Republican senators in the so-called Gang of 8 working to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship argue that repairing the broken system would attract Latino voters to the GOP. As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week, “We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours for a variety of reasons, and we’ve got to understand that.” In November, President Obama “won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote while Mitt Romney won 27 percent.”

But some Republicans disagree. Responding to the bipartisan framework, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) echoed the rhetoric surrounding immigrants and Democratic voters throughout the 2012 election and suggested that Hispanics would never vote for Republicans who don’t provide them with government hand outs:

“It’s amnesty that America can’t afford,” Barletta said Monday. “We have to stop people from coming in illegally. This will be a green light for anyone who wants to come to America illegally and then be granted citizenship one day.” [...]

“I hope politics is not at the root of why we’re rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said. “The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”

Barletta has a long history of anti-immigrant positions and was one of the most vocal opponents of President Obama’s directive granting reprieve to some DREAM-eligible immigrants last year. As mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, “Barletta introduced the controversial Illegal Immigration Relief Act, which would penalize businesses that knowingly hire, and landlords who knowingly rent to, people who are in the country illegally.”

Freshman Tea Party Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) was one of several Republicans who refused to hold free and open town hall meetings this summer, choosing to meet only with those who were willing to pay a fee. After a contentious town hall meeting in Hazleton yesterday, it’s not hard to understand why Barletta wanted to avoid his angry constituents.

The Standard Speaker reports that protesters grilled Barletta on everything from jobs to Social Security:

Emotions ran high during Barletta’s fifth stop on his “Home to House” town hall tour at Hazleton City Hall, with a handful of attendees who packed Council Chambers questioning the congressman’s voting record on free trade, health care and jobs.

“You’re not doing your job, Mr. Lou,” said Stroudsburg resident Jennie Schaefer. “Stop treating people like we’re the dogs waiting under the table for some scraps.”

Watch a clip of the town hall, distributed by Pennsylvania Democrats:

Schaefer was essentially asking Barletta to support policies that would help average Americans instead of consistently siding with corporations. Another constituent kept yelling “that’s a lie” when Barletta tried to justify his position on jobs and the economy. Allentown resident Jody Weidrich asked whether the eligibility age for Social Security and Medicare would increase if Barletta had his way. He replied that he supported the Paul Ryan budget, which would drastically cut entitlement services.

Roxanne Pauline, a coordinator with the Northeastern Pennsylvania Area Labor Federation, called on Barletta to “tax the rich.” Barletta responded that he didn’t think that approach would improve America’s financial standing.

At one point, Barletta defensively asked the protesters whether they had questioned their previous representatives, noting that he has only been on the job nine months. This isn’t the first time Barletta has treated constituents’ concerns dismissively and suggested that those who challenge his positions are part of a coordinated Democratic campaign.

At a town hall meeting in April, Barletta literally laughed at constituents who questioned his vote to maintain billions of dollars in subsidies for Big Oil. Another constituent told him, “You’re our congressman, don’t laugh at us!” At another event he was rebuked by a 64-year-old woman who wanted to know why he backed “a plan that will destroy Medicare.” The congressman’s office brushed aside the complaint and tried to smear the woman.

Congressional lawmakers headed into this year’s August recess touting the lowest approval rating in polling history, leaving an equally low number of members less-than-eager to face their constituents. According to a No Labels survey, 60 percent of House members are not holding open town halls. Having literally pledged to provide a more honest and accountable government, this basic failure of openness should not sit well with the 50 percent of House Republicans hiding behind closed doors. Freshman Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA), however, seems perfectly happy to shut his constituents out.

Facing “Lou, where are the jobs?” protests in his district, he has opted to offer “pay per view” public events in which he charges and admission fee instead of the free town-hall format. Blaming “hecklers” for spoiling his message, Bartletta pointed to his Republican brethren as a defense: “What other elected officials are having town hall meetings?”

He said he has tried to hold town hall meetings, but hecklers have made them so disruptive that he can’t get his message out.

“What other elected officials are having town hall meetings?” Barletta asked. “How can you blame someone who has been in office for eight months why no jobs are coming here? I hope these protesters are asking all elected officials, especially those that have been in office for years, what they are doing to bring jobs here.”

To answer his question, 175 elected officials are. His fellow Pennsylvania GOP Rep. Tom Marino is holding one today right next door to his district. Indeed, 10 of his Pennsylvanian colleagues who are holding open town halls — including GOP Reps. Marino, Mike Kelly, Glenn Thompson, Jim Gerlach, Pat Meehan, Mike Fitzpatrick, and Joseph Pitts — might ask “why aren’t you?”

Particularly when Barletta actually campaigned against former Rep. Paul Kanjorski’s (D) refusal to hold town hall meetings after facing “ambushes by hecklers.” Indeed, Kanjorski gave the exact same reason Barletta did, fearing “nuts” or “a small number of extreme political opponents who come to disrupt town meetings solely for the purpose of scoring political points.” To which then-candidate Barletta replied back then: “Kanjorski has been in Congress for 26 years and his response to our region’s 10 percent unemployment rate is to call his constituents ‘nuts’ and to attack the city of Hazleton.”

For now-Congressman Barletta, it only took a few months.