MANCHESTER — When it comes to dealing with the administration of President Donald Trump and his policies, U.S. Rep Peter Welch encouraged a packed house at the Northshire Bookstore to remain engaged in the political process, reach out to lawmakers and not get thrown off focus by attempts to divert attention away from important issues.
Speaking in front of about 150 people who crowded into the second floor of the bookstore, Welch said he's most most concerned about the administration's policies on the environment and civil liberties, notably a revised executive order signed Monday that bans travel from six Muslim majority countries to the U.S.
"When it comes to the administration challenging basic civil liberties and constitutional rights, we've got to resist," Welch said. "Vermonters don't compromise on that."
A number of voters asked what actions they can take to resist the changes Trump and the Republican leadership have in mind. His advice was to stay engaged, whether that's playing a role in local politics, calling members of Congress or taking part in political action such as the women's march on Washington.
"When it comes to the policies that the Trump administration is pursuing, the judgement is, is it good or bad? And I've got to tell you I'm not liking what I'm seeing," Welch said. Plans to increase military spending by 54 billion dollars and cut education, the National Parks Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the basic health care services offered by Planned Parenthood are also concerns for Welch.
"We are supposed to be taking up a mark-up on Wednesday to repeal the health care bill," he said. "It's been seven years and the folks who want to repeal it and voted to repeal it more than 60 times have still not come up with a replacement."
But at the same time, if Trump makes concrete proposals based on campaign promises to invest in infrastructure and tackle high prescription drug prices, Welch is willing to listen.
"If he follows through I'll be there," he said.
"Another area where I'm getting increasingly concerned is the environment. It is unbelievable what is happening," Welch said, pointing to action that eliminated gas mileage standards for auto manufacturers and prohibitions coal mining operations dumping mining debris in streams.
"There's really this cavalier disregard for the environment" from the administration, Welch said. "The environment is real and the challenge to carbon emissions is real. A confident nation doesn't deny the existence of a problem. A confident nation solves a problem."
But Welch also said Democrats must share the blame, for losing the trust of voters in rust belt and rural areas where Trump did well. He said Trump voters are not bad people, and that in many cases they share the very same concerns as voters who were drawn to U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders' bid for the Democratic nomination.
"What we were selling, they weren't buying," Welch said. "We have to be speaking with policies that are going to be meaningful and helpful for them. I don't want to just be talking about how bad Trump is. I want to be putting forward something constructive that can help us."
To that end, Welch said he's willing to work across the aisle, as he did in the Vermont State Senate, to get things done and convince Republicans troubled by Trump to put the national interest ahead of party loyalty.
"What I'm hoping is as time goes on my Republican colleagues who ultimately have to play a big role in reining in Trump from his excesses start speaking out."
Reach Journal editor Greg Sukiennik at 802-490-6000.
