New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said GOP lawmakers need to take responsibility and hold town halls despite the threat of protesters confronting them during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” Sunday.
A number of members have held off on holding events after a number of members faced violent outbursts at public town hall meetings over Republicans plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.. But according to Christie — who has held more than 160 town halls during his time in office, according to The Washington Post — members of Congress need to get past their fear of things taking a turn for the worse.
“I understand why members of Congress don’t like it,” he told host Jake Tapper. “But you know what? You asked for the job. Go do it.”
Christie noted that many of those showing up to the events are “professional protesters,” adding he would have never accomplished any of his agenda if he had walked out of town halls in the past. He urged lawmakers to keep the line of communication open with their constituents and let the protesters ‘yell themselves out.”
“Welcome to the real world of responsibility,” he said. “The fact is that, right now, the heat is on the Republicans. It’s on us. … We now have two-thirds of the statehouses in America. We have the House. We have the Senate. We have the White House. It’s now on us to produce results. And one of the things that we need to do is engage with the public.
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