Smoke ’em out

Congress is now in recess through April, returning on May 3. This would be an ideal period for our Montana congressional delegation to meet with their constituents – wouldn’t it?

Don’t hold your breath. A check with the four Capitol Hill offices last week revealed not a one of them had plans for an event where he would take questions and provide answers – with the exceptions of Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy visiting a few high school assemblies to talk about service academy nominations they make.

Some low-profile, personally selected appearances such as Sheehy at a Belgrade community event or what Rep. Troy Downing’s staffer said were small-group or personal visits will occur but there won’t be advance notice to the public. Reporters aren’t welcome – Sheehy turned his back on a television crew after his talk in Miles City. It seems the best way to keep track of them is to get your own “X” account which each uses to boast of his activities. 

Meanwhile, Montana voters have questions, and all four of our millionaire congressmen have pledged to represent all of us, not just those who cast ballots for them.

What if folks requested time of them by using congressional websites to fill out the online scheduling request form each has? Bear in mind that each request requires a lot of information such as name of the host, issue area, number of attendees, preferred dates and times, location and reason for meeting. Each also wants to know in advance the names and hometowns of meeting attendees.

As there is no information in the request forms for any of the four regarding how requests are accepted, we might assume that any topic about the congressman’s work would be regarded as an opportunity to engage in good constituent interchange.

I would like to suggest several topics for voters asking for a meeting or appearance as these questions are being raised across Montana:

• Do you have input or prior notification into agency staff and funding decisions handed down by Department Of Government Efficiency?
• Do you believe DOGE does enough research and verification before issuing its far-reaching judgments?
• As each of you have had corporate experience and responsibility, would you have imposed draconian personnel and funding cuts without fully understanding employee roles and responsibilities in your organization?
• Why are government agencies being dismantled without prior congressional involvement since it was Congress that enabled them in the first place?
• What will be the role of the 200-some committees and sub-committees in re-forming our government agencies after staff and funding reductions demanded by DOGE?
• What is your level of concern for DOGE infiltration in protected information areas held by the Social Security Administration, IRS, Medicare and Medicaid programs and departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Interior, Treasury, and others?
• Do you support the Supreme Court decision that undocumented immigrants must receive legal due process before being deported?

Here is my point: Our state’s congressional delegation is heeding the orders of the leaders of the House and Senate reelection campaigns to stop holding in-person town halls. We are not all radical leftists, Marxists, Socialists, deranged Democrats, America-haters and all the other insulting labels being attached to us, citizens who honestly questioning what is happening to our country.

If the delegation continues to hide from us – can we smoke ‘em out?