About 200 people gathered Tuesday evening to discuss state and federal issues with their elected officials at a resource fair and town hall hosted by U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Democrat who represents parts of Orange County.
Most of Frost’s presentation focused on President Donald Trump and his administration’s 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 at the event at the Orange County Multicultural Center in Orlando . “We can’t just work in response to what they do.”
One of Frost’s greatest concerns is with the Department of Government Efficiency and billionaire Elon Musk’s role in the federal government. Frost and Musk had a back-and- forth on X, the social media site owned by Musk, and the congressman led a march to the Treasury office to protest Musk’s actions.
This week, the White House clarified that Musk was not in charge of DOGE, but rather serves as a senior adviser to the president.
As Wednesday, there are 215 Democrats and 218 Republicans in the House. Frost said one strategy his party could follow would be to introduce bills that could not realistically pass – 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. 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 residents seeking more information.
Individuals lined up to ask Frost questions following his presentation. Some asked about housing costs and the war in Gaza, and a transgender woman expressed unease with White House policies.
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.
Copyright 2025 Central Florida Public Media
