Rep. David Price addressed his constituents and took questions at a town hall event in Carrboro on Saturday morning. Questions arose about the current state of the government and his role in representing his district.
Lydia Lavelle, mayor of Carrboro, gave a brief introduction of Price’s work for the fourth congressional district. The fourth district covers parts of Orange, Durham and Wake counties.
Price earned his bachelor's degree from UNC and went on to earn a degree in theology and a Ph.D. in political science, both at Yale.
Price has been in office since 1997 and said he is a strong supporter for affordable health care, education and improved infrastructure. He currently serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is the ranking Democrat on the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development subcommittee.
Price began his speech emphasizing the district's movement in the past couple of years.
“Redrawn and redrawn and redrawn, but we're back in the Triangle,” he said.
Price said the government is bogged down by the current administration who, he said, is causing more harm than help. He said he believes President Trump is placating the far right tea party.
“We are faced this Friday with yet another government shutdown unless they do the right thing and leave aside the right wing fundamentalism,” Price said.
Dreamers were a current focus during the discussion, with Price calling them “a particularly promising and hopeful group of people.” However, he said Dreamers are only the tip of the iceberg and that the government chooses not to deal with farm laborers. He believes DACA only became a crisis due to the current administration’s inability to solve problems.
