About 200 Central Floridians gathered at the Orange County Multicultural Center Tuesday evening to discuss state and federal issues with their elected official. U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat who represents parts of Orange County, hosted a town hall and resource fair to speak with his constituents.
Most of Frost’s presentation focused on President Donald Trump and his administration’s new policies on immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and federal funding.
The president has issued sweeping executive orders calling for the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, barring transgender athletes from competing in women’s sports and restricting access to gender-affirming care for those younger than 19. Multiple judges have paused the gender-affirming care order.
Frost called upon his Democratic colleagues to press the administration, and Republicans.
“I think what most Americans are looking for is transformational change,” he said. “We can’t just work in response to what they do.”
One of Frost’s greatest concerns is with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the federal government. Frost and Musk had back and forth on X, formerly Twitter, and the congressman led a march to the Treasury office to protest Musk’s actions.
Earlier this week, the White House announced Musk was not in charge of DOGE, and he rather serves as a senior advisor to the president.
As of Feb. 19, 2025, there are 215 Democrats and 218 Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Frost said one strategy his party could follow would be to introduce bills that could not realistically pass – in order to give voters and the Republican party a better sense of what Democrats want.
“We need a clear agenda. We need clear policies,” Frost said.
Organizations such as the Victim Service Center of Central Florida, Florida Legal Services and Hispanic Federation Florida attended the resource fair. And, multiple elected officials were present: Orange County School Board member Stephanie Vanos and Orange County Commissioners Michael Scott and Nicole Wilson.
Frost pointed to organizations and nonprofits like those in attendance for Central Floridians with further questions.
Individuals lined up to ask Frost questions following his presentation. Some asked about housing costs and the war in Gaza, while one constituent expressed unease with White House policies as a transgender woman.
One speaker, Scott Gilmore, shared his fears over the future of veteran care. Gilmore is a medically discharged Army veteran who recently lost his government-contracted job. His wife also works for a government agency.
He said veterans have been used as a bargaining chip in political games, and he’s concerned about federal funding cuts that impact service members.
“I’m used to having pressure on me, but in this environment it’s completely different,” he said. “I don’t like having my family on edge.”
Last week, the Department of Veterans affairs announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees.
Frost said he would host more meetings in the future.
