Rep. Doug LaMalfa faced the fury of his Northern California constituents during an early morning town hall in Chico Monday, making him the latest in a string of Republican members of Congress shouted down at district events over their support for President Donald Trump’s agenda.
“We’re about seven months, eight months into the new administration. I think we have a lot to be grateful for,” LaMalfa, R-Oroville, began before being drowned out by loud boos.
“It’s your time,” he told the crowd of about 650 as the shouting subsided. “Ninety minutes is what we get so if you guys want to waste it, you all go ahead.”
That early exchange set the tone for the rest of the contentious and at times openly hostile event. Constituents criticized LaMalfa for supporting Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill” which included cuts to Medicaid, called Medi-Cal in California, and food assistance as well as the president’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
“You have taken money out of poor people’s pockets and bought Gestapos,” said one constituent who compared warrantless arrests of undocumented immigrants to the secret police of Nazi Germany.
People booed and hurled obscenities at LaMalfa, which the seven-term congressman often returned with scolding of his own: “Put that finger down. That’s really immature,” he said at one point to an attendee flashing a middle finger. “Watch your language. This is a public event,” LaMalfa told another who shouted F-bombs.
A rare silence fell over the room as military veteran Ryan Rogowski told LaMalfa that because there were no available therapists at the Department of Veterans Affairs in Chico, he must get treatment in a Bay Area city three hours away.
Finding a therapist who is properly “equipped to deal with veteran trauma” was difficult and means Rogowski must dedicate an entire day to attending weekly appointments in San Rafael.
“How are you going to ensure that there are professionals here equipped to treat us,” he asked LaMalfa. “How are you going to support me when the support isn’t out there?”
The congressman said it’s “crazy” that Rogowski must get care in the Bay Area and that he’s “done plenty of battles trying to have the VA be accountable to people,” including at the Chico office.
“What you’re talking about, basically, it comes down to federal dollars being effective,” LaMalfa said.
The answer did not satisfy Rogowski, who angrily shouted that the country spends “so much money” on defense while veterans lack care. He waved away LaMalfa’s outstretched hand as he walked past the stage and out of the building.
Outside, Rogowski said he “saw the compassion” from LaMalfa but was frustrated by the congressman’s insistence that it’s a funding issue. “There’s plenty of money there. Privatization of the VA does not come down to money,” he said as he held back tears.
The 48-year-old Chico resident said he was also disheartened by the rowdy crowd, which shouted over much of LaMalfa’s response to his question. “People are really upset and are having a hard time processing that,” he said.
‘We actually really appreciate you’
Some attendees were friendly to LaMalfa, who has handily won every reelection campaign to represent California’s North State since his initial election to Congress in 2013. “We actually really appreciate you, Congressman,” said Oroville City Councilmember Chuck Reynolds, who also apologized “on behalf of this crowd” for the “rude behavior.”
Few House Republicans have held town halls this summer and several attendees began remarks by thanking LaMalfa for facing his constituents.
The town hall, LaMalfa’s first in the district since President Donald Trump’s second term, began at 7:30 Monday morning. One attendee quipped the time was chosen because LaMalfa “hates working people,” while the congressman tied it to the temperature, which was forecast to hit 104 degrees Monday.
About 650 people attended the early-morning town hall, according to estimates from venue staff and LaMalfa’s office. Signs were not allowed in the venue but constituents passed out green and red sheets of paper so attendees could visually react to the congressman’s remarks: green for agreement and red for disagreement.
Redistricting could hurt LaMalfa in 2026
Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders are threatening a special election to redraw California’s congressional maps to benefit Democrats, counteracting a similar ploy in Texas as both parties battle over control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
LaMalfa is among their stated targets, along with Republican Reps. Kevin Kiley, David Valadao, Ken Calvert and Darrell Issa.
“I don’t support it in California. I don’t support it in Texas. I don’t support any mid-decade line drawing,” he said.
California Democrats are “way overextending on the logic on this,” he told The Bee after the town hall. “It’s trampling the voters’ rights and it’s so convoluted how quickly they have to shove it all through so they’re in time for next June’s primary election.”
Asked how he would respond if his district is redrawn to put him at a disadvantage, LaMalfa said “we will fight as hard as we can. We’ll be talking about the corruption of this process to begin with and ask middle-ground voters, ‘Is this really what you’re after?’”
“For me to even worry about it right now is a little premature because we have no idea what a map even looks like yet,” he added.
During the town hall, LaMalfa said he supported the 2008 ballot proposition that created California’s independent redistricting commission and called the ability for lawmakers to draw their own district lines “the opiate of power.”
“Then go and do another line of it, Doug,” a constituent yelled.
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