SARATOGA SPRINGS — U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko appeared onstage in front of a packed house in Saratoga Springs on April 23, when the Democrat representing the 20th Congressional District hosted a Town Hall.
In contrast to some fiery protests that have occurred during similar town halls across the country, the congressman’s event at Saratoga Springs High School’s Lowenberg Auditorium – where all 1,134 seats were occupied – progressed smoothly for the duration of the near 90-minute gathering.
“I know there’s a lot of fear, a lot of concern, a lot of anger in the room tonight. I feel it and I understand it, and I’m angry too,” Tonko began, during his opening remarks, prior to answering questions posed by event emcee Reverend Joe Cleveland – minister of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Saratoga Springs – and from attendees chosen via a real-time lottery draw. “Your fight is my fight, and I will never stop fighting for the hopes and the aspirations that we all have for this great country.”
Many of the questions posed by the audience sought guidance.
“With so much going on, what can we do, what can you do, to stop this?” asked one. “What do we do?” “What actions can we take in our lives to push back on what’s happening now?” inquired two others.
In late March, the Saratoga Springs Central School District Board of Education drew statewide attention when, in a 7-1 vote, the board reaffirmed “its unwavering commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and high-quality education for every student.” The resolution specifically cited “recent federal executive orders and communications targeting transgender students, immigrant youth, and important educational policies,” as “antithetical to the principles of access and inclusion that define our schools and our community.”
The Board’s action drew the ire of neighboring 21st Congressional District representative Elise Stefanik. “This Far Left woke ideology has no place in our communities,” wrote Stefanik, who penned a letter to U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon requesting a formal investigation be opened “on whether the SSCSD Board of Education violated federal law.”
Tonko’s 20th Congressional District includes the majority of Saratoga County. Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik represents the north and east edges of Saratoga County, and is thought to include some of the students enrolled in the Saratoga Springs City School District. Stefanik has yet to hold a public town hall during this term in the district.
“Trump and Musk continue their efforts to dismantle our education system under the guise of returning to local control their Yes Men and Yes Women,” Tonko said, referencing the school district board’s re-commitment resolution, and potential threats of “the total elimination of federal funding for this very school district, all because this local school board made the great decision to stand up.” His response was greeted with much applause. “Hats off to Saratoga,” Tonko said. “There is no way any child should come to school in fear.”
Regarding the April 15 detaining of a person in Saratoga Springs by unidentified federal agents, Tonko said his office “reached out to ICE forces” for information. “We want the details on the recent incident, and we think the community deserves to know.”
Local operators of city-based agencies that provide mental health programs and housing support services expressed their concerns about whether they will continue to receive re-occurring grant funding to continue to provide those services, after receiving “mixed messaging from the administration.”
“I am working with my colleagues in the House,” Tonko responded. “Whenever we find an injustice where they want to claw back what was earlier awarded, we’re going to fight, (although) it will probably find itself in litigation, and unfortunately these efforts take time.”
In broader terms, Tonko called threats of cuts to Medicaid “a political pressure point” that would take away coverage “from grandparents and nursing homes and moms giving birth,” criticized the Trump Administration for its methods of instituting tariffs that could potentially cause “drastic price hikes on imported goods,” a dismantling and slashing of funding for important programs and services, and pointed to due process as “the fundamental cornerstone of our democracy.”
As a form of solution, Tonko specified three courses of action. “Communication, litigation and legislation.” To the latter, Tonko specifically cited current efforts to secure partisan sponsorship that would ensure federal agency staffing levels, Social Security benefits and important services provided continue to be maintained.
