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The demonstrators, who said they were from Delavan, Elkhorn, Whitewater and Janesville, held up signs outside SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ office, 20 S. Main St., and gathered both inside the Old Towne Mall and outside the mall, also at 20 S. Main St. seeking to be heard and recognized by SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ staff.

In the entryway of SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ office, Mary Burpee addressed the congressmanÃÛèÖÊÓƵ staff. 

“WhatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ taking place right now in our nationÃÛèÖÊÓƵ capital is very distressing and is happening at a very fast and chaotic pace,â€� Burpee said. “We are not the first group that has shown up here — but we feel so serious about whatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ going on that we wanted to make our presence known. And will not be leaving unless we hear back from Congressman Steil.â€�

Demonstrators have become a regular presence recently outside the Janesville office of the congressman.

Janesville resident Neil Deupree attended ThursdayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ demonstration and has taken part in other demonstrations recently in front of SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ office, that have been happening on Tuesdays from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.

“I believe Rep. Steil needs to hear from us and that he can be more than a rubber stamp for President Trump,� Deupree said.

Deupree said the group he demonstrates with on Tuesdays has evolved over time.

“While the war was going on in Afghanistan it was a vigil for peace, it transforms according to the need,� he said.

He noted that after Tuesday, March 4, that group will switch to Wednesdays, at the same time, to be respectful of a business that uses the mall.

Ellen Holly, who helped coordinate ThursdayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ demonstration along with Burpee, read the groupÃÛèÖÊÓƵ statement.

It listed demands such as a two-hour event with a neutral facilitator, a “real� town hall with no agenda other than him listening and responding, and that the meeting needs to take place in the evening. They also provided a list of potential locations in Elkhorn for the meeting to take place.

Burpee said as a representative of Walworth County, Steil has a responsibility to show up and meet with them face to face.

“I Just want to remind Congressman Steil that as constituents, voters and taxpayers, we are happy to pay your wages, we understand the need of staff and federal staff,� Burpee said, and then continued. “He is also paid by our tax dollars, right? And therefore, as we pay him we expect him to listen to us and respond to us.�

Holly said Steil hasn’t had a town hall meeting in Elkhorn this year. On Jan.10, the Congressman held listening sessions in Janesville, Beloit, Racine and Kenosha, according to the event calendar on his website, , but didn’t make a stop in Walworth County.

Holly also said a “town hall meetingâ€� hasn’t happened in Walworth County since 2019. However, Michael Donatello, SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ press secretary, found a release from January of 2023 that showed the congressman held a listening session then at the Delavan Municipal Building.

The group then waited for a reply — which was received about 30 minutes after Skerbish sent an email to Steil listing the demands and the groupÃÛèÖÊÓƵ intentions.

SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ reply to the demonstrators:

“Thank you for visiting my office. As you know, I recently held in-person town halls in Janesville, Beloit, Racine, and Kenosha. It is my priority to work to be available and accessible to all voters in the First Congressional District. I will be holding a virtual town hall in March which I hope you will join. I will be sure to provide you with information on how to join my March event if you could provide an email address and telephone number. If others would like to be added to the event, please provide their email address and phone number as well.�

“In the meantime, you do not have to wait for an in-person event to get your questions answered. Please feel welcome to share any questions, concerns, or comments you have with my staff, and I can provide a response soon.�

“I also want to share a link to the radio interview I joined this morning with Tim Bremel on WCLO, as we discussed an array of topics that you may be interested in hearing from me about. I’m sorry to have missed you at my previous in-person events in Janesville, Beloit, Racine, Kenosha, but I look forward to hearing your questions, comments, or concerns.�

The demonstrators were not satisfied with SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ reply and demanded a different response.

ÃÛèÖÊÓƵ reached out to SteilÃÛèÖÊÓƵ office after ThursdayÃÛèÖÊÓƵ demonstration, for further comment on concerns raised by demonstrators about his accessibility to constituents and not getting back to them in a timely manner.

He responded to that by saying:

“I prioritize remaining open and accessible which is why I’ve held four in-person listening sessions and two virtual town halls within the last two months alone. I will be holding another virtual town hall in March. If anyone would like to sign up to receive a call to their phone as part of our virtual town hall, please contact my office.�

“I prioritize communicating with my constituents promptly,� he continued. “Over the last 15 days, I have received more than 14,000 calls, emails, and letters. I am working to respond to each and every request and remain committed to being available and accessible.�