Nearly 800 Attend Congressman Brad Sherman’s Town Hall Focused on Combating Trump’s Extreme Agenda
Canoga Park, CA – Today, Congressman Brad Sherman (D-Sherman Oaks) hosted an in-person Town Hall at Canoga Park Senior High School, drawing hundreds of residents for a wide-ranging discussion on the national and local issues weighing on the country. From economic instability to radical immigration enforcement, constituents voiced concerns—and Sherman made clear his continued opposition to what he called “Donald Trump’s extreme and costly policy agenda.”
“Our communities deserve a representative who shows up, fights back, and keeps them informed,” said Congressman Sherman. “That’s why I continue to hold these town hall meetings regularly, to hear from my constituents directly, give them straight answers, and help keep them connected to what’s happening in Washington that affects their lives.”
During the event, many constituents shared personal stories and voiced their fears about Trump’s renewed and frenzied push for mass deportations and the recent I.C.E. crackdowns that have rattled families throughout Los Angeles. Sherman condemned the raids as “cruel, unnecessary, and undermine the values this country was built on,” and reassured the attendees of his firm support for immigrant rights, while also outlining the steps he and his Democratic colleagues are taking to combat such crackdowns.
Another focal point was Trump’s so-called “Big Beautiful Bill” Act—a sweeping proposal that Sherman dubbed “One Big Ugly Bill” and criticized as a “reckless blueprint for corporate giveaways and political theater that will harm our economy.” He warned the bill would gut social safety nets while ballooning the national deficit.
A Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congressman Sherman also addressed the current global concerns facing the United States. Several attendees questioned U.S. involvement in the rapidly escalating conflict in the Middle East. Sherman called for a return to diplomatic leadership and cautioned against Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric and erratic foreign policy. “We need a steady hand guiding our foreign policy—not one that tweets us closer to war,” he said.
Throughout the Town Hall, residents raised a vast array of issues from protecting healthcare rights, achieving housing affordability, improving public education and more. Sherman answered each directly and laid out his legislative priorities moving forward. And despite some interruptions by a few anti-Israel agitators, Sherman was able to keep the focus on the concerns raised by the Town Hall attendees.
The Canoga Park Town Hall is the latest in a long-running series of Town Hall meetings Sherman has consistently hosted throughout his tenure in Congress, reinforcing his belief that government should be accountable, transparent, and engaged with the people it serves. “Our democracy only works when we show up, listen, and speak the truth,” Sherman concluded.
During the Town Hall, Sherman requested input from residents by asking a series of survey questions about their thoughts and concerns.
The results of the survey questions are as follows:
A) Do you support the passage of Congressional Republicans’ so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act that provides a tax cut of $82,000 to those who make over $1 million per year, takes away healthcare from 14 million Americans, and increases the U.S. debt by over $5 trillion?
- Yes: 1%
- No / Hell No: 96%
- Unsure: 3%
B) Metro has recently released details for a mass transit line through the Sepulveda Pass and given the community until August 30th to identify its preferred option. Which of the following options do you like best?
-ALTERNATIVE 1: An entirely Ariel Monorail along the 405 freeway (with no direct connection to UCLA) that will take 28 minutes to get from the Valley to the Westside. This option costs $15.4 billion and takes 12 years to build. (Metro estimates 65k daily boardings.): 13%
-ALTERNATIVE 3: A mostly Ariel Monorail along the 405 freeway -but includes an underground segment connecting directly to UCLA- that will take 32 minutes to get from the Valley to the Westside, costs $21 billion, and takes 14 years to build. (Metro estimates 86k daily boardings.): 7%
-ALTERNATIVE 4: Aboveground Heavy Rail in the Valley -running along Sepulveda Blvd.- which then dives underground at Ventura Blvd and continues underground through the Sepulveda Pass to UCLA. This option will take 20 minutes to get from the Valley to the Westside, cost $20 billion, and will take 14 years to build. (Metro estimates 120k daily boardings.): 18%
-ALTERNATIVE 5: Entirely underground Heavy Rail -below Sepulveda Blvd. in the Valley- and continuing underground through the Sepulveda Pass to UCLA. This option will take just 19 minutes to get from the Valley to the Westside, costs $24 billion, and will take 14 years to build. (Metro estimates 121k daily boardings.): 17%
-ALTERNATIVE 6: Entirely underground Heavy Rail -running below Van Nuys Blvd in the Valley- and continuing underground through the Sepulveda Pass to UCLA. This option will take 18 minutes to get from the Valley to the Westside, cost $24.4 billion, and take 15 years to build. (Metro estimates 107k daily boardings.): 26%
-Unsure: 14%
-Do Not Build: 6%
C) Do you support Republican’s proposal in the “big, beautiful bill” to prohibit states from enacting any safety regulations against AI for 10 years?
-Yes, we should have a ban on states regulating AI for 10 years: 2%
-No, states should be able to enact safety regulations related to AI if their residents support it: 92%
-Unsure: 6%