint, who has served as Vermont’s at-large Congresswoman since 2023.
Michael Hoffman expressed his disgust with the Trump administration.
“We have to take the House. We have to take the Senate. We have to impeach this (bleeped). And if possible the Vice President, the Speaker of the House and the SCOTUS. So, I don’t know that we can do a clean sweep, but it would be a nice thing.”
“If we had had the majority we wouldn’t have lost so many things,” Balint lamented.
Balint’s closing comment was intended to motivate Vermonters.
“Don’t lose hope. I haven’t lost hope. We’re going to get through this but we’re going to do it together. This is our country and we set the agenda. We set the course.”
