Republican federal lawmakers are being met with opposition, including shouting matches, at town hall meetings across the country.

But here in Pennsylvania, that appears to not be the case –– at least for U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa. — who aren’t planning to hold any town hall meetings in the immediate future.

Federal lawmakers have traveled back to their home districts this week as part of a Congressional recess for the President’s Day holiday.

Many people are riled up at the lawmakers for backing the Trump administration and in particular, stances relating to the Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — and immigration, among other contentious issues roiling the country.

A member of Thompson’s staff said the lawmaker is happy to meet with constituents — but apparently not in large group settings.

“The congressman (Thompson) does not have a town hall meeting planned at this time, although he is happy to meet with any constituent to learn their thoughts and opinions on the issues most affecting their lives,” said Renée Gamela, communications director for Thompson. “Unfortunately, a few activist organizations have taken it upon themselves to deceive the public by creating town hall events that Congressman Thompson had never agreed to attend.

“His town halls will not be run by partisan opposition or paid liberal activists who are more concerned with making a spectacle than addressing the real challenges facing our country,” said Gamela.

Thompson does acknowledge that individuals have real concerns with several issues and urges them to set up an appointment to deal with those problems, Gamela said.  

But Marc Friedenberg, who emailed The Era regarding a town hall meeting slated to start at 2 p.m. Saturday in 111 Forum Building on Penn State’s University Park campus at University Park, said Thompson seems to be ignoring the calls, emails, letters and office visits. The event is being sponsored by the IST Student Government, according to a Facebook page created specifically for the event.

Friendenberg claims these individuals have also not been able to schedule meetings with Thompson.

“They have also requested a town hall meeting with him, but Mr. Thompson’s staff has stated that he will not offer a venue for ‘paid activists and political opposition’ to create a ‘spectacle.’ In fact, these constituents are not paid protestors, and not the political opposition, but rather they are the people whom Mr. Thompson is representing and those to whom he is ultimately responsible,” Friendenberg’s email to media outlets says.

Thompson has received an invite to the event, and he has also been told that no paid protestors will be on site, and there will be no spectacle.

“Regardless of whether he chooses to attend, his constituents will have an opportunity to voice their concerns. If Mr. Thompson does not attend, his constituents’ comments will be recorded and sent to Mr. Thompson afterward, so that he will have an opportunity to respond,” Friedenberg said.

While Thompson has ruled out holding a town hall meeting, Gamela said that he would be in charge of organizing the event, rather than his political opponents.

Meanwhile, Toomey declined to attend a town hall type of event in Allentown, organized by the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. People aired concerns about the future of the Affordable Care Act. In front of that room, an empty suit was hung up in place of Toomey.

That event aside, Toomey recently hosted a tele town hall and this week he met with constituent groups throughout Pennsylvania to talk about issues.

“The tele town hall was available for any Pennsylvanian to join,” said Toomey spokesman Steve Kelly. “These issues have been discussed at length.”

Toomey has stopped in all 67 counties across Pennsylvania at least twice over the last six years and he has hosted 14 town hall meetings, including in Coudersport, Kersey, DuBois and Warren.

“These have traditionally taken place in the summer months, with the most recent meetings coming in Sunbury and Warren in 2015,” Kelly said. “Senator Toomey has also hosted nearly 50 tele town hall meetings over the past three years. Currently, there are no town hall meetings on the senator’s schedule.”

For his part, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., plans to hold a town hall meeting in early March; the location is still being secured, according to Casey spokeswoman Jacklin Rhoads.