LINCOLN — Congressman Mike Flood's town hall in Lincoln quickly became contentious as constituents chanted "tax the rich," "free Palestine," and "vote out Trump," with one person being escorted out before the congressman could complete his opening remarks.
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Helen Newell, who grew up in Lincoln, expressed fears about authoritarianism and wanted to hear the congressman speak about checks and balances.
"Respect for the rule of law is declining and also just cuts to vulnerable people," Newell said.
Many attendees raised concerns about how legislation would impact healthcare and veterans' services.
One veteran directly challenged Flood: "How can you stand behind this bill that erodes the very services that people like me, our family, and younger vets coming home rely on?"
Another constituent questioned whether Flood had read the legislation [One Big Beautiful Bill] in question.
"HR 1 does reference Medicare, so my question is did you read the bill?" John Beck asked.
Flood responded that he had read the bill, which drew chants from some attendees.
Beck shared his perspective on current tensions. "I'm old, so I've been here a very long time. I remember the Cuban missile crisis, which everyone thinks is the closest we've been to being destroyed. I don't think it is. I think right now we are much closer," he said.
After the town hall, Flood spoke with the media about, he shared his stance on Medicaid.
"We protected Medicaid. The president wanted us to protect Medicaid. I represent as the caucus leader of the ministry caucus 83 conservative business-like Republicans that have come from legislators that know what the Medicaid program is. It's seen a huge expansion since the middle of last decade," Flood said.
Despite the vocal crowd often shouting over him, Flood maintained that it's his job to meet with constituents where they're at.
This was Flood's last town hall of the year, with Congress returning to session in September.
While some attendees thanked the congressman for his efforts to lower the national debt, the overwhelming sentiment from constituents was that Flood is not voting with the best interests of Nebraskans in mind. Many expressed wanting to see policies that help with costs at the grocery store, in doctors' offices, and beyond.
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