Coldwater Daily Reporter: Walberg holds town hall meeting in Bronson

BRONSON — The Branch District Library-Bronson Branch opened its doors Monday for a special visit by Congressman Tim Walberg (R-Tipton).

Walberg held a town hall meeting in the Bronson Township Hall, located in the basement of the library, where he discussed several legislative matters and answered questions from a modestly-sized audience.

The first issue Walberg addressed was congressional probes into the 2012 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. Through these hearings and information the House Oversight Committee has learned, including emails between senior Obama administration officials, Walberg has become convinced that the Obama administration covered up facts of the attack.

"It sounds like a coverup to me, and it sounds like it's done for political reasons," Walberg said after reading the emails to the crowd.

He said it appeared the Obama administration attempted to hide its lack of security for those at the consulate because of the scandal's proximity to the 2012 elections.

"The American people have again been energized to find the answer on this issue," Walberg said.

Walberg also said the House will consider holding U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder in contempt of Congress.

"Eric Holder is a lawless attorney general," Walberg said. "I've said that many times."

Walberg said Holder has repeatedly refused to enforce the law because he disagrees with it. He added that the U.S. Congress should be the most powerful branch of the federal government.

"That's what your Constitution says," Walberg said. "The U.S. House is the people's house; the U.S. Senate is supposed to be the states' house, protecting the rights of the states, from which the federal government derives any of its authority and power."

The audience had the opportunity to ask questions and make comments. Mary Jo Evans, a Bronson resident who said she is a delegate for Bethel Township in the Republican party, told Walberg President Obama was trying to destroy America.

"I believe his (Obama's) goal, his main goal (when he came into office), was to destroy America," Evans said. "I don't believe that he loves America — he doesn't respect America, he doesn't believe in the Constitution and the Rule of Law. We've got a government that's behind him that's going the same way.

"We're in big trouble," Evans added.

Walberg suggested a fix.

"We have to love America enough to take responsibility in our election process, because elections have consequences," Walberg responded. "This president was put in office a second time by the people of the United States.

"This president is president by the fact that he won the election, after he showed us everything he planned to do and did those first two years," Walberg added. "If we don't do all in our power to make sure that there are more people out to vote for someone with different philosophy than that, then shame on us."

Evans also brought up the issue of immigration reform.

"My understanding is, we've already got laws … to me they're not implementing these laws, and they're letting all these people come in," she said. "Obama wants to get these people to come in, you know, just for his vote, for a vote, to bring in, and (the illegal immigrants) don't understand, they just understand that they're getting free stuff," Evans added.

He said it was ridiculous that there has been such a backlash against requiring voter identification at polling places.

"We wish (illegal immigrants) couldn't vote, legally," Walberg replied. "To call that discriminatory, I don't get that.

"That's where, if you had a functioning Congress in both houses, you could start, under the Constitution, disciplining federal court justices for stupid decisions like that," Walberg added.

Walberg later brought up the issue of so-called "dreamers," or undocumented people who were brought to the United State as children.

"That's an issue we have to address," Walberg said. "If my son or daughter were needing health care and I couldn't get it in my country, I would do anything, including give my life, to get that care for my kids.

"I don't hold it against (dreamers)," Walberg said. "But we are a nation of laws."

Charles Salyer, another attendee at the town hall meeting, asked Walberg a question about "Obamacare," saying that his wife has no insurance and is close to retirement age. He wanted to know how much of a penalty his wife would face if she chose to not get insurance and waited until her Social Security benefits kicked in.

"Her insurance would cost more than Social Security costs," Salyer said after the meeting. "She will not take the government (insurance)."

Walberg did not immediately know how to answer that question.

After answering several other questions, Walberg wrapped up the meeting.

"We have to go for the best (candidate) to support this great country," Walberg said. "Get back to the Constitution that protects us all … and that'll help."

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