McClellan holds town hall meeting, listens to citizens

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, a Democrat, who represents the 4th District, held a town hall meeting recently to update citizens about issues and to hear their concerns.

Supervisor Dr. Barbara Jarrett Harris, Chair, Brunswick County Board of Supervisors, called the meeting to order and Supervisor Glenda Jackson Gilliam offered the invocation and led everyone in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

Dr. Harris thanked County Administrator Leslie Weddington and the county staff for their hard work preparing for the meeting. She also thanked Ricky Woodard and the maintenance staff for dealing with a glitch with the air conditioning system. Dr. Harris thanked everyone for coming to the meeting offering a special welcome to those from other counties.

McClellan said while there are differences in rural and urban communities, there is common ground.

“People want a quality education for their children, access to better health care when they get sick and to be able to get treatment without going bankrupt,” McClellan said.

McClellan likes to focus on what she calls “quality of life issues.” She is a child of educators who balanced childcare and dealing with looking after their parents at the same time. McClellan remembers them talking about a literacy test to be able to vote, poll taxes, Jim Crow laws and she pledged to defend the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. She said government should be by the people and for the people and no one should be denied their rights.

The news of the person shipped to El Salvador accused of being in a gang without due process should be a concern for everyone, said McClellan. She said the administrative branch of government is not above the law.

McClellan said many people are worried about changes to Social Security, saying a new budget cycle starts Oct. 1 and she will fight hard to prevent any cuts to Social Security or Medicaid and Medicare. She encouraged anyone having trouble with Social Security to call her office for assistance.

The conversation turned to the recent news that the Secretary of Defense shared sensitive information on various chats calling the actions serious.

McClellan said there are efforts underway to place barriers on voting. There are efforts to cut funding for museums and maintaining historical sites. She said there is something special about visiting a museum and connecting with history and the people who made history. McClellan said it is important to remember slavery and she is proud of being the first African American woman from the 4th District in Congress.

McClellan praised the James Solomon Russell – Saint Paul’s College Museum and Archives located on the second floor of the Brunswick County Conference Center. She said the museum is committed to protecting the legacy of James Solomon Russell and Saint Paul’s College. McClellan encouraged everyone to support the museum. McClellan called attention to the museum loosing two grants totaling $160,000 since January 2025 because of federal funding cuts and that she is in contact with museum officials about any other cuts that may affect them.

McClellan praised organizations like the Brunswick Health Ambassadors who are working to improve the health of citizens in the 4th district. She is appalled by the numbers showing Brunswick County’s ranking regarding health. McClellan said there is a direct correlation to air pollution and asthma and water issues. She supports more renewable and clean energy solutions, calling attention to the need for better education.

A parent expressed concern about funding for her special needs child.

Someone said they are worried about President Trump’s alliance with Putin. Funding cuts to historical sites were mentioned again. Several people talked about their inability to have access to broadband and the Internet.

McClellan said she attended Inauguration Day and Martin Luther King Day, and she remembers wondering where the country was going. McClellan ended her talk with a promise to protect our rights, work to improve our schools and access to health care.

She thanked the citizens for attending and reminded everyone if they are having any issues to please reach out to her office for help. She said she has a satellite office in Brunswick that is open every Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and encouraged those that need help to stop by. The office is located at the Brunswick County Conference Center, 100 Athletic Field Road, Lawrenceville, Virginia. You can call (804) 690-5809 if you need additional information or would like to make an appointment.

Dr. Harris asked those from other counties to be recognized and people from Greensville, Mecklenburg and Dinwiddie responded. She said the issues talked about were not just Brunswick County issues, but U. S. issues. Dr. Harris said efforts to provide broadband are ongoing, emphasizing Empower in the southern part of the county and RiverStreet in the northern part of the county.