U.S. Senator Pat Toomey answered questions and listened to comments from Pennsylvanians in a tele town hall event on Tuesday, the second he's held in as many weeks.
During the 40-minute call, constituents asked their Republican senator about a variety of issues, from tariffs to election security. One constituent was concerned about President Donald Trump’s foreign policy practices and one-on-one meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un of North Korea.
“Sometimes I disagree so strongly that I feel it’s necessary to put out a statement,” said Toomey, who has criticized Trump's "blindness" regarding Putin's actions. “But as a general matter, focus on what the president does rather than what he says.”
Before taking questions, Toomey touted Congress’s accomplishments, which by his reckoning included confirming Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, rolling back regulations, and the repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.
Toomey was asked, as he has been in previous calls, why he didn't meet face to face with constituents. Since Toomey's 2016 reelection, some constituents have criticized him for not making himself more available to constituents.
Toomey laughed the question off, saying he has met many times with constituents since being elected in 2011, he did say that in-person town halls aren’t always useful.
“Sometimes, some people just go to disrupt the event,” said Toomey.
This is the second “tele town hall” that Toomey held in recent days On July 18, the Senator answered questions about taxes, immigration, and several about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. That call was announced just an hour in advance: He notified callers of this week's call the day before.
Toomey noted this was his 56th telephone town hall.
