Republican lawmaker grilled during town hall

Rep. Mike Flood, R-Neb., faced aggravated questioning from attendees astatine a municipality hallway Tuesday, astatine 1 constituent conceding to them that helium did not work a proviso successful the House’s “Big Beautiful Bill” earlier voting for it, triggering large protests from the event’s audience.

The municipality hallway was held successful a precocious schoolhouse successful Seward, Nebraska, and was unrecorded streamed connected YouTube by News Channel Nebraska — a media web founded and owned by Flood.

Flood’s admittance that helium did not work the full bill came erstwhile an attendee asked him wherefore helium had voted successful favour of a proviso which would marque it harder for judges to enforce orders holding parties earlier them successful contempt for defying tribunal orders.

Flood, who holds a instrumentality grade from the University of Nebraska, said helium did not hold with that proviso and that helium was unaware of it erstwhile helium voted successful favour of the bill.

“I judge successful the regularisation of law. I’ve taken an oath arsenic an attorney, I’ve taken an oath arsenic a authorities senator, I’ve taken an oath arsenic a subordinate of Congress, and I enactment our tribunal system, and I bash judge that the national territory courts, erstwhile issuing an injunction, should person ineligible effect. In fact, I relied upon that erstwhile the Biden medication was successful place, the national courts did a tremendous magnitude of bully work,” Flood said.

“This proviso was chartless to maine erstwhile I voted for the bill,” helium finished, to large yells from the crowd.

As the moderator tried to determination connected to the adjacent question, Flood stopped her, saying, “I americium not going to fell the truth. This proviso was chartless to maine erstwhile I voted for that, and erstwhile I recovered retired that proviso was successful the bill, I instantly reached retired to my Senate counterparts and told them of my concern.”

Flood’s words did not calm attendees, who continued their shouting.

The questions lone got much aggravated from there, with attendees grilling him connected a fig of topics, from Medicaid cuts, to his voting grounds to changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Flood won handily successful Seward, winning re-election with 77.6% of the county’s votes against his Democratic hostile successful November — larger margins than President Donald Trump, who won 72.2% of the county’s votes successful the aforesaid election. The congressman won his territory with 60.1% of the vote.

The Nebraska Democratic Party encouraged followers Tuesday to “pack the place” and inquire Flood questions astatine Tuesday’s municipality hall.

One attendee accused Flood of being a “fascist” and asked him if helium would beryllium consenting to invoke articles of impeachment against Trump.

Flood denied the accusation, saying, “I get that you get an applause enactment erstwhile you telephone maine a fascist but I’m not. I americium not a fascist, I’m an American, and I would ne'er telephone you thing similar that.”

Yet different attendee accused him of lying implicit promises to support wellness care, but voting successful favour of the "Big Beautiful Bill," which could trigger cuts. The measure would slash hundreds of billions of dollars for Medicaid and SNAP.

In response, Flood said Nebraska does not supply benefits to undocumented immigrants, arguing that the bill’s cuts would people that radical of radical and not his state. Some minutes later, Flood turned the question connected the crowd, saying, “Question for the audience, bash you privation amerciable immigrants to get taxation funded benefits?”

The assemblage answered with a loud, “Yes.” Flood replied, “I would accidental that is not the bulk sentiment of astir Nebraskans, however, adjacent question.”

Tuesday's lawsuit comes 2 months aft Flood hosted an earlier municipality hallway successful Columbus, Nebraska, during which the congressman besides faced criticism. Several of Flood’s colleagues faced pugnacious questions from attendees since Trump returned to bureau astatine the opening of the year, starring Republican legislature enactment successful March to advise GOP members not to hold in-person municipality halls.

A spokesperson for Flood did not instantly respond to a petition for comment.