Amo Hosts Telephone Town Hall on Fighting Illegal Trump Actions

WASHINGTON, DC – Last night, Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01) held a telephone town hall to answer questions from Rhode Islanders and outline his plans to combat the chaos and confusion of the Trump administration. Over the course of the hour-long event, Congressman Amo outlined how he is defending Rhode Island values through legislation, litigation, and communication. 

Topics raised by Rhode Islanders included President Donald Trump’s illegal federal funding freeze, efforts to eliminate federal agencies, and steps Congressman Amo is taking to protect Social Security and Medicare from Republican cuts to pay for tax breaks for billionaires.

“I am talking with the Rhode Islanders who have already been hurt by this administration to hear their stories and inform them about how we can fight back,” said Congressman Amo. “It sometimes feels like we are powerless. But we are not — we are powerful. In America, we elect our leaders, we don’t appoint a monarch. That is what we have to keep in mind moving forward. And whether you asked a question or just listened to the conversation, I thank the more than 15,000 individuals who joined last night’s call.”

During the call, Congressman Amo discussed the introduction of the Taxpayer Data Protection Act, new legislation to prevent individuals with conflicts of interest like Elon Musk from accessing highly-confidential taxpayer information without a proper background check.

Congressman Amo has also set up a link on his website for Rhode Islanders who’d like to share their story about how the Trump administration is affecting them:

https://amo.house.gov/shareyourstory

BACKGROUND

Since the start of President Trump’s administration, Congressman Amo has been laser focused on opposing dangerous executive orders, illegal federal funding freezes, harmful efforts to shut down federal agencies, and the elimination of basic protections for immigrants and our LGBTQ neighbors. 

In the last two weeks, Congressman Amo:

• Joined colleagues at a rally at the Treasury Department and sent a letter to Secretary Scott Bessent demanding answers on Elon Musk’s access to the federal government’s payment systems.
• Opposed the shutdown of the US Agency for International Development and called on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to stop undermining their lifesaving work around the world 
• Criticized Republicans on the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology who are abetting President Trump’s abandonment of federally-funded scientific research.

In addition to these actions, Congressman Amo has sent letters to:

• President Donald Trump calling on him to immediately rescind tariffs on Mexico and Canada.
• Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding clarity on how aid organizations can access the humanitarian aid funding waiver.
• House Committee on Foreign Affairs Chairman Brian Mast requesting a hearing with Secretary Rubio and Director of Foreign Assistance Peter Marocco to get answers on the federal funding freeze and their shutdown of USAID.
• Acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Matthew Memoli decrying attacks on NIH funding and research. 
• Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to demand DHS support the work of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to support cybersecurity efforts across the country.
• Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Matthew Vaeth to promptly confirm all transportation and infrastructure funding, including $220 million for the Washington bridge, will be released to Rhode Island.