POESTENKILL, NY — At his first town hall meeting since taking office, Congressman Antonio Delgado addressed a crowd of hundreds of constituents in Rensselaer County. He commented on the partial federal government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history.

He said he is outraged that so many families are going without paychecks during the shutdown, and it makes it hard to talk about other business in the nation’s capital. “I don’t even like talking about the priorities, because I met with way too many federal workers, individuals who are being impacted right now, who don’t want to hear about that. They want to hear, ‘when are you actually going to open up this government.’

“There’s a lot I can’t control in Washington. But town halls, accessibility, making sure you feel heard and listened to—that you feel like I’m a fighter in your corner whether you’re a Democrat, Independent, or Republican—that’s what I can control,” said Delgado. “This is the beginning of me making that clear—not just through words, but by showing up and engaging with folks all across the district.”

Healthcare was very much on the minds of people in the audience and the topic came up repeatedly. Delgado repeated his support for a public option, which was a cornerstone of his campaign.

Delgado plans to hold a total of 11 town hall gatherings this year, one in each of the counties in the New York 19th Congressional District.