BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (Diya TV) — Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna brought his message to Republican-controlled Congressional districts this weekend, hosting three town halls throughout the state. Khanna, a Democrat with Presidential ambitions, made his first stop in Bakersfield, California.
At the town hall, one resident, Erlinda Carrillo, was frustrated with the Trump administration’s effect on her family. Carrillo, whose daughter lost her job when a government contract for a scientific research institute was terminated, worried about the effects of possible layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs on her brother, a Vietnam War veteran.
She also expressed concern about the future of her Social Security benefits amid budget cuts at the Social Security Administration. “I’m tired of all of the backlash that we’re getting due to Donald Trump,” Carrillo said. Khanna used the moment to criticize the Republican Party, targeting GOP lawmakers for not holding in-person town halls.
He also condemned the party’s budget plan, warning that it could lead to the slashing of Medicaid, a vital program for millions of Americans. The Bakersfield crowd was a manifestation of increasing disillusionment among Democratic voters, some of whom expressed anger with their party leadership.
Khanna joined a growing chorus of Democrats in criticizing the “old guard” in the party, namely Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Schumer had just cast a vote for a Republican-written budget resolution to avoid a government shutdown, which had riled some progressive activists. In reply, Khanna called for fresh leadership in the party. “If the party is disappointing us, it’s time to rebuild the party,” he urged, calling for a break from the old Democratic establishment.
