Navy wife angered by meeting gets apology from S. Jersey congressman

Philly.com
Updated
U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo of South Jersey has resisted town hall meetings to avoid the "YouTube" moment. But he got a dose of social media attention when he angered a Navy wife at a small meeting. He apologized.

U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo, a Republican who represents a large swath of South Jersey, has adamantly resisted holding a town hall meeting, preferring a series of meetings with 12 constituents at a time to avoid what he called the "YouTube" moment.

But LoBiondo is getting a star turn on social media nonetheless.

One of those small meetings held in Mays Landing ended up angering a Navy wife, who took to Twitter and various Facebook groups over the weekend to express her shock at the treatment she says she received from a LoBiondo staffer when she said she had "understood what I read of the ACA [the Affordable Care Act]." 

"His staffer lost it," the woman, identified on social media only as Rebecca Ann, a spouse of a Navy serviceman, said, in one of several social media posts over the weekend. "He was rolling his eyes at me, gesticulating, and extremely animated."

When she pointed out that she was a nursing student, and well-educated,  the staffer "loudly" shouted her down, she said, with LoBiondo "allowing the staffer to do so." 

"I was made to feel like I was dumb, incapable because I am just a common citizen, and, of everything that happened at the meeting, this is the only thing that is sticking with me."

On Twitter, Rebecca wrote: "Cannot be overstated: Rep's staff suggested I'm too dumb to read & understand the ACA at meeting with Rep yesterday (Saturday)." 

She also objected to what she said was LoBiondo deleting critical comments on his Facebook page. 

Monday morning, LoBiondo tweeted an apology.

Rebecca, who did not return messages seeking comment Monday, said on Twitter she accepted the congressman's apology. She also vowed to keep up advocacy on behalf of military spouses and "to schedule meetings with Congressional folks ... regarding getting more military spouses like me into elected government."

Rebecca wrote she was in school and was unable to return LoBiondo's Monday morning voice message, which she described as "heartfelt." Her Facebook posts were liked by more than 16,000 people.

LoBiondo, who has said he will not support a repeal of the ACA without a replacement and is fighting cuts to the Coast Guard, had earlier reiterated his preference for the many small meetings earlier.

 

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