Rep. Mo Brooks, representing Alabama’s 5th district, held a town hall event at Madison’s City Hall March 30. (Record Photo/Nick Sellers)

By Nick Sellers | Staff Writer

MADISON – A wide variety of topics were presented, both by U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks, R–Alabama himself and via questions raised by a collection of his constituents, during a town hall meeting at the Municipal Complex on Hughes Road March 30.

“Madison, Huntsville and Madison County voters, in particular, have a wide variety of issues that they focus on,” Brooks said before the meeting. “First and foremost is probably deficit and debt and the long-term solvency of our country, because that affects Americans in so many different ways.”

Brooks went on to mention illegal immigration and political dynamics related to the upcoming presidential election in 2016 as a hot-button issue.

Starting at 6 p.m., Brooks ran through a presentation in which he spoke out against the national debt, describing it as “extraordinarily dangerous.” The debt currently stands at just over $18 trillion.

In his presentation, which clocked out at around 40 minutes, Brooks also railed against the Affordable Care Act and regulations placed on small businesses, which he described as excessive and burdensome.

Mayor Troy Trulock chose members of the audience to ask questions in the second part of the hour-and-a-half town hall.

The first question dealt with Brooks’ leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. John Boehner, R–Ohio. Brooks described Boehner and Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Senator majority leader, as coming from “the more moderate leanings of the Republican congress.”

“They are willing to offer any kind of deal to get things done,” Brooks said.

Other questions covered topics such as the recent U.S. visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding U.S. negotiations with Iran on nuclear weapons, federal benefits given to retired government workers and aid to U.S. citizens on disability.

Brooks also faced a question from a constituent on what his proposal is to deal with the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently living in the U.S. Brooks said he proposes enforcing the existing laws.

When asked to follow up by the questioner, saying the current laws don’t address those currently living in the country, Brooks said to “catch them one at a time.”

Brooks is speaking to rotary clubs in Huntsville and Decatur on March 31 and April 1 before heading back to Washington, D.C. next week.