Constituents upset with Congressman Yakym's absence at Town Hall

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Indiana Second District Congressman Rudy Yakym was a no show at Monday's second congressional district town hall meeting.

Organizers of the town hall tell ABC57 that they sent three invitations weeks ago, both in person and by e-mail, and they say they never received a response.

So, an empty seat marked Congressman Yakym's absence at the town hall meeting.

"Please! Show up! We need you here," says one attendee, Franklin Julian.

"Very disappointed that he wasn't here," Dea Andrews says, another attendee.

"It's really disappointing that Congressman Yakym didn't take us up on our invitation to be here," says Julia Vaughn, Executive Director of Common Cause Indiana.

Common Cause Indiana co-sponsored the event with the Michiana Alliance for Democracy for local constituents to share their concerns and fears in today's political climate with each other, and they were hoping with Congressman Rudy Yakym as well.

"They're really feeling there's a lack of accountability with what's going on in Washington D.C. and they really need to hear from our elected officials as to what they think," Vaughn said.

A panel of local experts took the podium sharing their worries about the future of civil rights, health care, the environment, and education in the state of Indiana under the Trump administration.

"It is projected that SBCSC could lose up to 300 positions," said South Bend Community School Board Member, Stuart Greene.

"Many of the changes that are happening that are being proposed, are not things that Hoosiers support," Vaughn explains.

Despite disappointment in not getting to speak directly to Yakym about these issues, people left the town hall feeling more educated and charged to get involved.

"It's very important to be educated on what all is going on and what is not going on and find out how we can get through this mess," says Tammy Bell, who attended the town hall.

"I want to help encourage my fellow friends and be more politically engaged in these trying times," Julian says.

ABC57 News has not heard back from either of Rudy Yakym's staff members for a statement, but a post on Yakym's X account from Monday morning shows he was at a speaking event at Notre Dame earlier that day.

Constituents that were at the town hall were able to write questions and concerns down on notecards that will be hand delivered to Yakym's Mishawaka office soon.