Jennifer Burnham, Hampton Chronicle
March 21, 2025 – Around one hundred people packed into the Franklin County Courthouse courtroom Friday morning for Senator Chuck Grassley’s town hall meeting.
Crowds of constituents filled the main lobby of the courthouse — some holding signs — once the courtroom was full.
Grassley started the event by saying that he felt it was important to speak with constituents in person — the reason for his annual 99-county tour.
Questions from those in attendance began shortly after that. Some of those questions: What are you doing to save Democracy? Where is Congress? How are you going to protect Iowans that are a part of the LGBTQ community? How are tariffs going to affect Iowa farmers? He was also asked about the future of veterans and government cuts.
Regarding the Department of Education, Grassley said he believes issues involving education should be dealt with at a local level, which is why he voted against establishing the Department of Education in September 1979. When asked if he believed President Donald Trump is above the law, he said “nobody is above the law.” He didn’t answer some questions.
One woman told Senator Grassley that she wanted him to go back to being the Senator he once was. Several thanked him for having the courage to continue with in-person town halls. When people began shouting out while he answered, others would yell “let him answer!”
Franklin County Democratic Chair Catherine Crooks, who attended the event, told the Chronicle she felt Grassley didn’t truly answer any questions.
“People are very upset. This is one of the only public events by this type of official that is being held anywhere, so they don’t have a lot of opportunity to ask these questions and get a straightforward answer,” she said. “Emails don’t work. Contacting the office doesn’t work. You get in touch with a staffer and they may give you a canned answer. So this is the only opportunity that people have to get real answers in real time and I think we had an excellent crowd. I didn’t hear anyone say ‘I think you’re doing a great job and we’re really happy with what’s going on in the country,’ so I appreciate those that were willing to put themselves out there and ask the tough questions. I don’t think anyone got the answers that they were looking for, but at least now he knows how we feel.”
Franklin County Republican Chairman Larry Sailer, who was also in attendance, said he didn’t feel they accomplished anything, as there was too much yelling.
“He did as good as he could but it was difficult,” Sailer said. “You couldn’t hear the questions and you couldn’t hear the answers.” Sailer said he recognized about 15 people in the courtroom out of the 100 in attendance. “We were very quiet and respectful and we let him talk,” Sailer said. “But this wasn’t Franklin County’s opinion.”
B!tches Get Stuff Done Founder Heather Ryan, who’s known for traveling to different protests and public meetings, attended the event. She told the Chronicle that Grassley “ducked and dodged every question” and that he “spun” everything.
“He has control of a lot,” she said. “He has a lot of input but he just chooses not to use it to protect his constituents.”
Ryan said she started the organization “B!tches Get Stuff Done” three years ago. According to her website, the group was “founded in Iowa as an answer to the unprecedented, abusive Republican super-majority in the House and Senate as well as the Governor and Supreme Court. We declared that ‘Iowa Nice’ doesn’t work.”
Grassley, 91, remained composed throughout the town hall and moved from question to question, as those in the courtroom chanted periodically and yelled out of turn.
A crowd of angry protestors yelled at Grassley and held signs as he got into his vehicle and was driven away from the courthouse.
Numerous outside media outlets were in attendance, including Channel 6, Iowa Public Radio and the Des Moines Register. The town hall was also brought up on “Meet the Press” Sunday morning.
Several contentious town halls by Republican Congress members have gained attention online and across the country in recent months. News reports indicate Republican leaders have encouraged their party members to hold fewer in-person town hall meetings.
A flurry of comments appeared under the Chronicle’s story on the town hall after it was posted on Facebook, with some pointing out that many at the town hall were not from the area, while others argued that a Senator is meant to serve all constituents in the state.
Senator Grassley remained composed during a contentious town hall in Hampton, fielding questions from residents all over the state, while state and local media outlets covered the event. Recent reports highlight increasing tension at GOP town halls across the country, which is decreasing the in-person events held. (Photo: Jennifer Burnham)
