By: Jeff Beach
Air Force veteran David Kelsen stood on a stage and decried Trump administration plans to privatize health care through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The VA should never be about making a profit any more than the active military force is,” Kelsen said to applause.
Kelsen was among a group of speakers who listed off complaints about the Trump administration – and occasionally the North Dakota Legislature – at a town hall meeting organized by the Democratic-NPL Party.
Over the course of an hour, speakers covered topics such as potential impacts to Medicaid, the possibility of family members being deported and cuts to Social Security staff. Moderators then gave people an opportunity to voice their concerns.
Organizers left empty chairs for members of North Dakota’s congressional delegation – Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer and Rep. Julie Fedorchak – all Republican supporters of President Donald Trump.
Speaker Kylie Oversen did give Fedorchak some credit for taking questions during a livestream town hall, but criticized the congresswoman for downplaying the concerns of constituents.
Oversen is a former Democratic legislator and an attorney who deals with Social Security claims.
She said the Trump administration’s goal is to make veterans benefits and Social Security “so unworkable and so inefficient that they have to find a way to privatize them.”
Several audience members addressed frustration with cuts to Social Security staff, long lines and long waits times when calling the Social Security Administration.
Larry Schwartz of Fargo said he considers himself an independent but came to the event in part for a catharsis and to be with like-minded people.
“These are troubling times,” he said. “Some people are afraid. Some people are angry.”
Paul Meyers, who spent 16 years on the Fargo School Board, said he was concerned about actions of the state Legislature on several issues, but especially education.
“The whole business of giving public tax dollars to private schools is not what the constitution intended,” he said.
The Legislature is considering bills that would establish Education Savings Accounts, which families could spend on private school tuition.
He also said the congressional delegation has not been listening to constituents.
“We’d like to see someone stand up to Donald Trump. And so far, our congresspeople are kneeling down.”
The event was held in conjunction with people’s town halls organized by Democrats being held across the country.
The crowd exceeded the seating area in the Sanctuary Event Center in downtown Fargo.
The crowd also exceeded the expectations of Cheryl Biller, executive director of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL.
“Clearly people have a lot to say,” Biller said. “We have to keep the energy going to make a productive difference.”
She said a similar event is planned for April 19 and a virtual town hall is in the works. Indivisible is another group that is protesting cuts in federal services. The group is planning a rally April 5 on the Veterans Memorial Bridge between Fargo and Moorhead, Minnesota. That event is part of a national day of action organized through Handsoff2025.com.
