Rep. Webster Threatens To Kick Out Town Hall Constituent For Asking About Raising Corporate Taxes

By Scott Keyes

The town hall backlash that began last month over the Republican plan to end Medicare and extend tax breaks for the wealthy is showing no signs of abating.

Rep. Dan Webster (R-FL) encountered many angry constituents Tuesday night during a town hall meeting outside Orlando. Attendees repeatedly admonished Webster for his support of the Ryan budget and pleaded with him to do more to ensure corporations pay their fair share in taxes.

One such constituent was Falcon Taylor. She asked why he was ruling out any tax increases, noting that previous Republican presidents had balanced budgets by raising taxes along with lowering spending. Webster responded that the problem was future generations would end up footing the bill. Taylor instead encouraged Webster to help close the nation’s budget deficit by raising taxes on corporations, many of whom are currently paying little to nothing in corporate income taxes. Moving in towards Taylor’s seat, Webster threatened to have her removed from the town hall, telling her “you’re making a choice of whether you want to stay or not.” Two other constituents then walked out in protest:

TAYLOR: What I want to know is, we’ve been able to balance our budget before by raising taxes and lowering spending and we know this because Eisenhower did it, Ford did it, Reagan did it, Bush the first did it, they were all Republicans. I want to know who’s going to pay, who’s going to pay for this? Because I don’t think we should take away Social Security [sic] just because we’re under 55 and public education, we need public education. [Inaudible] That’s wrong.
WEBSTER: The problem is this. Who’s going to pay? Your children and your grandchildren. That’s who’s going to pay. If we continue on this, yes, can we fund a lot of things going up this line? Sure can. But just know, most of it’s borrowed money.
TAYLOR: You need to raise taxes on the corporations! [Inaudible] And stop the wars! Just stop all the warring.
WEBSTER: Just a minute. I can hear, everybody in here can hear. So you’re making a choice of whether you want to stay or not.
TAYLOR: Answer the question!
[Audience cheers] [Two men walk out in protest]

Watch it:

This is not Webster’s first encounter with voter revolt over he and his Republican colleagues’ priorities in Congress. Last month, Webster was one of the firstcongressmen to encounter a wave of anger following the Republican-led House’s approval of the Ryan plan to end Medicare and extend tax breaks for the wealthy. (The scene at his April town hall was described as “bedlam.”)

ThinkProgress spoke with Taylor following the town hall to get her reaction. She was saddened by his “typical Republican response” that encouraged spending cuts alone with no tax increases. Taylor went on to express her disappointment that she was threatened with removal for pushing the idea of increasing taxes on corporations:

UPDATEIf you record video of your representative’s town hall that you think we would be interested in, please let us know.

Bedlam Erupts At Town Hall In Orlando As GOP Rep. Defends Ending Medicare, Tax Breaks For Rich

By Scott Keyes

During a town hall in Orlando earlier today, Rep. Daniel Webster (R-FL) faced a barrage of questions from outraged constituents about the Republican budget. The Orlando Sentinel accurately described the scene as “bedlam.”

For nearly an hour, Webster was peppered with one question after another about his support for ending Medicare, his desire to see tax breaks for the wealthy extended, and his vote to repeal health care reform, including its protections for people with preexisting conditions. For his part, Webster didn’t just avoid the questions by resorting to talking points, as most politicians commonly do. On numerous occasions, Webster simply declined to give an answer to contentious questions altogether, moving on to take a new question instead.

Questions critical of the Ryan budget were met by applause from nearly the entire audience. Watch highlights from the town hall:

Webster is the latest congressman to face a town hall backlash after his vote in favor of Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-WI) budget plan. Provisions of the Republican budget, whichends Medicare, slashes Medicaid, and extends tax breaks for the wealthy, is opposed by strong majorities of Americans, including over 7 in 10 Republican voters as well.

Last week, ThinkProgress reported from a town hall in Milton, Wisconsin, where Rep. Ryan’s plan to extend tax breaks for the wealthy earned the congressman a loud chorus of boos from his own constituents. Similar backlash among voters to the Republican budget has played out for other congressmen across the country, includingReps. Patrick Meehan (R-PA), Charlie Bass (R-NH), Chris Gibson (R-NY), Robert Dold (R-IL), and Sean Duffy (R-WI).

Following today’s Orlando town hall, ThinkProgress spoke with some of the attendees to get their reaction. One constituent, Tamecka Pierce, asked Webster about what would happen to people like her with major preexisting conditions under the Republican budget. Pierce had to undergo months of chemotherapy to deal with systemic lupus and the resulting kidney damage. Pierce expressed disappointment in Webster. “I don’t think I really got a response,” she told ThinkProgress in an interview. She expressed major concern about the Republican budget, noting that “had it not been for Medicaid, I would be dead.” Watch it:

UPDATEIf you record video of your representative’s town hall that you think we would be interested in, please email it to us.

UPDATEOrlando Sentinel posted additional video of the "bedlam." See it here.