U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley addresses a crowd of about 150 people in Prineville. (Jason Chaney/Central Oregonian)

U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley has held town halls every year in Prineville since taking office in 2009.

During all of his previous Crook County events, the questions asked by constituents and answered by Merkley have covered a variety of topics. Common issues raised at many town halls have revolved around jobs, health care, forest management and other concerns in the hands of Congress.

The town hall held Saturday, May 10, at Barnes Butte Elementary was different. The questions raised by members of the roughly 150 people in attendance centered on one primary concern: the balance of power in the federal government since President Donald Trump took office.

Questions either addressed concerns about Executive Branch power directly or a concern about a specific issue was raised in the context of how the Trump Administration without Congress input was affecting it.

“Our nation is being challenged in ways that I didn’t really think was possible,” Merkley told the audience early in the forum. He attributed much of this to Russell Vought, the current head of the Office of Management and Budget.

“I would say he is one of the most important people in America – I call him the most dangerous man in America.” Merkley explained that label by recounting a meeting he had with Vought where according to Merkley, he said he didn’t believe the Executive Branch had to follow any of the laws. He attributes this belief to why multiple department heads have been fired, including recently the head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“That’s very dangerous once the law doesn’t apply,” he said.

Merkley went on to say that this indifference to laws has resulted in the defunding or canceling of multiple federal programs or is threatening Medicaid.

“We are essentially in a realm where you can list 50 laws that have been broken by this administration to date,” he said.

As people continued to raise questions about the balance of power and the Executive Branch, Merkley finally asked for a show of hands from those who were “concerned that we are on the edge of losing the separation of power.” Nearly every hand in the audience went up. “It is not a constitutional crisis down the road. We are in the middle of it right now.”

While he expressed concern, Merkley went on to stress that he and his colleagues in Congress are pushing back – and not just Democratic lawmakers like himself but Republicans as well. He said some of his colleagues across the aisle are “uncomfortable” with some of the Trump Administration actions.

“They feel like they need to be deferential to the leader who has just been elected, but they are very uncomfortable with what’s happening,” Merkley said. “We are having bipartisan conversations. There is a lot of bipartisan concern.”

While that is the case, it is not yet enough of a political swing to consider impeachment, as one audience member asked. Merkley said too few Republican lawmakers would support impeachment.

Some in the audience asked what they can do and one query in particular questioned how effective local protests can be. Merkley in response urged people to keep protesting and to call and email their Congressional representatives. He stressed that the voice of the people is important.

Merkley concluded the hour-long forum with the acknowledgement that it had been “a very unique town hall.”

“Normally, we come together when we are concerned about an economic issue or a health care issue or an education issue. But this is about the fundamentals of how a republic operates,” he said. “It’s a very unique time.”