WCDC Members Attend "Empty Chair" Town Hall

Many members of WCDC showed up on Wednesday, April 16th for an "Empty Chair" Town Hall event in Abingdon. The event was organized by Take Action SWVA, a local non-partisan advocacy group.

Organizers had invited Congressman Morgan Griffith who represents the 9th District, to attend the town hall, but he declined, citing scheduling conflicts. Congressman Griffith was photographed in Abingdon on April 17th attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

More than 150 people showed up to the Town Hall, and a variety of concerns and complaints were posed to the absent Griffith.

Multiple residents described Griffith's performance under President Trump as a dereliction of his oath to the Constitution, and called for his resignation.

Others spoke angrily about how the Trump administration's funding cuts betray veterans, shared their own experiences finding out their USDA farm funding had been frozen, and recounted the harm caused to young children by fears of ICE raids.

The event received local coverage from WJHL; folks can read the story and watch an interview with one of the Town Hall's organizers here: https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/southwest-virginia-residents-voice-concerns-at-empty-chair-town-hall/