Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib holds town hall in Macomb County as John James remains MIA

US Rep. John James (R-Michigan) is dodging questions from the voters who elected him. So, US Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan) is showing up to answer them instead.

WARREN—US Rep. John James (R-Michigan) won’t meet with his constituents.

Just six months after more than 217,000 voters in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District re-elected him to the US House, James has launched a campaign for governor. But as he sets his sights on higher office, he’s still dodging the people who voted to put him in his current one.

Despite repeated invitations to attend public town hall events—including one this week in Warren—James has yet to show up to face voters, answer questions, or hear their concerns.

So, on Tuesday night, before a room packed with hundreds of voters, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-Michigan), decided to do it for him. James never showed up, but Tlaib stayed for about two hours to talk with anyone and everyone who wanted to voice a concern or ask a question.

“Fighting fascism builds courage,” Tlaib told the crowd. “We will not stand still and be paralyzed with fear and anxiety. You’re showing up. You’re fighting back. And you’re saying to the [congressman] that you elected: You should show up. You have questions that need answers.”

Kyle Kaminski/The ‘Gander Newsroom

The event, hosted Tuesday night by Fair Share America and a coalition of advocacy groups, centered on how a Republican-led federal budget proposal—backed by James—would slash programs like Medicaid and food assistance to make room for more tax cuts for the wealthy.

James was invited to join the discussion but organizers said he didn’t respond. 

Instead, US Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) called in to deliver a message to Michigan voters before Tlaib took the stage. And they both blasted James (and other Republican lawmakers) for supporting a federal budget plan that demands nearly $880 billion in spending cuts from the committee that oversees federal health care spending, including through the Medicaid program.

“Our health care system is already broken and dysfunctional. To cut Medicaid by $880 billion … would be a disaster,” Sanders said. “John James is going to have to make a very simple choice within the next week or month—and that’s whether he sides with and represents the ordinary people of his district, or whether he’s going to side with the wealthiest people in this country.”

Kyle Kaminski/The ‘Gander Newsroom

Medicaid provides health care coverage for more than 2.6 million Michiganders, including nearly 1 million children. The program also funds nearly 40% of births across the state, serves as a key financial lifeline for rural hospitals, and helps seniors afford long-term care.

And if those proposed federal budget cuts are applied to Medicaid, Michigan could see significant disruptions, according to a recent analysis from the Joint Economic Committee.

The report found:

• 120,000 rural Michiganders could lose health coverage.
• 280,000 Michigan children could lose their insurance.
• More than 1 in 5 Michigan seniors could be forced out of nursing home care.
• About 830,000 Michiganders could be at risk of losing coverage.

Tlaib was a bit more pointed in her remarks: “You cut Medicaid, you’re not going to be the next governor. Michigan families across the state are telling you not to cut Medicaid. [If] you do it, you’re losing. Don’t even bother launching your [gubernatorial] campaign. You’re going to lose.”

A diverse crowd of at least 500 people showed up to the town hall meeting at the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights banquet hall in Warren—including union workers, veterans, federal workers who were recently fired by the Trump administration, and families of children with disabilities who depend on the Medicaid program for health care. 

“Medicaid is a necessary service. This is what Medicaid does. Medicaid protects the vulnerable people in our country,” said Taylor Johnson, the mother of a six-year-old boy with Down syndrome who relies on Medicaid to cover all of the out-of-pocket health care expenses. “Medicaid is a necessary thing for our community, and my family is terrified of losing it.”

Voters asked questions about ways they can get involved, as well as what can be done to protect Michigan families from Republican-led budget cuts. Most solutions, Tlaib explained, ultimately boiled down to voting in elections and speaking up against Republicans, like James, who have a history of supporting spending cuts to programs like Medicaid and Social Security. 

“It’s really tragic that a public servant like John James refuses to do what is right and to actually represent and show up and make sure he has the backs of the constituents that elected him,” Tlaib said in a video ahead of the town hall. “It’s incredibly unfair as a public servant for him not to show up and to answer the questions and ease the concerns that many residents have.”

@rashidatlaib

Congressman John James refuses to hold a town hall. So, I was asked if I could come and help answer the questions that his residents have. Over 300 residents showed up. They are scared and want answers about the cuts to Medicaid, VA services, and more. It’s shameful that a public servant is hiding out instead of showing up and doing their job.

♬ original sound – Rashida

Advocacy groups like Fair Share America, as well as the national Democratic Party, are slated to continue hosting “empty chair” town events in Michigan and across the country—specifically in competitive districts where Republican lawmakers have been refusing to meet with voters.

READ MORE: Medicaid cuts could shutter small-town hospitals across Michigan

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