Tuesdays with Toomey is a constituent group that has been able to share thoughts and ideas with Senator Pat Toomey’s staff every week since January. An estimated 60 people showed up outside of the senator’s office in Johnstown hoping to talk about healthcare, but were disappointed.
The protesters were made up of a couple different groups including Tuesdays with Toomey. It was a larger crowd than usual. They had hoped that having their normal weekly meeting during the rally would give others a chance to talk with Toomey staffers. However, those staffers didn’t show.
The group believes that the cancelation may have been due to the increase in crowd size. Either way, they had hoped to be able to continue their conversations on important topics.
Group Coordinator Lyle Cope said, “We are very dismayed that as our senator while working on legislation for health care, which effects all of us, that that would be the time that the senator decides to cut off open communications with his constituents.”
The senator’s office tells us they haven’t canceled all future meetings. The state reads as follows:
“Senator Toomey’s Johnstown office has one full-time staffer and one part-time staffer. In recent months, these staffers have met with nearly every protester that visits the Johnstown office multiple times. However, staff limitations in Johnstown make it difficult for the office to simultaneously monitor protests and meet with protesters, while continuing regular office operations and providing other constituent services. Our Johnstown staff will continue to meet with constituents, including protesters, but will not be a party to the protest.”
Up until this point ,the group says they’ve enjoyed having conversations with the office staff- who have been very welcoming. Cope explained, “They have been marvelous. They welcomed us in, they listened to us. They accepted our letters. They often didn’t agree with our positions but it was always courteous and civil and receptive.”
Tuesdays with Toomey says they will continue to work on scheduling meetings with the senator’s staffers going forward.
