Senator Whitehouse plans to Build Trump `firewall'

Senator Sheldon Whitehouse planned on visiting the Warwick Public Library Saturday morning to field constituent questions ranging from issues over obtaining a visa to dealing with Medicare coverage. He and other members of the congressional delegation do this periodically, and the sessions follow a format where the elected official makes a few introductory comments and staff members meet one-on-one with constituents to get contact information and learn the specifics of their complaint.

But there was no easy fix to the issues constituents dished out at a session that lasted more than 90 minutes and carried on into the library corridor. Planned for one of the library’s smaller meeting rooms, the crowd swelled to more than 120, relocating to the facility’s largest room that rapidly filled to capacity.

“It’s kind of a wild time in Washington,” Whitehouse opened. He vowed to keep his comments “short” so that he could hear the concerns of those gathered.

He didn’t need to coax the crowd. Hands flew up. Just about everyone had something to say, some even standing inches from the senator’s face to deliver their demands.

The tone was set from the start by a man who called President Trump a “madman and narcissist” who has violated the Hatch Act and must be impeached.

“We need you to fight for us,” he said to an outburst of applause and cheers.

The “Stop Trump” theme carried the meeting, with one speaker identifying themselves as a physician. They suggested narcissism is a disorder that could be used in removing Trump from office and asked how the medical community could organize to throw light on Trump’s condition.

“Narcissism if considered incurable,” said David Tulli of Warwick. “This man is seriously mentally ill.”

Tulli challenged Whitehouse to make the president’s mental capacity to serve an issue. “It can’t be taboo to talk about it.”

Others questioned the confirmation of Scott Pruitt to the Environmental Protection Agency, Mike Pompeo to the CIA, Jeff Sessions as attorney general and Betsy DeVos to education.

Others feared what will happen to their rights as members of the LGBT community, what will happen to refugees, what could happen globally and what Trump might do to those of differing religious beliefs.

“I’m Jewish enough,” said one man, “to get on the trains…I think we’re in an incredibly perilous time.”

Alluding to the mysterious Nazi bell weapon, Whitehouse agreed, saying, “We are hearing some very clear ringing of some ominous bells.”

If Trump supporters were in the audience, they didn’t speak. But Whitehouse acknowledged popular disenchantment with Washington and why the country voted as it did. He urged people not to pick personal battles over what they think of the president or how they voted but rather to stay focused on the issues. It’s how he sees congress and the Democrats responding to what Trump is doing.

“It’s really important to build a firewall around the president,” he said.

With 48 Democratic senators, Whitehouse said the Senate is a “line of defense.” He feels on some issues – cabinet member nominations, for example – that some Republicans will join their ranks.

“We will fight hard through the nomination process,” he vowed.

Whitehouse thought repeal of the Affordable Care Act won’t go far at this point and that Trump has boxed himself in.

“They,” he said of the administration, “can’t get 51 votes [in the Senate] and they won’t repeal without a replacement.” He said the Senate is going to demand to see what will replace the ACA before acting.

“Right now I don’t see how he [Trump] can win that fight [to dismantle the ACA],” he said. He suggested nothing would happen until Trump “throws in the towel and has a replacement plan.” He sees strong bi-partisan support for veterans’ issues.

Whitehouse suggested Democrats pick their fights and then “flood the zone” with their message. He also advised people to organize. Quoting former Senator Barbara A. Mikulski, he said, “Don’t agonize, organize.” Looking ahead to the 2018 elections, he said “at all costs, prevent the Republicans from getting the Senate.”

“With any luck we’ll have a wave election in ’18 that will set this straight,” said Whitehouse.