As most of you are aware, each year I host 50 town hall meetings spanning the 32 counties in the 3rd Congressional District. These have long been one of my favorite traditions.

I begin each meeting with a brief introduction and an update of current legislation under consideration in Washington as well as other hot button issues of the day. I then open it up to questions and comments from the people attending. 

I kicked off my 2010 town hall tour this month, visiting towns in Osage, Pawnee and Creek counties.

While not quite as large as the overwhelming numbers I saw at the town halls late last summer, turnout still was strong. And we had many new faces this year — several of the meetings included teachers and students from the local schools. 

Also like last year, much of the discussion centered around the controversial health care and cap-and-trade bills currently being discussed in Congress. But people were mainly there to express their overall concern with what has been going on in Washington. 

Whether discussing the high unemployment rate, the growing national debt, or the federal government’s recent spending binge, the people of the 3rd District of Oklahoma came out to express their discontent with the direction the Obama administration and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team in Congress are taking this country.

I always have been a proponent of in-person town hall meetings. I believe it is important for members of Congress to give their constituents an opportunity to look them in the eye and express their opinions. 

And many of you will have that opportunity during my next round of town halls during the last week of March and the first week of April. I will be in Kingfisher, Garfield, Blaine, Dewey, Major, Alfalfa, Wood, Canadian, Beckham, Custer, Logan and Lincoln counties, and I encourage everyone in those areas to attend.

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