Calif. Congress Members Host Town-Hall Meetings on Health Care Reform
Several California representatives are holding local public forums and private meetings on health care reform during Congress' August recess. Summaries of prior and upcoming events are provided below.
- Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R): On Tuesday, 100 to 150 supporters and opponents of health care reform demonstrated with signs and slogans outside of Bono Mack's Palm Springs office. Bono Mack, who has said she opposes the public insurance option, discussed health reform in private meetings with local residents and health care workers last week. She has not announced plans to hold any public forums on the issue (Felci, Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8/12).
- Rep. Sam Farr (D): On Monday, about 600 people from both sides of the health reform debate attended Farr's first town-hall meeting at the Irvine Auditorium of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. During the meeting, Farr expressed support for numerous health reform proposals and received skeptical responses from some audience members. However, organizers of the meeting estimated that supporters of health reform "far outnumbered" opponents at the meeting. Farr is scheduled to hold two more town halls in the Central Coast region and said he would plan additional meetings to meet demand (Meléndez Salinas, Monterey Herald, 8/11).
- Rep. Wally Herger (R): On Thursday, Herger will host a public forum on health care reform in Marysville. Herger does not support the current proposals for health care reform, according to a letter on his Web site. A spokesperson for the representative said Herger is scheduled to host another health care town hall in Chico next week and plans to schedule additional meetings during the August recess. Herger also plans to meet with hospital officials and health care workers this month, the spokesperson said (Van der Meer, Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 8/12).
- Rep. Jerry Lewis (R): On Thursday, Lewis is scheduled to attend a town-hall meeting on health care reform (Palm Springs Desert Sun, 8/12).
- Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D): On Monday night, Lofgren responded to supporters and opponents of President Obama's health care reform proposals during a community meeting in Almaden Valley. On Tuesday, members of the faith group People Acting in Community Together rallied outside Lofgren's San Jose office to urge her to continue supporting Obama's health reform plans. Lofgren said she plans to hold a "community call-in" on the issue later this month (Mangaliman, San Jose Mercury News, 8/11).
Broadcast Coverage
On Monday, Capital Public Radio's "KXJZ News" reported on the health care reform town halls in California. The segment includes comments from California Rep. Doris Matsui (D), who supports the reform proposals (Weiss, "KXJZ News," Capital Public Radio, 8/10).
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