Congressional Republicans held far more “town hall” events to hear feedback from constituents than Democrats did last year.
Republicans held 1,712 such events last year, compared to 977 by Democrats, according to data compiled by LegiStorm, a web site that tracks congressional information.
There were 254 Democrats and 279 Republicans in the House and Senate last year. That works out to more than six town halls per Republican and less than four per Democrat.
The meetings can be tough for members of Congress who may face grilling by constituents, but Tea Party-aligned members after 2010 made the meetings a centerpiece of a governance approach they believe more effectively put them in touch with the voters they represent.
The lawmaker who held the most town halls, Rep. Kevin Kramer, R-N.D., hosted 81 events, holding most of them over the radio to allow more constituents in the rural state to ask questions.
Among Democrats, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon was tops at 37, LegiStorm found.
A Washington Examiner analysis of travel records found a wide disparity in how often members of Congress returned to their districts, with longer-serving members going home far less.
The Examiner’s data showed that Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who had served in the Senate since 1985 and retired last year, did not have town halls in his state even when the body was adjourned for the month of August to allow senators to travel their states.
