LOCKPORT, N.Y. -- Republican congressional members nationwide have felt the heat at recent town hall meetings with constituents, and invites for Rep. Chris Collins to return to the 27th District and hear people out in person remain open-ended.
Collins recently responded to the demonstrations, saying he won his district with 60 percent of the voters and he will continue to serve, but his office did not respond to the most recent request for comment. People in the crowd Wednesday night at American Legion Post 410 like Amy Powlenko brought their questions and concerns anyway. Like others here, the small business owner says she worries about what will happen if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
"I left an employer where I had employer-based insurance, and I am concerned that if the Affordable Care Act is repealed without a reasonable replacement, that I won't be able to afford access to the health insurance that I need," said Powlenko, the owner of Louisiana Cookery.
The health care workers' union, which hosted the event, invited Collins to attend and address concerns about Republican lawmakers' plans to repeal and replace the law. The push is to get Collins to hold a town hall meeting similar to those his colleagues, including Rep. Tom Reed, held recently.
"I just want to give a shout out to Congressman Reed for facing the music the other day, so I think the congressman should come and speak. Some of these folks even voted for him," said Maurice Brown, SEIU 1199 political coordinator.
The frustration has some looking ahead to mid-term elections. One speaker encouraged Collins' Democratic opponent in November's contest, business owner Diana Kastenbaum, to run again.
"I'm strongly considering it, and 'consider' is the operative word," Kastenbaum said. "It's a grueling thing to run against an incumbent in a gerrymandered Republican district."
In the meantime, Powlenko and others say they're left wondering what's next.