Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman recently participated in a town hall event organized by New Jersey Citizen Action (NJCA) in Bridgewater. The event, titled "Stop the Cuts," gathered hundreds of constituents from Congressional District 7, including federal workers, NJ Family Care/Medicaid recipients, immigrants, unions, and community groups. The purpose was to criticize Representative Tom Kean Jr.'s support for policies associated with the Trump administration.
The speakers at the event expressed dissatisfaction with Kean's silence regarding President Trump's actions and the influence of Elon Musk-led DOGE. They pointed out issues such as the firing of federal employees, weakening government agencies, rolling back environmental protections, and targeting immigrants.
Concerns were also raised about Kean Jr.'s recent vote for a budget bill proposing significant cuts to health care services. This legislation is perceived as favoring tax breaks for billionaires while threatening programs like Medicaid and SNAP that many New Jersey residents depend on.
Congresswoman Watson Coleman voiced skepticism about Republican promises: “Republicans said they were going to bring down the price of eggs, end wars, protect our veterans, and fight inflation. In everyone one of these they failed to keep their word." She questioned why people should trust Republicans to protect Medicaid or Social Security when funds are being cut from those budgets.
Laura Waddell from NJCA highlighted that nearly 10% of Kean's district constituents rely on Medicaid: “We are talking about our most vulnerable people who can least afford a cut to their life-sustaining health care and coverage."
Matt Smith from Food & Water Watch criticized the Trump-Musk administration's impact on New Jersey communities: “Every day, we’re losing funding for programs that help feed our communities and ensure clean air, water and a livable climate.”
Eric Benson from For the Many NJ accused Kean Jr. of avoiding accountability: “Tom Kean Jr. can run but he can’t hide from the math. He refuses to meet with us because he knows his party’s plan to extend Trump’s tax cuts is indefensible.”
The town hall was supported by various organizations including American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Teachers, Food & Water Watch, For the Many NJ, Health Professionals & Allied Employees, Jersey Shore Blue, Make the Road NJ, National Domestic Workers Alliance, New Jersey Education Association among others.
