Hundreds turn out as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Paul Tonko hold town hall in Plattsburgh Hundreds of people packed downtown Plattsburgh on Sunday to hear from Congressmembers Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY) during a joint town hall that stirred both excitement and controversy across the region. With the Strand Theatre at full capacity, the lawmakers stepped outside to greet the overflow crowd who couldn't get inside. “Plattsburgh, we are here because every town, every city, every neighborhood in this state matters,” said Ocasio-Cortez. “Every corner matters, no one deserves to be ignored.” Inside, the two took aim at a recently passed federal bill, which President Donald Trump has referred to as the “big, beautiful bill.” Both Ocasio-Cortez and Tonko voiced strong opposition to the legislation, arguing it would harm access to health care in rural communities. “There are consequences for taking away our right to choose. And they need to know it, not just from New York City, but from Plattsburgh, Hudson County, Utica and Buffalo and Rochester,” said Ocasio-Cortez. Tonko echoed the concern, pledging continued resistance in Washington. “We're going to continue to be the voice of opposition,” he said. “We're going to make sure that the outcomes in Washington are driving decency, dignity, and respect.” But the visit didn’t come without pushback. Trump supporters circled the venue in a large MAGA-themed bus. And on Friday, the Chair of the Plattsburgh Republican Committee called the event “out of touch.” “If somebody’s coming out of district, especially somebody from New York City, to try to advocate for what they think is really going to resonate with the voters here,” said Committee Chair David Souliere. “The 'big, beautiful bill' offers quite a tax cut. Most people don’t realize that if this bill hadn’t passed, the 2017 tax cuts would’ve ended, meaning middle-class families would’ve paid about $1,700 more a year.” In a statement to NBC5, a spokesperson for Congresswoman Elise Stefanik responded to AOC’s visit by saying, “thank you for the political gift of a radical far left socialist’s visit to the North Country. It’s like pouring jet fuel on Elise Stefanik’s strong support in upstate New York. ” Despite the political divide, hundreds made their voices heard, cheering in response to the visit from Ocasio-Cortez and Tonko. @aoc #plattsburgh #foryoupage #NewYork #foryoupageofficiall #2025 #localnews #AlexandriaOcasioCortez #AOC - @mynbc5