U.S. Rep. Herb Conaway fielded questions from residents on topics ranging from artificial intelligence and immigration enforcement to affordable housing during a town hall meeting in Allentown on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The town hall ran from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Allentown High School auditorium. Mayor Thomas Fritts opened the meeting by welcoming attendees and providing background information on the congressman.
Conaway, a Democrat, currently represents New Jersey’s 3rd Congressional District and previously served 25 years representing the state’s 7th Legislative District in the General Assembly. He earned a medical degree from Jefferson Medical College and served in the U.S. Air Force before working as an internal medicine physician.
One of the most prominent questions of the night was about how Conaway plans to regulate AI usage and development.
“I think we need to come to some kind of international convention on this because the power of this technology is unlike anything that we have seen on this planet,” Conaway said. “We need a full disclosure about the power of this technology, and you have ears in the Congress, and we have to do our job.”
Conaway also mentioned that he has attended meetings to discuss AI and will continue to attend more in the future.
Following the AI question, another resident brought up H.R. 9442, a bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that would impose a moratorium on the construction of new AI data centers until Congress passes legislation addressing the potential dangers of artificial intelligence. A separate bill has been introduced in New Jersey calling for a six-month moratorium on data center construction.
Conaway said members of the Democratic caucus were working on the issue and that federal involvement would be necessary to help communities address the impacts of data center development.
“I think we need to look at this at the national level to make sure that localities, wherever they are, get the assistance they need,” Conaway said.
He also expressed concerns about imposing a moratorium, suggesting that any restrictions would need to be carefully considered.
A volunteer for Agencia de Acción asked Conaway whether he was prepared to defund and abolish U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, citing the agency’s treatment of immigrants across the country.
The speaker also asked whether Conaway would support legislation creating a pathway to legal status for immigrants who have lived and paid taxes in the United States for years.
“What we’re gonna do is the right policy that respects humans, and respects the contributions that people make,” Conaway said. “We’re a country that welcomes people from all over the world, and we have benefitted by their involvement in our country.”
Earlier that afternoon, an ICE officer shot Oscar Belgal during an immigration enforcement operation in New York City. Belgal was taken to a hospital for treatment before being transferred to federal custody.
Another resident asked Conaway about holding members of the current administration accountable. She said investigations should be conducted into the actions of those involved in the administration.
“You’re certainly going to see accountability,” Conaway said.
He explained that Congress has a responsibility to operate independently of the White House and investigate matters that warrant public scrutiny. He said lawmakers must ensure that the American people are informed about the actions of their government.
Continuing the discussion about accountability, another resident asked what Conaway was prepared to do to uphold the Constitution.
Conaway said he and other members of the Democratic caucus were already discussing plans for congressional oversight if Democrats regained control of the House of Representatives. Those discussions include holding hearings and investigating potentially wasteful or harmful government contracts, along with allegations of misconduct within the administration.
He said those preparations were underway and that congressional committees would play an important role in holding the administration accountable.
Several residents who had suffered brain injuries asked Conaway how they could advocate for people with similar injuries, how a Tourette syndrome support person could receive compensation and how patients could obtain needed medications.
Two speakers approached the microphone to ask for Conaway’s support on separate congressional measures: H.R. 7521, which would lift the trade embargo on Cuba, and H. Res. 69, a resolution celebrating Hindu Americans and condemning attacks on Hindu places of worship, Hinduphobia and anti-Hindu bigotry.
Conaway said he would look into both measures after the meeting.
One speaker questioned Conaway about his campaign contributions, claiming that he had accepted donations associated with Lockheed Martin, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Oracle. The speaker criticized the contributions, arguing that they conflicted with positions Conaway had taken. AIPAC is a pro-Israel lobbying organization.
“I just ask you to look at the votes and the kind of decisions that I made,” Conaway said. “You may not agree with them, but I don’t think there’s anybody who can look at donations and say that I made a decision based on those donations.”
Toward the end of the meeting, an Allentown resident raised concerns about affordable housing for seniors in the borough. She asked what steps Conaway planned to take at the federal level to support the governor’s housing strategy.
Conaway said the federal government needs to increase funding for low- and moderate-income housing and examine the types of housing being built to better meet residents’ needs.
“One of the other things that we can look at is the kind of housing that’s built,” Conaway said.
He also pointed to the rising age at which Americans are purchasing their first homes, saying it has reached 41.
Conaway said he plans to hold more town hall meetings in Allentown in the future.
Editorial note: I paraphrased the unclear or garbled quotations rather than inventing corrected wording. I retained direct quotations that were understandable and attributed them to Conaway. The paraphrases about congressional oversight, data center restrictions and housing should still be checked against Jenna’s notes or recording, since the original transcriptions do not establish every detail with certainty.
