Last Tuesday, I hosted my second telephone town hall. Telephone town halls are a new technology that let me host an extensive conference call with many of my constituents. It’s a great example of how technology helps me keep the lines of communication open even when I am stuck in Washington with votes. Of course I host plenty of the old fashioned town hall meetings in the district, along with "Coffees with your Congressman" (hope to see you at one soon!) and other events, and the telephone will never replace that. But it’s another way we can be in touch. On this most recent call, several hundred of you were on the line with me during most of the hour, and many more listened in for a brief period. Really incredible.

Best of all, the calls, just like this blog, are a two-way street. Rather than just listening to me talk for an hour, constituents can press a button and ask a question, and many people did just that. We took questions on everything from global warming to veterans’ health care. We heard from one constituent from Pasadena named Kathleen, whose son is a Marine serving in Iraq. Obviously, that situation is difficult enough for any parent, but Kathleen has faced the added stress that her son is getting inadequate supplies in Iraq, and she has had to supplement his equipment from her own pocket. We already ask those serving in the Armed Forces, as well as their families, to sacrifice so much. I’ll be following up with Kathleen to see if there’s anything I can do to help her and her son, and we’ll keep beating the drum in Washington for greater support for our men and women in uniform

If I haven’t called you yet to join in one of our telephone town halls, you’ll be hearing from me soon, but if you want to ensure that you’re included in the next call, email me your phone number by clicking here.