YORKTOWN, Va. - At a town hall meeting Tuesday night, Congresswoman Elaine Luria answered tough questions about what is and isn't happening in Washington that affects people here in Hampton Roads.
She was grilled on questions surrounding treatment at local VA centers, national security and healthcare.
The meeting was one of three she has done so far. It follows similar events held in Virginia Beach and the Eastern Shore, both areas within the 2nd Congressional District.
"Every meeting we have, every interaction we have - we need to capture those conversations and be able to translate them back to, 'Is there a legislative fix here?'" Luria said.
People from across the Peninsula wrote down questions, dropped them in sorted bags and then Luria answered them head on. Jim Scull has lived in Hampton his whole life, and he said that's a reason he attended the talk.
"You get to voice your opinion, you get to hear what they have to say one-on-one," Scull said.
On stage, Luria also answered direct questions about prescription drug costs and safety in schools. She also asked local leaders to speak on behalf of what they're seeing in their city.
Related: Rep. Luria leading bipartisian effort to resolve Gold Star family tax issue
A member of the board of supervisors in James City County said they recently approved a budget for the Williamsburg-James City County school system that includes additional funding for security officers and school resource officers.
Representatives from Hampton and York County also discussed school security improvements.
Rep. Luria said every point brought forward during the meeting is helpful when it comes to passing legislation on Capitol Hill. "[What I'm focusing on a lot] is, "How do we help constituents and take the information that we hear here in the district back to Washington and act on it?'" Luria said.
No question submitted will go unanswered. If Luria wasn't able to get to it during the town hall, her staff will follow up with each person in the coming days.
