Community demands answers from Rep. Calvert at town hall

PALM DESERT, Calif. (KESQ) — Dozens of citizens gathered outside Congressman Ken Calvert's (CA-41) Palm Desert district office on Sunday.

Jared Milrad, organizer, lives in Congressman Calvert's district and said he's concerned about potential changes to Social Security and Medicaid, Medi-Cal programs.

"We organize an empty chair town hall to encourage our Congressman to come forward and hear from his constituents," Milrad said. "Unfortunately, it's our second week doing this event. He hasn't come to our town hall yet."

News Channel 3's Shay Lawson contacted Congressman Calvert for comment about Sunday's town hall.

In a statement to News Channel 3, Congressman Calvert's team said:

“Rep. Calvert held multiple telephone town hall meetings last year, in addition to holding a Veterans Service Organization Roundtable, and a Senior Resource Fair. Last month, he visited every city he represents in the Coachella Valley and met with city leaders about their federal priorities. During last year’s campaign, Rep. Calvert held additional telephone town hall meetings and events throughout the district regularly. He looks forward to holding additional telephone town halls and other events with constituents in the very near future.”

His team also said he met with a roundtable of Riverside County healthcare leaders earlier this week.

Sundays demonstration comes on the same day the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marked its 15th anniversary, a milestone that activists said serves as a reminder of how much can be achieved when citizens unite for progress.

"I think that those those benefits are at stake, too. The Affordable Care Act is on the line," Milrad said. "We know that Obamacare, the Affordable Care Act, protects millions of Americans."

Milrad said the protests are scheduled to continue next Friday and Sunday in the same location.

Stay with News Channel 3 at 6 and 6:30 p.m. for the full story.