Protesters gathered in Oakland Saturday afternoon to demand an audience with Pennsylvania’s U.S. senators.
“All we want to do is have our elected officials hear us out,” said Sean Meloy, a Democratic political strategist who ran for Congress in 2022. “They’re helping one of the richest senators get richer with a book tour! That’s what they’re doing at this time of crisis.”
The demonstration had originally been called when Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick were scheduled to appear together at a ticketed book event Saturday. The event was canceled Friday, but the protest continued without them, drawing a crowd of hundreds.
Fetterman and McCormick have faced pressure from constituents to hold public town halls, as the federal government makes rapid changes to social safety net programs and federal spending. Tensions have escalated at town hall events across the country in recent weeks, with Republicans in particular facing outrage from constituents angry about the Trump administration’s policies.
McCormick was set to host an event centered on youth mentorship alongside his wife Dina to celebrate their book “Who Believed in You?” at a wine bar in Pittsburgh’s Strip District. Tickets were $32 and came with a copy of the book. When it was publicized that Fetterman and his wife Gisele would be joining, progressive groups announced plans to protest outside.
Protesters said calls to their representatives have gone unanswered for weeks and those who received emailed responses said they did not inspire confidence. Neither senator responded to a WESA request for comment Saturday.
Some of those who turned up on the lawn of Schenley Plaza Saturday said they bought tickets to McCormick’s event just to get in front of the senator. Among them was retired naval officer Bob Heister.
“I should be able to meet with them for free, but I had to pay 30-some-odd dollars to meet with them,” he said. “I urge both of these guys to rescind their cancellation and to reschedule. And in addition to that, to hold town halls.”
The demonstration was organized by Indivisible Pittsburgh, Partners for Progress SWPA and the group Mondays Without McCormick, which has routinely organized protests outside of the first-term senator’s Pittsburgh office, calling for town halls.
Speakers denounced the Trump administration’s policies on immigration, as well as cuts to university research funding and social safety net programs.
McCormick did hold a telephone town hall earlier this week, his first such event since taking office earlier this year. But protesters criticized McCormick’s approach, noting he announced the event with 30 minutes’ notice in a post on X.
“I’ve been working hard to shake up Washington and I am committed to keeping Pennsylvanians informed about the work I’m doing on their behalf,” McCormick said in his invitation.
According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, McCormick took about a dozen questions for an hour from callers who were screened before they got through. The Inquirer reported that McCormick defended billionaire Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and federal workforce cuts, and said Trump is “delivering what he promised.”
McCormick repeated promises made by his Republican counterparts that he would not take away benefits for Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security, but said he supports finding fraud and waste within the system.
Congress is in the process of hammering out the details of a reconciliation bill that calls for $2 trillion in cuts, including slashing $880 billion from the House committee that oversees Medicaid and Medicare over the next decade. Experts say cuts to the healthcare programs are almost inevitable to meet those budgetary goals.
Disability rights advocate Alisa Grishman said she’s been reaching out to McCormick’s office to urge him to keep Medicaid funded. She said the “automated” response she received also said McCormick would not support Medicaid cuts, but would advocate to “make the program more efficient.”
“That’s a non-answer if I have ever heard one,” she said, while the crowd booed.
Fetterman — who has been at odds with progressive Democrats over his staunch defense of Israel and his willingness to vote with President Trump and Congressional Republicans — has rarely made public appearances this year, and has also faced demands to organize a town hall.
Christopher Hykes, a retired Apollo firefighter and EMT, said he felt demoralized by Fetterman’s shift away from the left.
“I donated to your campaign. I promoted you to others. You gave us hope. Instead, you’re an embarrassment,” Hykes said. “You’ve become a profound disappointment with your voting for legislation and staffers, when you show up to vote at all.”
Fetterman has been chastised for missing floor votes in the Senate. According to GovTrack.us, Fetterman missed 169 of 835 roll-call votes from February 2023 through March 2025. That’s roughly seven times more votes than the average lifetime record of the senators currently serving. The website does not track the reason for absences.
Protesters at Schenley Plaza ended their demonstration by collecting letters to send to McCormick and Fetterman. Tracy Baton, head of Indivisible Pittsburgh, said groups planned to gather again next weekend to continue to call on the senators to meet with them.
“I know a lot of you are concerned about the hands that are on our government, the hands that are deeply into our privacy, the hands that we did not elect, the hands that aren’t vetted by Congress and have no security,” Baton said. “Yours are the only hands and feet that are going to make this revolution happen.”
