Rep. John McGuire Only Shows Up for Trump—Not for Virginia’s 5th Congressional District

by Bridge2Blue

In Virginia’s 5th District, the problem isn’t just disagreement with your congressman—it’s finding him in the first place.

Representative John McGuire (R-VA05) has been busy lately—but not with the pressing issues affecting his Virginia constituents, like the cost of health care premiums or access to Medicaid.

In fact, McGuire has a long history of failing to show up to local events and meet with his constituents.

Last year, after he ignored invitations to a Charlottesville citizens’ town hall, participants addressed their questions to a mannequin and held up signs reading, “Where’s John McGuire?”

More recently, in March, McGuire was a no-show when Representative Jennifer McClellan (D-VA-04) and health experts held a virtual panel on the impact of Republican efforts to terminate tax credits for Affordable Care premiums and cut Medicaid.

‘One panelist, Laura Buller, told Charlottesville Right Now that she reached out to her Congressional representative, John McGuire, multiple times before and after he voted against the tax credit extension. She said her two phone calls were taken by staffers and she never heard back from McGuire. After McGuire voted against the extension, she called the office again and sent a letter. “I received a very formulaic letter back, It just does not feel like McGuire specifically has any interest in people like me.”

While McGuire has been dodging his constituents and their real concerns about their healthcare costs, he has somehow found time to interfere in the business of our neighbors in the District of Colombia.

In late March he introduced a bill that would “Require the development and implementation of a program…to beautify the District of Columbia through the removal of graffiti, enhanced private-sector collaboration, and restoration of Federal public monuments.

The bill—intended to codify one of Trump’s executive orders, has been roundly condemned as interference by elected representatives of DC’s 700,000 residents.

McGuire has also sponsored a bill that would require state law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE as a condition for getting federal community policing grants —another unpopular item from Trump’s wish list.

Citizens in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District need a representative who has the courtesy to show up, listen, and answer questions about their most pressing concerns—not one who busies himself marching to Trump’s drumbeat.

That’s reason enough to vote against John McGuire in November’s midterm elections.