MAQUOKETA, Iowa - U.S Senator Joni Ernst held a round table discussion at Maquoketa's city hall to talk about veteran care, but the hundreds that packed inside had their own agenda.
It was not a friendly reception. This meeting like others around the nation brought out both members of the community and activists angry about the Republican agenda.
Protestors held their signs and chanted.
Senator Ernst took it in stride, "You can holler all you want at me, that's fine I`m the elected representative."
This discussion was supposed to be about concerns veterans have with the Department of Veteran Affairs.
"Every day we are losing 20 to 22 veterans to suicide in this country," said Senator Ernst.
A few Veterans were able to share some of those concerns, but most of the time it was hard to hear anyone speak.
Russia, climate control and the affordable health care act, nothing was off the table for discussion. Everyone had a personal agenda they wanted to address or a criticism of the new president.
"He is acting on what he said he would do during the campaign and I think you may see some folks come out and disagree without an agenda, but it is what he said he would do," said Senator Ernst.
While the conversation inside city hall lasted about an hour, it wasn't over for these protestors who followed Senator Ernst outside.
It could be a long year for the Iowa Senator. Today's meeting was in the eighth Iowa county of the 99 counties she plans to visit this year.