Our Hampton Roads delegation to congress, except for Rep. Bobby Scott (3rd), were fairly involved yesterday in the healthcare discussion.
Rep. Rob Wittman (1st) joined Republican Whip Eric Cantor (7th) at the GOP Health Care Solutions Group hearing saying:
“The current bill does not adequately address cost. We want good, workable solutions that get to the issue at hand,” he said. “Maintaining the integrity of the patient-provider relationship is also critical for whatever legislation comes out of this body.”
Wittman went on to say that the bill being considered is “not sustainable in the long term and does not adequately protect the patient- provider relationship.”
Rep. Glenn Nye (2nd), who is quickly becoming a leader of blue dog Democrats, held a tele-townhall meeting on Wednesday with over 2,400 constituents and reported on that meeting yesterday.
Nye noted that 88% of respondents to an instant feedback survey he conducted were satisfied with the health care they currently receive but 56% still said they would support a public health insurance option as part of a reform plan.
“It’s an important principle to me that any health care reform does not increase the national debt. It has to reduce cost for families and for small businesses. It has got to make the system less expensive, and that includes cutting fraud and abuse in the current system,” he said. “More important than getting it done right now, is getting a bill that will work.”
And, Rep. Randy Forbes (4th) announced that he will be having a tele-townhall for constituents on Monday from 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Residents of the district who would like to participate are invited to register on-line. Forbes also offers up his thoughts on the issue here.
“The reality is that the vast majority of Americans – even those of us with excellent health care – agree that something must be done. And there are these major points – and more – that most agree on. Whether out of genuine concern for those around us without care, or motivated from the practical desire for more efficient, logical health care options; we agree that health care reform is critical to the success of our nation.”
