Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., has some advice for his GOP colleagues: engage your opponents.
Collins, the vice chairman of the House Republican Conference, said he understands that Republicans in less conservative districts than his might find town hall meetings a bit rough these days. But avoiding constituents is not the answer, he said.
“I’m not going to get into an argument,” but he hears out protesters and people with opposing views, he said.
As Democrats and liberal groups have encouraged voters to register their dissatisfaction with Republican plans to dismantle the Affordable Care Act by attending events featuring their local representatives and burning up their office phone lines, Collins said he has begun answering his own phone more frequently.
If all of his staff is busy and he has a free minute, he picks it up himself, he said. He will also take over difficult calls from overwhelmed interns and staffers. That takes many callers by surprise, he said.
“I’ll say, ‘This is Doug Collins,'” and usually the person on the other end is confused and will ask if he is the congressman, he said, adding it usually helps disarm potentially angry callers.
He won’t fight with callers but he’ll “hear them out and then explain my position,” he said.
