In February, U.S. Representative Steve Stivers (R, OH-15) returned home to his heavily gerrymandered district, only to meet with constituents who could make the trip to Columbus on a weekday. I, along with two other OU students, was one of the few constituents who was able to take the time out of my schedule for a meeting with our congressman.
Our experience with Rep. Stivers was nothing groundbreaking, but he claimed that he's "always accessible to my constituents,” and that he plans to visit Athens “at some point.” But it’s hard to believe that
Congress is scheduled for another recess April 8-23, and it’s not unreasonable to ask our elected official to take the time to meet with various constituents during that time. According to staffers at Stivers’ district offices, he has no plans to have any meetings here, despite saying he’d consider coming to Athens in April when we met with him.
During the 2016 election, Athens County voted significantly in favor of Hillary Clinton. Yet, as a member of congress, Stivers has supported President Trump 100 percent of the time so far. Yes, Stivers’ district voted for Trump overall, but not 100 percent support. He should at least consider the interests held by many of his other constituents. Stivers is showing little to no sign of compromise or willingness to work with those who hold differing views than his.
The April recess is just a few days away now, and I urge you all to contact Stivers’ offices demanding that he
Alex Jackson is a freshman studying strategic communications at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Have you called Stivers before? Let Alex know by tweeting him @alexjackson716.
