Jennifer Bowman

Battle Creek Enquirer

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash's town hall Thursday personified the internet: a whole lot of yelling and a little bit of muffled substantive talk.

The Republican congressman from Cascade Township, whose district includes Battle Creek, held the meeting in downtown Battle Creek at Full Blast, where he fielded questions in front of about 400 people. Thought perhaps not as contentious, it went the way his most recent town halls had: attended by a large group of left-leaning constituents that wanted answers about the Affordable Care Act, environmental regulations, immigration and President Donald Trump.

Posters displaying support for the ACA and public education shot up in the air at times. Others simply held up signs that read "Agree" throughout the town hall.

There were moments of shouting, standing applause and boos. Many in the crowd disagreed with his stances on health care, the U.S. Department of Education and Planned Parenthood. His supporters were present, but not quite as vocal.

Amash continued what he has done before, staying calm throughout the interruptions and firm in his positions. He explained his opposition to the ACA, arguing it did nothing to address rising health care costs; said he has not called for the elimination of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and supported what he considered to be necessary regulations while calling for more state control; and he reminded constituents he didn't vote for Trump, whom he has challenged several times since his election.

The congressman took questions a half-hour past the town hall's scheduled ending time.

"The level of partisanship we're seeing now is something I've never seen," Amash told the crowd. "And I think it's great that people are really involved and really concerned, and called to action. I think that's great.

"But I look at Twitter," he said, laughing. "And I look at some of the comments you see online, and the rhetoric you see on both sides has gotten way out of line. I think we have to find ways to work together to be critical of our government and our government officials, making sure that you're holding them accountable, but you have to find ways to make sure you're respectful toward each other."

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Many of the questions focused on the ACA, which Amash called a "financing system" that has hurt some constituents. He said he supported a bill proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, that offers a tax credit and expands the use of health savings accounts.

"I think there is a better way to handle health care and we need to make sure we're reducing health care costs, not just shifting around the burden while health care costs rise," Amash said.

Amash also laid out some of his positions on immigration, an area in which he doesn't always align with his Republican colleagues. The congressman has spoken out in opposition of Trump's executive order, shot down in court, that would have temporarily banned all refugees and people from some predominantly Muslim countries.

Amash, the son of a Palestinian refugee and a Syrian immigrant, pointed out his parents would not have been able to come to the U.S. under the order.

He said while he doesn't support people coming to the U.S. illegally, he thinks legal immigration should be encouraged and that a system should be implemented to allow undocumented immigrants here to gain legal status over a period of time.

Amash also said the 14th Amendment gives protection to everyone in the U.S., not just citizens.

"I do think there's an appropriate way to handle things and an inappropriate way," he said. "I don't think it's appropriate for the federal government or local governments to go house-to-house without warrants searching for people that are undocumented. Because we have a Constitution and people's rights have to be protected."

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Barbara Merlihan said she appreciated Amash holding the town hall and crossing the party line on some issues. But the Battle Creek resident, who described her political views as left-leaning, raised concerns about what she considered the biggest issue: the country's "moral fabric."

"Politics always divides," she said.

Joel Fulton, Battle Creek resident and co-owner of Freedom Firearms, said he was pleased to see different political viewpoints at the meeting.

"Because the rest of us have been here going to town halls for a long time," he said. "I'm glad to see at least engagement — and if nothing else, at least there was engagement and the controversy has at least had this positive outcome and positive effect."

Fulton himself admits that he has wished Amash, who has never missed a vote in Congress, would have decided differently on some issues. But Amash is following the Constitution, he said.

"Whether your personal beliefs align with the Constitution or not, that's not something he can do anything about," Fulton said. "He has to follow the Constitution. That's what he swore an oath to uphold."

Amash said he will have more town halls at different times to accommodate constituents' schedules. One will be held at 10:30-11:30 am. Saturday at the Barry County Commission on Aging, 320 W. Woodlawn Ave., in Hastings.

Contact government reporter Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman. Listen to the podcast she co-hosts, The Jump Page, at soundcloud.com/enquirerpodcasting.