MERRILL, WI (WSAU) -- Seventh district Representative Sean Duffy spent much of Thursday morning holding town hall-style listening sessions in the Wausau area.
"It's a great way for me to hear feedback from my constituents," said Duffy. "When I was up in Ashland, I never had the chance to talk to my Congressman. I was never invited to take part in an event like this."
Duffy discussed a wide range of topics with the dozens in attendance at the Merrill AmericInn hotel, including issues like gun control, border security, and the economy. He also expressed displeasure with the authors of the Green New Deal, saying while he likes having clean air and water, the country also needs jobs. He says the proposal does little to balance the two. Duffy said should something like the Green New Deal go into law, he could see jobs leaving the country for places like China. Not only does that mean lost jobs, but he says it could have a greater negative impact on the global environment because they have fewer regulations in place. He also had several questions for the authors of the deal, who he claims don't practice what they preach. "Why don't they fly commercial? Why don't they drive a Prius, why are they driving Suburbans and flying in private planes? That part doesn't make sense to me. If you are a true believer, you would change the way that you behave, but they want to change the way that everyone in my district behaves. I think that is fundamentally unfair."
He also challenged Democrats to come together with Republicans to find a solution for securing the southern border with Mexico, saying it's a step towards getting immigration reform sorted out. "You can't get that done until the border is secure."
He went on to compare it to security that will likely be in place for the 2020 Democratic National Convention to be held at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee. "If walls didn't work, they wouldn't put them up. They work to funnel people in through certain points of entry."
Duffy even surprised some in the crowd when he told them that Republicans and Democrats do get along better than some may think, saying he actually does have a good relationship with California Representative Maxine Waters. Duffy's travels also took him to Antigo and Medford.
