State Representative Tarik Khan and Congressman Dwight Evans held a community forum on April 23, giving attendees the chance to ask questions about Washington politics and policies.

Local residents filled all 150 seats in the main room of the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education in Roxborough.  with more standing along the walls. State Senator Sharif Street, who previously represented parts of Northwest Philadelphia, also joined the discussion. 

Much of the conversation focused on the actions of President Donald Trump’s administration, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and appointed officials like Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Evans said it’s important to “feel how [his constituents] want their needs addressed, in terms of issues like education … they just want people that listen and do something.” 

One attendee, James Lammendola, told the Local, “I had to come out because I’ve seen a firehose of disinformation and misinformation and literally the destruction of the government that’s designed to serve the people.” 

Multiple attendees asked Khan and Evans what could be done to combat the actions of the Trump administration and what pressure their representatives put on their Republican colleagues.

Evans responded “We must have more relentlessness of connections and conversations. It's a fantastic turnout in this room, but we must go block by block in every neighborhood … you gotta be a nuisance. The only way this process works is you being relentless. They must get tired of you.” 

He later encouraged his constituents to reach out to his office and discussed his role in the House Committee on Ways and Means, which shapes fiscal legislation. 

Evans emphasized how representatives’ committee positions amplify the voices of their constituents, adding that a representative “Sitting on that particular committee gives you some type of leverage.” 

At the beginning of the forum, Khan called out cuts to federal funding from DOGE and Trump policies. He highlighted the loss of $8 million in federal funding for food programs, $750,000 for the Woodmere Art Museum, and $1.4 million for substance use and homelessness services in the city. 

He added, “I know there's a lot of frustration, but I'm an optimist, and I believe that even though things look terrible right now … I believe that actions can raise hope, and we can build back even better. We can build an education system where every kid is able to go to public school and get a quality education, where everyone is able to get high-quality health care.” 

Multiple attendees raised concerns over healthcare and Secretary Kennedy’s stances on issues like vaccines and masking. 

Highlighting his work as a nurse practitioner, Khan responded by saying “This is one of the reasons why I ran for office. 

He added, “Having a nurse practitioner in the city government, to be that voice on the health committee … if anything comes from the Senate, for us to outlaw vaccines or get in the way of people who want vaccines, we will fight that tooth and nail all day long.”

Claire Byrne, a registered Republican and retired nurse, attended with her husband John, a Democrat. 

Byrne told the Local, “I just wanted to hear things from the other side. You hear so much in the media and if you’re constantly bombarded with the same thoughts, you’re gonna end up thinking that way too.”

Byrne discussed concerns over current healthcare costs she has seen working as a nurse and her husband has experienced with cancer treatment. Byrne said she's seen “injustices on both sides,” but she and her husband share healthcare concerns. 

She added that while Khan represents the opposite party, she “definitely likes” him and believes he has his constituents' needs at heart. 

Khan told the Local he was encouraged by the large turnout, saying, “The fact that people would come out on a Wednesday night … I think that shows the level of concern in the community about what's happening on the national level.” 

After Evans left at 8:45 p.m., Khan and Street stuck around taking more questions and going over the forum's end time by about 40 minutes. 

Khan represents Chestnut Hill, Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls neighborhoods in the state Congress, while Evans represents half of Philadelphia in the federal government, including the northwest. 

“This is what democracy is all about," Khan told the Local, "actually hearing from people, people that are being affected, people that are having concerns.” 

Evans told the Local, “It’s been around 25 years. I know him, [Khan] his brother and his mother. He's always been a good person, so I was happy just to join this occasion.”

Khan volunteered for Evans’ 2016 campaign, door knocking and making phone calls.

Working within the state government, Khan strives to stay in his Roxborough office as much as possible, choosing not to have an apartment in Harrisburg. This effort allows him to focus more time on door-knocking and connecting with his constituents. 

Evans' district is much larger, and his time is split between Washington D.C. and the Philadelphia neighborhoods he represents. Khan, whose district overlaps Evans’, said he wanted to give their constituents an opportunity to voice their concerns about the federal government.