Loose Leaf Notes

-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on March 6, 2025

Emotions ran high at the recent Ninth District “Traveling Staff Office” gathering, where Floyd County constituents were invited to make comments and ask questions to be relayed to Congressman Morgan Griffith, who was not in attendance.

There was a general consensus expressed by speakers and protest signs held outside the Floyd County Government Offices that the county deserves a Town Hall with Griffith in person. Approximately 70 residents attended the event and about twenty individuals spoke.

“I’m furious!” announced Floyd Countian Jeff Walker. “Last night our Congressman voted to increase the debt limit to $329 billion this year, $275 billion for next year and $242 billion for the following year. How can he represent us when he went to Congress saying he was going to hold down government?” Walker described Griffith’s actions as a betrayal of trust. He stated that allowing DOGE to take away the responsibility given to Congress in the Constitution is “reckless and won’t be tolerated.”

Kamala Bauers spoke of waking up every morning to the latest news to be shocked about. She described a video that President Trump posted that morning depicting a large gold statue of himself on the Gaza Strip and he and Israel’s Netanyahu sunning and sipping cocktails at a beach resort in Gaza. “That’s like building a resort on top of Auschwitz,” Bauers said. “We don’t put resorts on top of places where genocide has happened. And it’s not our land.”

“This president has issued executive orders in which he is taking control over every independent agency that belongs to all of us,” Bauers continued. “This has actually happened before in 1930 with Hitler. We are watching the end of our democracy, and the only people that have legal standing to fight this is Congress. We need a Congress that understands that we need three equal and separate branches of government,” implored Bauers, adding, “This is heartbreaking.”

A couple of speakers spoke in support of saving the independence of the Post Office, and more than a couple spoke about the personal suffering that cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security would inflict as the administration looks to finance the large tax cuts (that will mostly benefit the wealthiest) proposed in the budget resolution that the House of Congress just passed.

One woman shared her success story after being on government assistance 30 years ago while caring for her daughter on Medicaid. Because of the support, she was eventually able to work full-time, pay taxes, buy a home and pay for her daughter to attend college. Another woman, who has worked as a consultant for Social Security disability services since 2010, explained how she has watched the trend of better outcomes for people on Medicaid (25% of people in the 9th), since the expansion that has allowed people to get the help they need and get better.

Other speakers spoke in support of at-risk government services, including the Department of Education, veteran’s benefits, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, farm grants, national parks, immigration and snap. Concern was expressed about Trump’s intention to open the country’s national forests to clear cutting and to pass the SAVE Act voter suppression bill.

There was pushback to Elon Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration. “All this mania to cut spending and save money, isn’t there any kind of priority? This no rhyme of reason to what is being cut,” said one commenter. Another spoke about Trump giving the safety of the skies over to Musk. “We used to have competitive contracts. It’s a conflict of interest.

Gary Galbreath of Check read a letter that he received from Congressman Griffith, dated February 4, 2021, in which Griffith stated that “the heinous violent events of January 6 were a disgraceful moment in America’s history” and that the individuals who perpetrated the violence should be prosecuted.

“Have you heard one word from Morgan Griffith about how the president has pardoned everyone for January 6th”? I’m personally outraged by that!” Galbreath exclaimed. He questioned why Griffith won’t stand up to Trump.

There was applause for The Constitution and for nearly every speaker. Everyone who addressed Griffith’s staff in the 90-minute session expressed serious concerns over Griffith’s record and his support of the Trump agenda. “Did he take an oath to Trump or to the Constitution?” someone injected. “Is he asking us before he votes? He doesn’t know his constituents if he’s voting to cut Medicare and not approve the grants already promised to the farmers,” another participant stated.

Rebecca Daley, the Chair of the entire 9th District Democratic Committee, pointed out the Griffin doesn’t live in the 9th District. “He’s not representing the people. He’s an elected official. We pay his benefits. We pay his salary, and he needs to represent us,” she said.
Colleen Redman

Note: Photo #1 was taken by Freeda Cathcart. Photo #6 by Jeff Walker. The rest are mine.