LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Before heading back to Washington D.C. next week, Kentucky's newest U.S. congressman fielded a flurry of questions from his constituents during a town hall.
Rep. Morgan McGarvey, D-KY, and his team hosted a small group of 20 or so residents inside the Portland Branch Library, Saturday.
McGarvey said the takeaways from that meeting are instrumental in forging his path forward in Congress.
"This is a listening town hall," McGarvey said. "It's so important when we're back here to make sure we're hearing from our constituents."
McGarvey answered more than a dozen questions on a wide range of issues.
At the national level, resident asked him about his two committee assignments—the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and the House Committee on Small Business.
McGarvey was also asked to explain his role is in dealing with the nation's debt ceiling.
"We received questions on everything from 'how is the farm bill that's up this year going to help urban farmers here in Louisville?' to 'what's being done to help libraries?' [to] 'how do we get a hold of you now?'," McGarvey said.
The freshman in congress said his office is focused on finding the right balance between getting work done in D.C. and staying connected to the local community.
"I want to know how people are feeling, so we can translate that into policy that helps people out," he said.
Among his top policy priorities, McGarvey mentioned universal pre-kindergarten, protecting abortion rights in Kentucky, crafting workforce development programs and investing in sustainable energy.
Morgan McGarvey was elected to the U.S. House in Kentucky's 3rd Congressional District back in November.
He defeated Republican challenger Stuart Ray.
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