This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Reps. Chris Stewart and Mia Love each held an online town hall Wednesday night, speaking to constituents through the comfortable distance of computer monitors and telephone lines. The virtual chats follow weeks of concern from Republicans about holding in-person events after the "violence and intimidation" supposedly displayed at assemblies across the country and particularly during a tense one Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, held in Cottonwood Heights last month.
Though Love's event seemed somewhat impromptu, having been announced just hours before it occurred, the conversation was mellow for its 53-minute duration. Most of the questions aligned with her established policies, allowing her to reiterate stances on the Affordable Care Act, public schools and congressional power.
More members of Congress are opting to conduct these "tele-town halls" because callers can be screened and silenced after questions so the official can speak without interruption. Callers were not muted during Love's event, though all their follow-up comments agreed with the congresswoman.
Stewart's online chat, while still relatively calm, was more tense than Love's. One caller hounded the representative for being "in cahoots" with President Donald Trump and his alleged ties to Russia.
"It's just not accurate to say that, because I'm a Republican, that I'm protecting him," Stewart responded, after first asking the woman for an example of his apparent favoritism and receiving no conclusive answer.
The commenter again interrupted the congressman to suggest that Stewart threatens to take away her health insurance by supporting a conservative-led plan to overturn the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
"We're trying to make it better for you," he fired back, noting that the mandate over pre-existing conditions and the coverage for children will remain part of the re-envisioned program.
Though that back-and-forth offered the most upfront pressure from viewers, Stewart took other questions that were somewhat confrontational, including one that accused him of seeking to break up immigrant families and another that attacked him for harming the environment with mining and drilling operations.
Additionally, several people in the Facebook comment section condemned Stewart for his platforms; one progressive group held a sit-in outside his Salt Lake City office to protest the fact that Wednesday's event wasn't held in person.
Stewart announced at the beginning of the online address, though, that he will hold a town hall in Salt Lake City on March 24. The facility has not been determined, though the congressman pledged to "get a big venue" and joked about holding it at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
Still, the frustration from listeners and participants online came nowhere near the raucous crowd at Chaffetz's February town hall in Cottonwood Heights. About 1,000 people filled the auditorium there, yelling, "Do your job," and, "Explain yourself," as the congressman attempted to answer questions. They booed when he mentioned Trump, and they frequently cut him off midsentence.
Love and Stewart, both in Washington, D.C., during their correspondence, had ample time to focus responses on their individual committee work.
With a spot on the House Financial Services Committee, Love offered a sharp rebuke of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in response to a question about small businesses being squashed by post-recession regulations.
She proposed that the bureau become a commission that could impart advice only with the consent of Congress. The agency, the GOP congresswoman said, should not be in the "enforcement business."
Love also spoke about how she introduced a bill in January to distribute birth control pills over the counter — an unconventional approach from a conservative anti-abortion politician.
"It is not my job to decide for somebody how to plan for their families," she said. "If we are going to be pro-life, we need to give as many people as many options as possible before a young lady gets in a situation and has to make a choice between keeping a life or ending a life."
Stewart, in response to a caller concerned about "what the Russians have been up to," spoke about investigating the country's involvement in the 2016 presidential election. As a member of the House Intelligence Committee, the congressman vowed to hold accountable anyone conspiring with Russia to thwart U.S. democracy.
"If someone in the Trump administration did something that was illegal," he said, "... we want to know that."
The committee announced Wednesday that it has determined how it will proceed with an investigation. Stewart said no matter the findings, he plans to report back to the public.
Twitter: @CourtneyLTanner