Hageman’s Greybull town hall brings national tensions home

Rep. Harriet Hageman’s stop in Greybull on Tuesday, June 17 boiled over with conflicting views, a theme that seemed to echo throughout her travels around the state. 

The meeting, held at Greybull High School, was part of an effort by Hageman, R-Wyo., to hold a town hall in every county in the state each year. It followed the passing of the House reconciliation bill on May 22, which will become a part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act if accepted. 

This gathering differed from the typical town hall format, with attendees submitting handwritten questions for the legislator, which she then drew from a bucket. 

There was a solid turnout for the town hall. While the audience was not invited to speak, some shared a few words of objection with both Hageman and each other as the town hall progressed. 

Vocal protestors suggested Hageman was picking and choosing questions as she struggled to read handwriting and even called her back to the mic when she tried to end the hour-long ordeal four minutes early. 

“We’re not hecklers, we’re your constituents,” one man yelled. 

Hageman suggested that hateful rhetoric had fueled the transition to her submitted question format.

“You can’t just engage in a conversation where I report what’s going on and then we have a question-and-answer situation,” Hageman said. 

Questions submitted to Hageman included discussion over Medicaid cuts that may impact rural hospitals and nursing homes, as well as individuals who relied on the service and were concerned about how reduced access to social services may affect their ability to support themselves.

Hageman claimed that Wyoming would not be affected by proposed Medicaid cuts as the state had not instated Obama-era expansions that covered able-bodied adults, which will now be required to meet additional work, volunteer or schooling requirements to receive aid. She reported that 1.4 million illegal aliens had been receiving Medicaid, and 1.6 million people receiving payments in two states. 

As for her constituents, some of which have claimed they are not receiving promised Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security payments, Hageman suggested they get ahold of her office. 

“If there is a particular situation, you can get ahold of my office… In my 2.5 years in Congress, we have resolved over 3,000 cases on behalf of Wyoming constituents,” Hageman said. 

Similarly, the audience asked about federal funding cuts to libraries, museums, NPR and PBS. Hageman stated that funds for the 2025 fiscal year should still be in play and again encouraged constituents to open a case with her office if their organizations are not receiving promised funding. 

As for NPR and PBS, Hageman said people have “the right and perhaps the obligation” to support those programs through donations rather than government funding. 

Many questions fell under the umbrella of immigration, DEI and foreign policy. 

Hageman reported the House Armed Services Committee was instructed to provide $100 billion of additional funding for military through the reconciliation bill and actually increased spending by $143 billion. This proceeded this weekend’s news of the U.S. bombing Iran. 

On immigration, the House Judiciary Committee, which Hageman is a part of, had allocated funding for 1 million annual removals, 10k new ICE personnel and 701 miles primary border wall construction. 

The bill would also create a fee system for immigration related applications and processes, which Hageman predicted would increase revenue by $77 billion. 

An audience question expressed concern about a predicted fall in foreign tourism following the Trump administration’s handling of tariffs and foreign policy. 

“I’ve talked to some of the people within the National Parks Service, and they’re not predicting that there is going to be a decrease. Our National Parks Service is fully staffed and fully funded right now with the volunteers, the number of employees that they typically have,” Hageman said, which was protested by her audience. 

She then asked if there had been a decrease in tourism in the Big Horn Basin, to which several local business owners chimed in, ‘Yes!’

“We can sure follow up on that with some of the hotels and the restaurants,” Hageman said. 

The House Committee on Natural Resources, which Hageman contributes to, proposed to reinstate quarterly onshore oil and gas lease sales, and return oil and natural gas royalty rates to pre–Inflation Reduction Act levels. Should the reconciliation bill pass as presented, coal leasing on federal land will resume and at least one 20-year lease for timber harvesting on Forest Service lands must be issued every year. Leased land would not be affected by proposed public land sales. 

As Hageman wrapped up the town hall, she was met with a mix of support and disdain. 

Overall, Hageman said, “I’m excited about where the Big Beautiful is.”