Norton Health Care Town Hall Meeting Tomorrow with Residents Sharing Real-Life Struggles (9/14/09)
Norton Health Care Town Hall Meeting to Open with Residents Sharing Real-Life Health Care Struggles and Experts Explaining How Proposed Options Would Work
September 14, 2009
WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) will hold one of the first Congressional Member town hall meetings on health care reform since President Obama's joint congressional session last week. Norton's Fact Check Town Hall Meeting will be held tomorrow,Tuesday, Sept. 15, 6-8 p.m., at the U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th and Constitution Ave., NW. The town hall meetingwill be devoted to residents' questions and concerns, including their doubts and fears about pending health care reform legislation. There will be no speeches from experts. Three District residents will open the forum by sharing their own accounts of problems with the present health care system. Health care experts, including Dr. Linda J. Blumberg, principal research associate, Health Policy Center, Urban Institute; Elizabeth Carpenter, associate policy director, Health Policy Program, New America Foundation; and Karen Pollitz, project director, Health Policy Institute will answer residents' specific questions about proposed changes.
"President Obama filled in a lot of the blanks at the joint congressional session, but there are plenty of questions left unanswered. Our experts will help allay some of the lingering doubts," Norton said. "Also, we want to give our residents, real people with real-life struggles, an opportunity to share their stories, stories that have been missing from this debate, which has been hijacked by hecklers."
Norton will give an account of the e-mails, letters, and visits she has received, indicating what concerns District residents most. Norton has received many e-mails, calls, and visits on the pending health care bills where interest has been high on what the federal government intends to do to relieve the city and those residents whose premiums are sky-rocketing, who lack adequate insurance, or who have no health care insurance. Because of the high interest in the pending bills, Norton chose to have her town meeting in September to get a cross-section of District residents.
As with her other public events, Norton also will offer free HIV/AIDS testing during the town hall meeting in closed quarters at the Commerce building. Security will be tight, so media must check in by 5:30.