Attendees of Thursday’s town hall in Escanaba applaud as one speaker walks away from the microphone after delivering a three-minute comment to an absent Rep. Jack Bergman. (Escanaba Daily Press photo)

ESCANABA — On Thursday evening, residents of Michigan’s 1st Congressional District aired their grievances about a number of issues, mostly related to recent changes in government structure under President Trump.

Questions were posed to an empty chair representing Jack Bergman, the U.S. House of Representative official who represents all 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula and 20 in the northern Lower Peninsula.

When Bergman’s office learned about the citizen-led event, his communications director called it a “political stunt,” a “far-left Democrat meeting” and pointed out that the “so-called town hall” had been scheduled for a day that Congress was in session, meaning that Bergman would not have been able to attend even if he wanted to.

The event was organized by a group of citizens who in part had been associated with the recall of three Delta County commissioners that was initiated in 2023. Organizers and attendees who had reached out to Bergman’s office in the past expressed belief that their representative was not going to arrange a public town hall, and that’s why they finally held one without him, said organizer Teresa Ross.

Since Bergman was not physically present, the Daily Press forwarded some of the questions posed on Thursday to his office and obtained responses from communications director James Hogge that included some recent statements from Bergman himself.

A topic that residents repeatedly brought up at the town hall was veterans services. Remarking on cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs, several expressed shock that a veteran like Bergman could be in support of reductions to services for people who served their country.

“I’ll be meeting with Secretary (Douglas) Collins this coming week to discuss the VA’s plan and will continue fighting to ensure our veterans are receiving the care and benefits they have earned,” Bergman stated recently. “As this process takes place, there will undoubtedly be, at least temporarily, some cuts that need to be backfilled or replaced — and that is something I’m keeping a close eye on, especially in areas concerning our national security, veterans and our natural resources.”

Another related point of contention from many was the actions of the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency.

“DOGE isn’t a federal agency. Only Congress can establish a federal agency like that, and neither you nor any other member of Congress voted to establish it,” said Damon Butler of Marquette on Thursday, addressing the empty chair representing Bergman. “(If) the DOGE agency can unilaterally decide whether funds appropriated by Congress will be dispersed, then the Congress exists solely as an advisory body with no actual power. At that point, the United States will be definitionally a dictatorship.”

Butler said that such an “unconstitutional power grab” by Trump and Musk must be stopped, suggesting that the rightful thing for a congressman to do would be to step up and submit articles of impeachment against Trump.

“You took a sacred oath to protect and defend the Constitution, and thus you are legally obligated to do everything in your power to prevent Trump from ignoring and destroying it,” Butler said. “…To do otherwise is to be knowingly and willingly complicit in the destruction of our democracy.”

Hogge pointed out that past attempts by Democrats to impeach President Trump have been unsuccessful.

“The American people elected President Trump and entrusted him with appointing leaders who put American interests first, including Elon Musk. Musk and DOGE remain accountable to the people through President Trump, serving at his discretion and under his oversight,” Hogge wrote.

It has been Bergman’s position that he would support President Trump and continue to promote the Republican values he campaigned on.

“Your response is inadequate and belies nothing of your own opinion,” said Tina Pirlot, taking umbrage with the implication that those who have been elected should be followed. “The people voted for (Adolf) Hitler as well…. Is this actually best for your constituents? And really, the majority of this country did not vote for annihilation and utter destruction of our government structure…. America did not vote for a straight alliance with a murderous dictator. We did not vote for what’s become a fascist takeover.”

Hogge said that both Trump and Bergman won the 1st District by over 100,000 votes, and “they are keeping their promises and doing exactly what they said they would.”

Bergman himself has recently commented on DOGE.

“Historically, optimizing the federal government has not been a partisan issue — in fact, President Clinton cut the federal workforce by nearly 270,000 people,” Bergman said. “Our nation’s government is in dire need of reform and President Trump is doing just that.”

Many Yoopers are concerned about what may happen to parks and national forests now that staffers have been cut, saying that the lands would be vulnerable to damage, pollution and abuse. Great Lakes fisheries are also at risk since the program that controlled the sea lamprey population went on the chopping block.

“I’ve long supported much of the work being done by (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and (U.S.) Fish and Wildlife Service which have been a large topic of discussion across the 1st District. Over the next few weeks and months, it will be critical for each agency to show what the added value of each position lost is, and when and where it makes sense, we will work to make sure those jobs are restored,” Bergman stated.

Other concerns at the town hall revolved around issues that poorer residents face. People were worried about cuts to social supports.

“Rep. Bergman has publicly stated multiple times that he is not going to cut Medicaid and Social Security and he has been one of the leading Republican voices on CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). There is a lot of fear mongering happening in regards to these programs, but none are based in reality,” Hogge said.

Two educators spoke: Christiana Reynolds, who teaches in Rapid River, and Mariah Dunham, who drove three hours from Baraga to attend.

Dunham became tearful when she reported that some students come to school starving and are given food bought by teachers out of their own pockets. She, too, was worried about benefits being cut.

Reynolds said that Rapid River Schools receives about $300,000 from the federal government and that all of the district’s funding comes from federal, state and local monies.

“My question, Mr. Bergman, is: What are small school districts like ours supposed to do when this money does not come down the pipeline?” she asked, referencing the president’s plan to dismantle the Department of Education.

When asked by the Daily Press, Hogge responded by saying that the department “is failing American students” and is in need of “drastic changes.” He said that Bergman is a cosponsor of the States’ Education Reclamation Act, which “provides a framework for the responsible elimination of the Department of Education, reallocates federal funding for elementary and secondary education programs to states in the form of block grants,” and moves important programs like special education and student loans under existing agencies.

Another area that has experienced cuts is the Bureau of Indian Affairs. As the BIA is responsible for protecting tribes’ trust assets, managing lands, and perhaps most importantly supporting tribal sovereignty and self-governance, these cuts are alarming to tribal members who fear for their culture and rights.

“They’re being wiped and restricted from their jobs. If we don’t have our tribal sovereignty, the next thing they’re going to go after are those treaties,” said Dunham, who belongs to the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. “And if we don’t have those treaties, we lose our people.”

One idea that was raised more than once on Thursday was that more money could be generated for the government by taxing large corporations and billionaires more.

A couple local activists at the town hall said that they will be bringing signs to the roadside at the corner of Lincoln Road and Ludington Street in Escanaba for Take Action Tuesdays between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

Kelli Van Ginhoven, Delta County commissioner for District 4, encouraged people who feel strongly to get involved with school boards, township boards, planning commissions, other committees or volunteering.