problems. let's focus problems. let's focus on helping people cover their covered -- carry their coverage over. but leave us alone, that is all that we would ask. will you leave us alone. [applause] i would like to ask you if you will commit to working on those problems rather than throwing everything into turmoil. >> what -- would i commit to working on those problems and throwing everything into turmoil, that is a general statement that i can agree with, i will stay in touch and i will be back next year. and if i am reelected i will be back the year after that. who has no. 7?

>> thank you for coming, arlen specter. >> let me answer more fully. i do not want to see tomorrow, we want to have a sense of an answer. we have a series of problems. i want to take them up one by one. we want to figure out what the problem is, and what is the way that we should deal with them in a democracy. >> [inaudible] >> i am not familiar with 3400, let me move on. >> i am a republican, but i am a conservative. i do not believe this is just about health care. it is not about tarp, left and right. this is about the systematic dismantling of this country. dismantling of this country. 'm only 35 years old, i've never been interested in

politics. you have awakened a sleeping giant. that is why everyone in this room is so ticked off. i do not want this country turning into russia, turning into a socialist country. [applause] my question for you is, what are you going to do to restore this country back to what our founders created according to the constitution? [cheers and applause] [yelling] >> there are few people who did not stand up and applaud, but not too many.

i get a fairly firm message from the support you have, young lady. when you ask me to defend the constitution, that is what i have been doing. we have had warrantless wiretaps that i have objected to. we have had citing statements that undercut what the legislature has passed. we have had supreme court nominees who i have insisted follow the constitution and not make law. in our social compact, we have provision to see to it that we take care of people who need some help. >> but the good parts of the people will do that, not the

government. >> we have many people who are in need of assistance on health care. i have a number of people with me today to have very tragic stories to tell about their own situation. but we want to maintain constitutional law, and i am committed to doing that. next number, number eight? >> #9. >> i got it. >> thank you for coming, senator. i would like to ask you a question -- could i see a show of hands in the room, sharing our views with our elected officials [inaudible]

>> do have a question for the senator? >> yes, i do. >> can i see a show of hands of the people who believe we have the right to to share our views with our elected officials? take that to nancy pelosi. i would like to state that i am in opposition of this health care. the government hasn't done anything right. someone asked you the question, with social security bankrupt, medicare bankrupt, medicaid bankrupt, you're taking our kids' future and driving it right into the toilet. we cannot afford this. keep the government out of it, we are doing just fine. [applause]

>> well, i have made a commitment here today. i will not vote for a plan that adds to the deficit. next question, no. 10. >> i want to tell you that i have spent two weeks on my own trying to read that bill. trying to understand it. it is like a russian novel. in the bill itself, it says many times the requirement for plain language. i can cite you the pages and the line numbers, because i had it up on the computer. it is very difficult to understand. this is the most important bill in my lifetime. and my granddaughter will pay for this bill in its present form, whatever form that is. i have three very important

concerns that i need a share. one is, obama talks about 600 billion, the congressional budget office talks about $1.10 trillion. i have spent 40 years in government, and i have never seen a program command at the right price and stay at that price. [applause] secondly, all of that bill says nothing about abortion or reproductive rights, i have read that very carefully. there are nine amendments in the senate and house which have attempted to prevent tax payer funding in that bill, rejected. senator coburn, and representatives gingrey have all been rejected. what does the bill say? there will be no health care until you are born.

while the baby is in the mother, we do not count that as a person. medicaid and ship will only cover at the time of birth. >> [yelling] >> these are not talking points, these are my own. i have one other thing. i have spent many years in information technology. you are about to concentrate more information about more pennsylvanian and americans in this bill in one place that has ever occurred. in fact, the congressional budget office says it gives you the right to enter, using our internal revenue service, and page 58 talks about entering our

own accounts, because financial responsibility has to be ascertained. my final comment is this. massachusetts has tried something like this. tennessee has tried something like this. why don't we take a look at what has worked and what has failed their? maybe start it in a blue state. give it all we have got in one state. don't concentrate all this power and the bureaucrats and their computers in washington. you will be gone. the bureaucrats will still be there. we don't know their names or faces, but they will be making our decisions for us and for my children her and. [applause]

>> when you raise a question as to cost, i can only repeat the commitment not to add to the deficit. when you talk about abortion, the law in the united states says that public moneys cannot be used for abortions. >> that does not apply here. [inaudible] >> i heard you out, let me respond to your points. the senate bill has not yet been written. i do not believe there'll be any change in the amendment. this lady asked a question about

whether people would have to pay in a health plan for somebody else's abortion, the answer is no for the reasons i gave her. when you talk about massachusetts, we are studying their plan very closely. with respect to privacy, we will do everything we can to stop people from breaking into the files. no. 11. >> good morning, senator. i am a public schoolteacher. i am looking at the sunday patriot news, front page. reading the bills requires expertise. at one of my roles as a teacher and an educator is to teach my children how to think, how reid, and how to understand.

and over 100 years ago, we had a gentleman who was a republican at gettysburg say, we will provide the understanding, government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. the editor says, and they cite this hr32, which is a complete hocus polkas mumbo jumbo. the article, the social security act, and it goes on. since this team has been in washington, there has not been a thing written in the house, and the senate, that we as average pennsylvanian s, average

americans can read and understand like you can read and understand and interpret what has been done. the last cap-and-trade had a pencil marks in it. if you wish to be remembered by the american people, when you get back there, sponsor legislation that requires every house and senate bill to be written in a junior high school level. that is what we need in america today. [applause] >> i'll try. no. 12. >> good morning, and welcome to london on, pa -- lebanon, pa.

will you ever vote for a bill that gives non u.s. citizens access to a taxpayer paid free health insurance? >> i will not support a bill which gives health coverage to illegal immigrants. [applause] #13. who has 13? >> a good morning. president obama and you have constantly stated that we will be allowed to keep our current plans. but how can we keep them if they don't exist? more specifically,@@@@@@@ @ @ @

>> more specifically, how many americans work for these employers with payrolls that exceed $251,000 and what will happen to them when the employers drop their current coverage because they cannot afford a 2-8% payroll tax? >> directed only to the companies which do not have health coverage. we are not going at a tax to companies that have health care.

so that as represented, if you like your current plan, you can maintain it. >> [inaudible] >> let me say to you that i will not support a senate bill which has that kind of requirement. [applause] who has the next question? >> 14. 15? 14 is back there? >> i am from lebanon, thank you so much for coming. i also have been working in health care for the past 30 years. my husband works in health care

as well. when i graduated from nursing school, i remember dealing a lot with a lot of the issues that our country does not have a wonderful preventative health care measures. those lead to chronic diseases and utilization of money in the wrong way. i am here to say i am happy you are dealing with health care reform. i think it is something that our country needs. i realize there are a lot of people here who do not feel that way, but there are a lot of us who do feel that way. [applause] >> we are struggling with a microphone here. i feel like i am all wired up. thank you for your positive comments. i knew that level -- if i looked hard enough, i would find

someone who like to the health care plan. who has the next number? >> [inaudible] >> good morning, senator. i would just like to tell you that i am here on my own accord, nobody paid me. i'm not part of the astroturf group. it is all grass roots. my question for you today is, i agree with the woman over here that as indicated, there has to be some work done that our health care. unfortunately, it is not this bill. it is not this bill. [applause] >> what would you like to see done?

>> some of the things i would like to see done, ok? tort reform. yes. i lost my train of thought. some of the things that are in our current bill i do not necessarily like you have addressed already. one of them was non u.s. citizen health care. you have indicated they you will not vote for bill -- a bill that has non-u.s. provisions in it. i recommend that we do with the state of new york does for the homeless. we can take to the non u.s. citizens and give them an airplane ticket and ship them back. [applause] in addition to the bill, you indicated that we will always be

able to go back to our original health care. my health care is not much different than yours as it stands today. i can hire and fire my doctor if i please. unfortunately, there is page after page of this bill that appears to go to a single payer system. there is the if factor. what we want is trust, and apparently in washington d.c., there is no trust. the american people and not like what is going on. [applause] senator, in the twilight of your career, -- >> absolutely not, go ahead. >> one of the things you could

do to make it extremely memorable for yourself is to go back and propose a bill for term limits. [applause] >> listen, the people of pennsylvania can impose term limits on me anytime they want to. that is democracy. who has got the next number? 16, you are up. >> i have a question on page 58 and 59 of this bill which gives the government access to private

individual bank accounts at their free will. we work long and hard for what we have. if i want to spread my wealth around, it will be to my children, grandchildren, to my community, a church of my choosing. i do not think the government has the right to do that. i have to brush up on my constitution, but i believe it is unconstitutional. i know definitely is un- american. you look at that when you go back. sir, i really think you need a vote like an american. i think you need to vote no on this bill. >> i will not support a bill which gives the government the right to get the bank account information of a private citizen. the lady has cited a house bill.

to repeat, we have not gotten a senate bill. i am telling you that i will not support any bill which gives the government to the right to find out what any citizen has in his or her bank account. who has the next number? who's got no. 17? >> good morning, senator specter. i was a republican committee person that we supported you -- you defected. why didn't you come to the people before you switched over to democrats? that is not my problem. the right of the people to be secure, houses, papers, and

effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. there are some many problems with this obama government. when i was elected to public office, i agreed to support and defend the constitution. i have always tried to do that. people came here for liberty and freedom. our freedoms are going, constantly. i am wondering what you can do about that? i have some in questions, i do not know about the automobile takeover, tarp, and what about this guantanamo closure? i don't want these criminals to come into our area and escape, and we find that a bunch of

innocent people have been murdered. that is what is going to happen. did you ever read the quran? >> no, but you have a right to read it if you want to. >> it says that all unbelievers shall be executed. i cannot support is long. -- islam. i believe in the jewish, hebrew, christian philosophy. i support that, not any other direction. if someone wants to read it, -- i can find it for you. >> the gentleman talks about destroying the christian, judaic

order. there is no doubt that there is a problem with terrorism, and the threat that we saw carried out at 9/11. on the issue of guantanamo, the congress has spoken to insist that guantanamo be kept open until there is a plan. there are some in guantanamo have to be tried in federal courts. if you have to be tried in federal court, that is in the united states. there are ways with maximum security to see to it that there will not be risked. guantanamo is still open, and it will be open until there is a plan to be carried out which will protect american citizens. no. 18, on the way to 30.

>> good morning, senator. house resolution 3200 sections 401 subsection 59da proposes a tax on persons without acceptable health care coverage. define acceptable. at second, wouldn't you agree that every american has the right to choose their own coverage based on cost and terms? would you vote for a senate bill that has this same provision? >> the provision cited imposes a 2.5% tax on people who do not have acceptable health care insurance. that is too vague to have my support. today to have my support. who has the next number? 19. 19?

yes, sir. >> i want to know why the government feels like they have to buy a car company that makes cars that nobody wants. [applause] >> that is the most succinct question of the day, i want to give you an award. why does the government want to help a car company that makes cars that nobody wants? there is no sensible answer to that as framed. but let me take a look at it. we are trying to get all the people who are employed by the manufacturer to keep a job. we're trying to keep all the people who have supplies to general motors and chrysler in

pennsylvania, and there are a lot of people that we try to keep at work. we tried to keep a lot of dealers open to give a lot of jobs. we tried to do that by directing general motors to stop making cars that nobody wants to buy. and we are trying to restructure what they are doing. it is a tough balance when you have the automobile manufacturers in this country going down, ford has been able to make it. gm and chrysler have not. let them fail. it may have gone through bankruptcy -- they have gone through bankruptcy, but the calculation is, it can be@@@@@@h

>> i would like a sausage and sarah cropp, please. this is my question -- you can feel the tension in this room. you can understand these people are upset. what to do this -- why don't you let us know who is writing these bills, seeing as you don't have time to read them. let us know what their political affiliations are. let us know who they learned politics from. what to make this public? if you guys think that we want health care reform so bed, do this, let's have a referendum in 2010. we will tell you it would like your plan. how about that? [applause]

>> well, that is a fascinating idea to have a referendum. we don't have any mechanism for it on the federal government. they have them in california. >> you can start it. >> that is one of the ideas i am going to take back to washington. a referendum. [applause] who has number 21? >> i am here because he sent me the invitation. i am not american. i am here for my children. my daughter is 16. my son will be 20, he'll be going back to college as a premed student. he's a president obama will not allow the health care plan to

add any deficit, and the initial cost is over $1 trillion for a down payment. who is going to pay for this bill, and how do expect my son, working his way through college, and my daughter who will be going to college, and you're not going to tax the middle class people that would be my husband and myself who is out working for our health care today? my children and my grandchildren are not -- are going to pay for this bill. how can i tell them that that is acceptable? [applause] >> the plan to keep it deficit neutral is based on specific savings, for example, medical research at the national institutes of health which i have sponsored has cut down the mortality of breast cancer and on stroke. i was the beneficiary of

chemotherapy developed by the national institutes of health which have saved the lives and saved money. there are requirements for physical examinations on an annual basis. if you had a physical exam, you have early detection on things like heart disease or ovarian cancer, or any line of problem. if people have early detection, they do not develop chronic illnesses which are very expensive. one of my ideas based on the district attorney of philadelphia is to insist on jail sentences for people who engage in fraud, medicare and medicaid -- qc people being convicted and they get finds, --

fines, which is just another license to do business. these are provisions that are built and that will provide a very substantial savings and are calculated to offset covering people who are uninsured and offset the cost of having part d for seniors. who has number 21? did you have a part b to the question? you want to have a dialogue, go ahead. >> if the money runs out like it did in cash for clunkers, where is the money going to come from? >> i've --

[inaudible] there will not be rationing, and i have given you as much detail as i can on the savings. >> senator specter, a section of the proposed health-care plan, i thought what could i possibly ask you to make you read this plan? as a 74-year-old man, if you develop cancer, we are pretty much going to write you all off. you are no longer a working citizen who will be paying taxes. what are you going to do about it? you are here because of the plan we have now.

>> you are just not right. nobody 74 is going to be written off because they have cancer. that is a vicious, malicious, untrue rumors. who has the next number? who has the next number? [random yelling] >> thank you, senator. just for the record, i am opposed to the health care -- i am opposed to the health care. i want to thank you for opposing the card check legislation which would have -- [applause] i appreciate that vote. is coming around again. this time, a secret ballot will be in, but you're not going to give employees time to gather

information and make it honest -- an honest judgement. if they put a five portend a provision in there, that is high-pressure salesmanship. if somebody starts putting pressure on me, my answer is no. this is how these bills are being forced through washington right now, that is what the union wants to do to employees. give them time to think about it and study the issues, make an honest vote. the next issue, cap-and-trade. this is the largest single tax we have ever seen. cap-and-trade will increase our bills by 40%-50%, and increase our fuel taxes. this will decimate what is left of our industrial sector. major manufacturers will have no choice but to leave this nation

wholesale. we will have on employment not at 10%. we will have on employment at 20%, 30%. there will be a mass exodus of our manufacturing in this nation. they can go to india and china and have lower wages, lower costs. what is going to keep them here. >> you have raised to a very important questions. -- two very important questions. on cap and trade, the house of representatives have passed a bill that has a lot of problems. we have not gotten a bill in the senate. we understand the kinds of concerns you have raised. we're going to take them up and see to it that we do not have the consequences of exporting jobs or imposing a great tax. you raise a question of employee

choice. that bill is in the process of being negotiated. there will not be a time line which will be so fast that people will not have an opportunity to understand what the issue is. you comment about the secret ballot, and i think we have to maintain a secret ballot, which you agree with. we're trying to work through the other facets of it on arbitration, but bearing in mind the concerns and worries that you have raised. no. 24. who has 24? yes, sir? don shapiro in 1997, i was diagnosed with a thyroid condition that put me in the hospital in a coma.

i need to thank all of the taxpayers for paying for four years of hospitalization for me, because i did not have a plan i could afford at the time. i spent a lot of time in the library studying computer systems and telecommunications, getting a job in an insurance company where i saw a lot of corruption in the purchasing of the equipment. when i reported that to my bosses, i was summarily fired. what i would like to know is, would you support provisions that will and that kind of corruption in the insurance companies to bring rates down, and stop making policyholders and investors pay for that kind of activity? >> what are you referring to specifically that the insurance company did or does the you

don't like? >> i was in charge of writing up proposals, requests for proposals. my superiors wanted me to steal all those -- steer those proposals towards companies that they could get kickbacks from. when i reported it, they made life difficult for me. >> i am glad to hear about the early part where you got a lot of care that you needed, and you appear to have recovered. .

>> this comes from my personal experience. as a working professional, i let two years each in canada and in london. the health care systems of those two countries are eerily similar in my opinion to the proposed bill that is going through now. for instance, in canada might tax rate was 60% for my health care. [applause] i am broadly opposed to the whole idea. i have private health care and i am very happy with that. my question relates to page four

under 25 of the bill which, according to my interpretation, requires seniors, folks like us, senator, to have mandatory counseling every five years for dying with dignity. that is kind of scary. i am still a very healthy, active, working professional and teacher. i am not in my twilight. i am offended by this required counseling. i would like to hear your views on that issue. [applause] >> i am opposed to mandatory counseling. you and i and others can get counseling if we want it, and we can think through our own

issues, and we have families to discuss matters with, and nobody ought to order anybody that is competent to get mandatory counseling. it is a personal decision. no. 26, police. -- please. on the way to 30. >> now, that's ok. thank you for coming summer. as a disabled vet, i will speak a little bit for the vets. i want to shake your hand. you have done things something for us in europe done some things against us but i respect you for being who you are. most of my questions have been answered so i will go off in a different tangent. this is only the beginning of what is happening to america. [applause] and people better wake up. we have a bunch of bureaucrats who are robbing us blind. they have been stealing from us for years, and there is nobody

with the contests -- cohonejoneo stand up to them. go back and say you're going to represent us. it doesn't matter what party you are. the bottom line is, we are americans first, wherever you came from is immaterial. i personally am sick and tired of harrisburg. [applause] i am sick and tired of our young men and women being used as pawns around the world, when all we hear about is how corrupt washington is, how corrupt north korea is -- where do you see an honest man in politics from here to washington? [cheers and applause]

my question to you is would you go back to washington and represent us first as an american and tell mr. obama that he is an american, and if not, there are other countries? [cheers and applause] >> i think president obama knows that he is an american. when you ask me -- [booing] when you ask me to make a commitment to america first, i will say absolutely yes. hill is got no. 27? -- who has got no. 27? no. 27. >> first thought, ought like you to -- i like that make you for coming out and coming amidst all these rebels and rabble and all of these people that will be terrible out here. i think this is one of the

greatest talents in the country and i think they are all right here behind us. the other thing i noticed is that we got accused of being the rebels because we should appear but bad attitudes today. i don't think we have bad attitudes. we are being americans like he said. we have a right to be here. we have a right to speak. they do not have a right to accuse us of being mobs are whatever -- or whatever. there is anybody here with a swastika or nothing. we have been accused of that. i wanted to go back to washington and tell them that the people of lebanon, if the people of pennsylvania all- american. -- the people of pennsylvania are all americans. are you going to represent us as americans? that is that. >> yes, sir.

there is at 28? yes, sir. dollars just to play on his all little bit, it's -- >> it's funny about the community organizer told us to shut up. there are many people here who would like to have a word with you, and at -- and may i remind you that you work for ross. we are your employer. [applause] if the employer is willing to stay around and have a chat with his employee, i think the employee should. i understand that there are other commitments but there are many people that like to talk to you. a couple of things. i am here for my daughter. i believe this country is going down how to quit for me to see a beautiful country. i am working for my daughter. i see the things that my

government is doing. they are not working for us. they are working against us. and [applause] i know when we call your office and they put one name n.d. fo -- one named in the for category and one name in the against category, and you'll say otherwise, but in a majority of people are against this. you say that you are for health care reform, yet when people call you and say they are against it, you dismiss them. you say it is a democracy. you are supposed to represent us. and not doing too good here, obviously. i am fired up. [applause] oh, boy. will he make a commitment to stay all a bed talk -- all little bit of talk to more than 30 people? can i ask you that?

>> i and few analysts town -- i can deal in -- am due in lou istown. you are my employers but i have 12 million. i'd planned out their allocation. >> a lot of people said -- as dealing use it would not support certain provisions. house bill is probably not going to change much. but what did it in july and now they are looking at september. the compromise bill between house and senate, most of the provision that you were talking about that you would not support probably will not be removed from the bill. if those provisions are still in the bill, you will not vote for the bill? >> on the items -- yes, i am giving you the commitment on the items that i talked about. it is all being recorded.

>> we will hold your feet to the fire. one other quick -- cap-and- trade, next year are electric rates are going up at least 40%. i cannot afford it right now. i have that two kids to feed and i am laid off. i am laid off and luckily your pain for me to be here. but no bomb was on words, electric rates would necessarily sky rocket. how are you representing the people of pennsylvania by imposing such a burden on them? the people of pennsylvania had been yelling to youth to stop taxing us, stop spending so much of our money. you can hear in this crowd. you can feel it. we have no more money. we have no more money. we went through -- when it comes

to the fact that i cannot even put food on the table because you want to decide that it is bad for the environment for somebody to produce something to provide me the job, i draw the line. we went through an ice age and came out of an ice age without cars are factory and we will probably do it again. but when it comes to taking more of my money, i draw the land. we printed as much money out of thin air then what is in circulation. we have no money. [applause] and i will let other people talk. >> 29, on the way to 30. yes, sir. >> senator, i am glad you support our right to the free- speech. the chilling effect on that is the white house collecting e- mails from people saying they are not supporting the health

care system, and the white house keeping track of people that could be viewed as political opponents to the health care bill. that is chilling and i would ask the member of the senate judiciary committee, will you go back and look in that and tried at all this and see said it immediately? >> the white house is taking your e-mails and doing something against you? >> they are soliciting e-mails that you receive as a private citizen from groups or organizations that are opposed to the health care bill. it is on there website. they are asking people to afford these e-mails to the white house. so that they can keep track of the opposition. this is been in the news for the past two weeks. he talked about it at one of the press conference. it seems like this as those soviet union, or maoist china.

this is incredible in the united states of america. the people in this room want their country back. [cheers and applause] if you ever heard nothing today, please understand that, and i would ask what you have learned today from this town hall meeting that you will take back to washington. >> you ask two questions. i'll take a look at the practice which the white house is asking, to identify people or opposed to though white house's health care. i'll take a look. what have i learned from today's meeting? that this is a very well informed part of our citizenry. we have had the quotations on the bill repeatedly, which shows that there has been a lot of study on the house bill.

you have raised a number of provisions which impressed me. but, no, -- you know what is going on. i have a very good idea of the temper of a crowd. i saw a standing ovation to return america to the constitution. it is more than an earful. and i am not surprised. i have been a lot of town meetings, had hundreds of them during the course of my tenure in the senate and i'm going wanted this afternoon, and i will be doing it all month long. i will take the word back. i would encourage my colleagues to have town meetings like this. they are not easy, and they are relative rarity in america today. but i think that they are very worthwhile.

i get the message. no. 30. you have no. 30. here you are. hurt t-shirt says "proud member of the mob." [applause] >> these are my dear friends who came with me today and they were really anxious to stand up here and let their voices be heard with me. senator, i have two questions. the first is, we are quizzing you on a house bill 3200. i am wondering where our house member, congressman holden, is and why is he not here to help us address house built 3200, and says he will not have any town hall meetings? that was my first question. the second is on page 42, talking about the health commissioner's. they will decide our benefit

plans. new in heaven's name are going to be the health commissioner's? how do they get picked? on what basis will they be selected, and how will they make these awesome decisions for all of these very different people in this room? thank you, sir. [applause] >> i am opposed to anybody making the decision for you or me or anybody else about what health care plan we will have. everybody ought to be able to choose what they want. and the idea is to have an exchange, which means that there will be a central place where you will have a whole group plans to choose from, which is what i have. i can choose any one of a number of plants. i pay for it.

the amount to a different sums of money. i will not support a bill which deprives you of the right and gives it to some governmental agency to pick your health plan. thank you all very much, ladies and gentlemen. thank you. [applause] [random yelling] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2009] [captioning performed by national captioning institute] >> as members of congress hold health care meetings around the country, we are interested in your thoughts you can share your experiences and ideas on video by going online to c-span.org /citizenvideo.

>> and in a half-hour, we will be joined by christopher to discuss state budgets. jay williams will speak about foreclosures, spinning, and the economy in his town. gorss writes that president obama has not followed through in his campaign promises to the gay