in that short amount of time. he is well aware of it. i think he and others in washington are doing what they can to address this. but boy, it is a problem. >> i would say that when he talked about integrated delivery of care, there is broad consensus out there at that that is the way to get better quality, when you have your primary care doctor talking to your surgeon and your nurse. when all those people are talking together, you get better results. we do not have a system right now where that is the experience for most patients. the doctor may not talk to the specialist may not talk to the hospital. that is a different discussion than having a public panic or cooperative or mandate that people have insurance? getting to that place, a place like group help where you have an integrated system, it is potentially very disrupted because you are banding a lot of people together.

it is therefore politically challenging. >> as far as this discussion is concerned, how serious is this cooperative option in the discussion? >> congress returns september 8 so it will be at least a while. we need to look at this as a bigger piece. members of congress are having serious, in-depth discussions about how to change health care in this country. cooperative as are one option, public option, provider payments, integrated delivery, etc. we cannot isolate these things. we are discussing it. mr. armstrong is discussing it. i do not know what is going happen, and nobody does, but it is all part of the debate right now. >> we have 30 seconds left. >> as long as we're talking about reform in this way and not about death panels and various other things, that is probably a

positive. >> noam levy and david lightman. thank you for being on "news makers pr perh." >> "q&a" tonight on c-span. tomorrow on "washington journal", james horney talking about the deficits and concerns over a long term deficit. terry o'neil, president of the national organization for windows -- for women, it discusses health care for the proposals for abortion in one of the health care bills, and single payer. also michael evans talks about his book about jimmy carter. "washington journal" live on c-

span at 7:00 a.m. eastern. >> this fall, into the home to america's highest court, from the grand public places to those only accessible by the nine justices. "the supreme court," coming up for sunday in october on c-span. >> and now north carolina congressman patrick henry and a town hall meeting. he takes questions from the audits. lawmakers across the country are holding similar meetings this month. this is about 90 minutes. >> thank you all for coming out >> is always great to be home. i represent 10 counties across western north carolina but this is where i went from. it is great to be at home.

i am glad that you all came out tonight. last year we had a town hall meeting in techerryvile. 19 people showed up. but thanks to the rest of you for coming out tonight. i hold town meetings every town -- every august, one in every county that i represent. i send e-mail out, youtube videos, and try to keep in constant contact about what is happening in washington and what i am doing. can also seem to me to be a great way to get this exchange of ideas -- town halls seem to me to be a great way to get fixed exchange of ideas about a government that we are going have. tonight i appreciate you all coming out. i have a few issues on my mind and i am sure that you get issues on your mind. how many have health care on

your mind? raise your hand. whew. ok, almost all of you. we will get to those questions. i want to begin with what has been happening in washington and talk about three issues and then we will open up to your questions. first, at the beginning of the year we saw the economy tanking. here in western north carolina we have seen this coming for quite awhile. we've lost textile and manufacturing jobs, and they have been severely hit. i voted against unfair trade agreement that i thought i did the wrong thing for our jobs, but i also favor policies that were going to help us. i thought we needed a real stimulus bill they could have a real impact on people's lives, helping small business.

what i saw washington do is go in the exact opposite direction. if they came up with a $787,000 -- $787 billion stimulus bill. the place was that if we pass the stimulus plan, on employment would cap out at 8%. we are now approaching 10% nationally, and about 50% here in gadsden county. -- 15% hearing gets in county. the plan i support it would have created more jobs at half the price. it would help fix roads and bridges and help small businesses keep those employees that they had employed, and perhaps even hiring a few other people through tax credits. that plan would have done much better than what we have seen the last six months. it was just six months and one week ago that the stimulus bill was passed. very expensive and i think the

wrong direction. i also won a mention cap-and- trade. this piece of legislation was passed at the end of june. many refer to as a national energy tax. out of concern for the environment, they want to pass this bill and they did pass it out of the house. i care about the environment as well. i want to make sure that we have a wonderful quality of life, clean water, and clean air. absolutely. but we live on a large globe. we need to make sure that other countries are with us as well, trying to clean up our air. this cap-and-trade bill would cost $1,400 per year per family in increased energy bills. that is not my number. that is the congressional budget office's number. and it originates from an office headed by a democrat, appointed by two democrats. so it is certainly not a biased

number. that is what mit calls low on their costs year. mit says that it will cost more than twice that amount for family per year. my concern is that we have the wrong approach for cleaning up our environment. i think we need to use our existing resources, our existing revenues that we get off of oil, natural gas, and coal, which is on lands that that government funds. the deep waters of our cost, remote areas of alaska -- we should get those natural resources to be energy independent. and at the same time, we can use those resources to find clean power that is efficient. the next generation of technology. those of the things that will clean up our environment over the long term. furthermore, if you look at what china is doing, according to the president's energy secretary,

china will emit more carbon into our atmosphere over the next 30 years been the united states emitted since we were founded. think about those staggering sums. we share the globe with them. we need to make sure that they participate as well. we cannot simply pass energy policies that hurt manufacturing and our economy while allowing our competitors like china and india to pollute freely. we need to look at policies and see what is constructed, in addition, and effected. so these first two policies, the stimulus bill and cap-and-trade, i can tell you what i am against. i'll also tell you what i am for. i know you have questions about the third issue, health care. how many have you think that health care does not need any changes or any type of reform whatsoever?

please raise your hand. i always say there is one in the crowd. how many of you say that we got to do something about health care but the approach is what matters? absolutely. the consensus is for reform. but i share your concern that a form for the sake of reform, action for the sake of action is not right. you have to do it right not just do it. what we have seen out of washington is their intent to act quickly. and i think, is a way that is flawed. i will tell you what i am for and what i am against. let me tell you what i am against. [laughter] this is h.r. 3200, a house version of the president's health-care plan. 1018 pages. i can tell you what i am

against. i am against this plan. i will tell you why and i know you'll have questions about this. [applause] thank you. do we have consensus on this as well? i have not completed reading it but i am reading through it right now. i promise we will get your questions. there are large components of this bill that are flawed. there is one area of this bill that is actually constructed in good. first of all, i do not think insurance companies would -- should be able to discriminate against individuals that they have a pre-existing condition. within this bill contains that component of legislation. i think that is good. i think you should be able to move from insurance company to

insurance company regardless of your medical condition or if you have challenges that you are facing with your health care. i think that helps the competition because then we can have more choices, if we move jobs or lose our job or cree at our own business, we can take our health care with us, portability. that would eliminate discrimination against pre- existing conditions. that is good. very little else in here is constructed and good for our health care or for it -- for good for our choices. here is the plan that i'm for. i will mention briefly what that is. i think we need have medical malpractice reform to cap lawsuits against the abuses that we have now. i think we also need have an associated health plan so that small businesses can band together and actually negotiate with insurance companies. that will help substantially.

why can the chamber of commerce here negotiate for 12 businesses or 50 businesses that are in the area, to negotiate for a larger risk pool like that. it means that you would get a better deal out of the insurance company and lower rates. beyond that, we need to buy across state lines -- currently cannot do. some of that stuff will increase competition and there are other elements to it, but i know you have health care questions, don't you? so tonight i want to be very organized. i wanna make sure that the rest of the world sees how people in western north carolina acting treat each other. i am not going ask you to be polite to me or respectful to me. i work for you. you can treat me how you like. [applause]

but if you would, if you could be courteous to the rest of the crowd, our neighbors that are here tonight, perhaps some young people here for a town hall meeting for the first time, if you could be respectful to them in your language in town, and if people stand up when they are asking questions, please press -- please be respectful of their opinion. we all have our own opinion but if we can respect each other, regardless of whether or not we believe what they are saying is true or write or whatever, that will help. we can show you how town hall meetings are done in the south, that will help us a good bit. if you have a question that you like ast, lined up behind austin or billy, they have the microphones. if you have a question we will try to get everyone's question in the best way possible. keep your question to a question

or comment, you can line up now you like. thank you, thank you. if this is blocking people's views, if you want to move, i certainly understand that this is the most efficient way we have found to have questions or comments. and if you keep your comments to a single issue or your question to a single issue, that would be very helpful and keep it to undramatic, that would be great as well. -- keep it to under a minute, that would be great as well. we will up and up to questions now. it will say your name and where you are from. >> bob smith, cherryville. what are we going to do to close our borders and that foreign nationals who are living here illegally and who we are educating, we are medicating, and housing a lot of them?

we need to identify them and deport them. >> hi peggy so much for the question. it is a great question. we must have secure borders. we need to have better internal enforcement of our immigration laws. a great nation should know who is within their borders. it is a matter of national security and economic security. we need to know who is here. i sponsored legislation, bipartisan, written by a an asphalt congressman, which has real border security and internal enforcement and does it in a way that would make you proud. if you break the law to get into this country you will not respect a lot once you are here. it does not mean that we do not welcome immigrants. our ancestors were welcomed here. but you have to do with the right way, the legal way.

we need to make sure the process works and that we have real border security. that is what i want to see. fortunately that challenge in the house representatives is that the speaker of the house does not share our perspective on this matter. we need to make sure that we have good people in office to do the right thing for border security and all these other issues. thank you for raising the question. yes, sir? >>-shot. , talk about the situation with health care -- my name is chuck. our on a talk about the situation with health care. i had a friend who had a triple bypass. he did not have six weeks away on a cardiologists. from what i have seen in other countries, the u.k. and canada, it's similar to what that guy. it would have been a minimum of six weeks. from there, that would make him

an appointment. last fall, in the aarp, i know a guy that was a member. they were talking about putting people on lists, knowing they will not live long enough to get the surgery. i don't know if anybody is for this and things that they will be exempt for this kind of treatment, but you will not. this thing here will be a disaster no matter how you look at it. just like you're talking about, keeping it in simple terms as going across state lines. i am up ferrier. we could get together and say here's the price that you're going to said. a sin that you could not allow, you're stuck with that. -- there are nine other states that accept pre-existing conditions. it to the shop across state lines, you could end up with the

insurance like that -- if you could shop across state lines, you could end up with answers like that. it is simple freedoms like that. on any level, that is controlled. it you let them control your health care, they have got you. >> thank you, thank you. you've made a fantastic point. what i would say to add-on, what the gentleman said -- he is a ferrier, which means good horse sense. but the ideas that competition. that is what we need to instill in the current marketplace. we can maintain state-regulated insurance but we need to be able to go across state lines. the congress has the authority to regulate interstate commerce.

i could go by a simple product across the state line. i can go by car in south carolina. what can i go get insurance from the state of south carolina or any other state? different states have different mandates on their health care, for minimums of care, and that may mean a longer hospital stays but it would cost you more money. why don't you have a variety of plans to choose from across state lines? real competition. insurance companies do not want that competition. after all, north carolina, more than half of the answer is marketplaces are controlled by one entity. but cross blue shield, and they now want to compete against across lucille of another state. they do not want to have that competition -- against a blue cross blue shield of another state. they do not want that

competition. say your name and where you are from. >> walter campbell, cast and counted. a common understatement that you work for us. it seems to me, watching many of the media accounts from across the country, some of your colleagues have forgotten that they work for us. now want my question. it has two parts. first of all, if the plan is so wonderful, why are the members of congress apparently not going to be partaking in that plan? and the second part has to do with the time line. why are we trying to pass this overreaching at -- legislation which will affect every american in less time than it has taken for the president to pick out a dog for the white house? [applause]

>> i think they agree with you. great point. i'm a co-sponsor of the idea that says if you vote for it, you are enrolled in it. do you all agree? congress must be under the same laws as the people that they represent. [applause] and the rush to action is a great concern. and many have you blog on the internet and palapa legislation tax -- and actually pulled up the legislative text of h.r. 3200? called up your hands. that's amazing. and many of you would normally go on and look at legislative

text? we got three of four. but the fact is, we got a whole group of people looking at legislation for the first time to make a judgment for themselves. they're certain components of this bill that had been explained by other people, but you want to look at it and judge for yourself. one section in particular, how or read the legislative text. i'm sure you will have a lot of questions about this session later on. the point i would make is that an active and engaged citizenry, making sure that all loss -- allows that congress and the general assembly in north carolina are passing, makes for a better legislation. i wanted your feedback from my constituents. that is why i town hall meetings. the point is to actually hear from your constituents.

so with that, i will wrap up and got in the next question. thank you for your comments. >> my name is gary and i have been involved in health care for 30 years. i provide different types of care. i am responsible for seven cost centers and claremont help. i deal with physicians, nurses, all lot of different people. i can tell you the perspective of the care givers -- neither side of the aisle looks very good right now. if you have a car, the brakes don't work. the car -- the democrats want to throw the car away and by helicopter. the republicans say let the free market decide whether we want breaks. rather than take it to a mechanic and fix the brakes. too often i am hearing, and this is why i believe that neither side has a good cop -- handle on this, what i hear on the news

from both sides is it is as if you are listening to lobbyists and politicians to make these decisions. i do not believe that enough emphasis is going to care givers, to the decisions and the people at the bedside, things like every hospital has an ethics committee. we have discussed this. the kind of feedback that we get from you gentleman, it is hard to believe that you are really getting information from reasonable sources. i know i am in solving some of the conservatives in here, but i am consulting the liberals at the same time. -- i know i am consulting -- insulting some of the conservatives here, but i am coinsulting the levels at the same time your >> my

question to you would be, what do you want to see? >> people to do hands-on care actually involved in the process, whether setting up committees or commissions, people who are there who could answer some of the questions. for instance, we have all heard about the death panels. uni at a mutual friend, an oncologist who supported your campaign. he is on the ethics committee at claremont help. speak to him about end of life decisions. they are not the horrible things that you are hearing from the right and they're certainly not some of the things that you're hearing from the left. there are reasonable ways to defend what -- to deal with the end of life decisions. >> what is your specialty? >> respiratory care.

i supervise. >> thank you for coming out. are you in my district? i wanna make sure that you get my mind -- my communications on this. we can indicated as we can to the medical community. we get the government that we select. it is true. i would tell you that republicans are in a minority in congress right now, based on the fact that the american people spoke in the last election. i and stand at. but my constituents spoke and put me into the office as well. the majority is different, and that does not mean that i stop acting on behalf of my constituents. there is a way to get a reasonable bipartisan commission -- compromise. in terms of use saying republicans this and democrats this, i was like for you to hear me out tonight and hear what i

would like to do for health care. i talk to providers all the time, from chuck to a number of other doctors, to hear their input. what i would tell you about that death panel element, a section of the bill that i like to read. it is section 1233, and there is a lot of debate about it. regardless of how you feel about this, would you rather have that ethics panel or a panel in washington that may or may not be decisions -- physicians, with enormous collateral -- latitude on the action taken tate. i would say the current panel of experts on a local basis that make these very difficult judgments. and the fact that we have a state medical board that oversees physicians is strong,

good, and a program. i don't want to see congress practice, regardless of politics are. in terms of input, the american medical association has an bought off in favor of this deal. i say bought off. that is just my language. pardon me for that. the ama and phrma are ads in the favor of this bill. -- are actually in favor of this bill. i talked to doctors across the group -- in the area i represent. they are not what the ama on this. they believe that it will hurt health care. i think you are right. there needs to be better input and you need to use the incubators of the states, where you have real changes in public policy, where you have this real innovation. we need to use those ideas and

take a measured approach to fixing the brakes on that car, not throwing the car away. thank you for your comments. we appreciate that. . >> my name is jim and i am from kings mountain. i have a comment. myself and some have talked to have lost all dressed in congress and the senate. we believe as an example that the 1000-page document is contrived so that they can hide contrived so that they can hide things from the public, @@@@@@@r

>> thank you, and i would tell you we have the ability to elect four people to the federal government. one member of congress, two senators and the president. you kind of get the vice president throw in for free, but that's another issue. but those four offices that we elect directly, we need to make sure they are held accountable. it means e-mails and talking to me when you see me in the grocery and telling me what is on your mind. and i have heard from some of you. and that's how we hold this office accountable of the government. >> yes, sir. >> i am patrick, most of the people i talk to are definitely in favor of things such as

lower taxes, less crime, economic development and a sound education for our children. and we know yurour favor of the rights, but are you as astounded of the people that i talk to, at the level of the national didn't we are enslaving our children to, not us but people that sign budgets are enslaving our children to an ungodly amount of debt. >> what i would tell you that your representatives are you, and you have to keep with your philosophy and what you want out of your government. i am astounded by the national debt that washington has accrued. we have a level of debt that rivals european stands of debtedness for the government, that's the wrong approach.

so far this year we have a 1.2 trillion annual defit in washington. at the end of the year, september 30, that will be 1 $1.8 trillion. the highest debt we have had is $1.2 trillion. this is a bipartisan government and we can't afford to borrow from china at an amazing rate. what i would tell you there is a difference how drunken sailors spend money and how congress spends money. the only difference is that drunken sailors actually spend their own money. [applause] so rather than having a $1.3

trillion health bill here, that will run massive deficits every year from the moment it's implemented after the next presidential election, the policies will be implemented. that deficit will be enormous and difficult for us to contend with. if you look back at the debate of medicare 40 years, the budget analysis that medicare would cost 10-20 billion dollars per year. it currently costs $110 billion per year. so they get it wrong, and we can't afford to get it wrong with one-sixth of our economy which health care represents. yes, ma'am. >> i would like to know the right of the child and what we

can do to defeet the bill. >> i am concerned about it as well, if we get your contact information, we can tell you where that is in the process. i can't give you the details of that right off the top of my head, where it is in the legislation process, but i am concerned about that and the limitation it has on parents' ability to raise children as they see fit. if you come to the left irvings -- i will have a staffer take the information. yes, ma'am. >> hi, i am mary, and this past week speaker pelosi stated we would borrow $11 billion from national security to fund the health plan. and that the health plan was a self-sustaining plan, how do you feel about that? >> it would be great if it were

a self-sustaining plan. it would, it would be better than it is now, maybe not great, but far less bad than it is now. but a congressional office run by a democrat has scored the bill and analyzed what it will cost, and over the next three years will cost $1.3 trillion. and there will be a deficit in that even though they raised taxes, and help every insurance plan under this bill. they have an individual tax based on health insurance. and that goes for everyone regardless of income. there are a number of taxes in here and it still doesn't balance. and the fact about social security, that we is -- that we have taken a lot of money out of social security to fund government, and that is not

right, we need to put the money back. [applause] thank you. >> thank you mr. mchenry for being here and allows us to express ourselves, i am scott stone and live in shelby, first of all, we had this debate in '93 and '94 and assured by the republican party that competition would take its course and solve our medical insurance and medical issues. since then i have seen my premiums with my employer, one year i think it was 2004 or '05, increased by 100% and ever year since then has gone up. and co-pays have gone up. and probably gone through four

different insurance companies. when my first child was born, we received a bill for that, it was outrageous. the insurance company paid far less than what was billed for that procedure. and recently i was hospitalized for one night, a one-night stay, i believe the bill was $4,000 for merca. and again the insurance company paid far less than what was billed, all totaled. so i become confused about first of all, why are doctors and hospitals charging what is not the true cost of the stay or visit. and so that's one issue. and then the other is, i mean i guess i am leaning toward the

single-pay public option. but i think that ultimately we have to put our heads together, if we can put a man on the moon, why can't we figure out this issue. ok? and then if you will just suffer me one more thing. i was first registered at age 18 as republican. a strong supporter of ronald reagan and all of his theology or philosophy. and since then the republican party has lost me, i am now registered as independent. and it's such things as this, if you look at enormous salaries and high ranking management, executives and the united states and global corporations. in addition to those on the board of directors, getting their stock options and one

thing after another. it's no wonder they can't pay the common man a good, decent salary of pay. and so -- they are taking all the gains for themselves and asking for more from taxpayers that they pay full ultimately by the taxes collected from me and you. when their education and credentials bring us all to ruin, that's evidenced today in this economy. think of the following examples of corporation failures, corporation and businesses that cannot do any wrong, especially by the conservative point of view. let's think of enron, tico,

arthur andersen, general motors, chrysler, ford, merrill lynch and the whole exxon valdez fiasco, and lehman brothers, washington mutual and countrywide financial and so forth. can we not consider and talk about the deficits, as of october of last year, our country had committed itself to $7.7 trillion of all the bailouts as that day. >> if you can wrap it up, we have a lot of folks. >> i want to ask, do we not consider -- yes, there is waste and fraud in government. i think we need to give attention to the ways of fraud and business, and the burden it

places on society. >> ok, thank you. appreciate your comments. [applause] and what i would say to you, scott, i share your concern about waste, fraud and abuse wherever it is. the thing is i am elected to represent you in washington and oversee your taxpayer dollars and the federal government. what i would say, it's not business to be in your business. [applause] and what i would like to see, look, i voted against all of those bailouts, period. i thought it was the wrong direction. [applause] but when companies succeed or fail, it affects those people making the decisions for their company, the people that invest in them, and that's how the system works. i don't want to see government

controlling anymore business. when you talk about chrysler and g.m., the fact is that the government bailed them both out, and talking about chrysler producing jobs in mexico to produce the fiat. that's not a good investment in america, i think it's a bad investment. and i am not against our local car dealers, although i did vote for cash for clunkers. but the difference is when private enterprise fails, it fails those who made the choice to invest in that company and those who lead the company, as it should. but when the government fails, it goes back into your wallet and takes more from you. i am trying to limit that, i understand your concern of the

single-paying system. i disagree, i think when the government gets involved in any private business, it doesn't do it more efficiently or less paperwork or less fraud or waste than the private sector at large. you can find a number of companies that failed. and depending on me because i am a republican, is not responsible or reasonable either. [applause] >> thank you sir, what is your name? >> i am down here trying. how are you tonight? >> good, how are you. >> all right, i don't like to talk in that thing, it amplifies my voice. will you explain to me the nafta treaty. it's good to trade with other countries, but it come up for renewal, what, two years ago? >> no sir, it's a permanent treaty.

>> sir? >> no, it did not come up for renewal. >> jim, the congressman over here, he was deciding to vote on it, i thought it came up for renewal. >> that was in 1994, and heavener has been out for a while. >> he's not been out for a couple of years. >> i was concord, the congressman that got defeated last time. what was his name? >> that's a different treaty, what your question? >> i want to know about the nafta treaty, anyway, it's good to trade, but you can't have more coming in than what is going out. you blame labor and it's going overseas. the towns are faulted because of the could -county taxing them and have to pay unemployment insurance and

worker's comp, and it's thousands of dollars of someone working at tx dot, you need manufacturing jobs, and you need a lot of people. and a lot of illegals will be turning those signs and making those forms. how many million dollars did you put in north carolina. coop insurance, roosevelt set up the co-ops in the 30's. and it's working good. and in the 50's, scott was the governor, he wanted a telephone system in north carolina, there was 34 telephone companies in the 50's. you either run the phones or we will form co-ops, and the telephone companies got busy

and got them telephones. it's mentioned about the co-op insurance, and i have insurance and it's working on my pocket book. and before long my insurance will be more than my social security i am drawing. but i don't have to pay nothing when i go to the hospital or doctor, but i am paying for it. yeah, one thing else, this [inaudible] program, how can i grown man think of something like that. i went through in the 80's and i didn't go along with it, in the dairy industry. and it didn't work, i was a reagan man, he had two programs, and one did work. ok, now they got the cocker program and they told on tv, the other night, they are buying the foreign cars.

they aren't buying, i think four tauruses down to four. and 35 million people on food stamps. i am not critical, i think it was set up good. but that's alarming. and before long it will be 50 million, because people will start hurting out here. and your politician in washington said it's going to bottom out. >> i appreciate your comments, let me try to answer two of the four questions. first i voted against cash for clunkers, because i didn't think it was the right way to go. and i think it will cause problems in a couple of months when people can't make the car payments. and about co-ops, the idea that we have a co-op as an alternative to the government option. well, it depends on how they construct it. if a government-run co-op is

equivalent to a government-runned insurance plan, i don't think it's the right way to go. >> [inaudible]. >> social security is going to be bankrupt starting in 2013. medicare will go bankrupt in 2019, we have two programs that are important to seniors and we need to look at the government into the economy, especially when we have government programs to clean up already. in these terms i would say that's better. and in reference to the phone companies, and when we deregulated and have more providers, your long distance rates came way down. and now you can get long distance for a few cents per minute than dollars per minute.

some calls would cost before we deregulated. so that can provide good benefits of the competition, and we have to be careful, and not just support the private sector for the private sector, but for education under the private health care, and that's what i am trying to do. that's what i saying, competition drove down the price. >> good evening, john, from north carolina. we are still at war for the last eight years and spent hundreds of billions of dollars and far too many lives, and

still losing men everyday. what is the strategy? are we attempting to annex afghanistan? how do you feel, what is our way out? >> it's a very good question and a very serious question. in iraq i would tell you that the surge had an enormous benefit of getting the violence down than it was pre-surge. we have seen violence today and in the last few days in iraq. that war is for the iraqis to carry the burden of. we are at the point in iraq where it's their duty as iraqis. we have trained the military. we have a civil government up and running and elections that have taken place. they need to take ownership of their democracy and do their best to keep it. we are in the progress of

pulling troops out, and it's the iraqis that have born the greater burden. we have vudlled troops out of the major cities, and that's good. and we need to be sure we get our men and women home edand safely and securely and soon with less cost. when it comes to afghanistan, the insurgency in afghanistan, whatever you want to call them, al-qaeda or whatever terrorist group there, they are largely funded out of the heroin trade, the poppy fields in southern afbegan stan.

-- afghanistan. we have had multitroops and the problem of the other countries, they won't fight. so we are bearing the brunt of the burden in afghanistan. and we need to make sure we get that turned over for them to bear that burden. unfortunately the government there has major problems. well -- >> [inaudible]. >> yeah. well, you are right. the government as i said, is largely not doing, basically it's largely not doing its job. it's governing from the safe areas. like the equivalent of the local police saying we will not go into neighborhoods with violence. and is there a lot of that happening in afghanistan. they are trying to take the elements that worked in iraq

and apply to afghanistan. and some of those elements can work. but i have a great deal of concern about making americans deal with the brunt of this issue when it should be afghanistan, members of their society bearing that burden for a civil government. unfortunately while in iraq there was a notion of government, historically. and afghanistan, it's been largely ungoverned areas. this is going to be a longer struggle for us.oxñ in terms of the previous president and this president, it's for the president and military leaders to set the policy and the goal. and for congress to fund that policy and goal. i want to see us succeed. and as a matter of public policy i will make sure that we

fund our troops in the battlefield regardless if i agree or disagree with the president based on his political philosophy and what he is doing to our country. [applause] thank you, i appreciate you raising the issue, and there is not a simple answer. you are exactly right. >> congressman, i am leon, and i live in your district in cleveland county, my question is if this health care plan does pass, what affect or changes will it have on the way that veterans are receiving hospitalization and health care? >> it's a great question, leon, and thank you for serving and for being an advocate for veterans as well. under this plan we are trying to go through these scenarios by which groups are affected. one area of concern is those

veterans with tri-care, and those getting their care through the v.a. system, i want to be sure that we keep that system sound and secure. that's why i am working to get the veteran's clinic for a closer option. under this plan, i am still trying to figure out how veterans are affected. it doesn't appear that they will be adversely affected. but i want to be sure that the details are true and correct. and that our veterans get the care they deserve and we are honoring our commitment to them. we are working that out, and we would be happy to contact you when we figure it out how they are affected or any unattended consequences of this bill. thank you. >> congressman, i am lincoln county, i have a comment, and want to thank you for your

conservative leadership in washington. but the comment i want to make to congress, more accurately, i think we have a congress that has spent money like a john edwards in a beauty shop. but the issues of health care faces every american -- >> i am glad you only made that john edwards joke. >> this leadership will need to be not left or right or conservative. but when you get back to washington, i would like you to tell pelosi and mr. reid,we can take all the money in the world and pour it in, but until we put in prevention and wellness that will drive the costs down. i have a friend going to duke

for cancer treatment. we are a better country than telling people they have to wait. and in this country we value life, and from the bottom of my heart, i want to thank you for the conservative leadership you v -- you have, and i know you will be the leader of the pack to help us in this health care system. >> thank you. i think a comparative health care reform has to include wellness and a physical. like an exam every year, like the analogy to get your brakes fixed on your car. well, when you get your oil changed, they check the brakes and tires so you don't have a blow-out. and the idea is to do the same in health care.

unfortunately in this house they don't address this at all. when you talk about good businesses, they talk about wellness programs for the employees. in businesses they are able to do that and get a lot of benefit out of it. it's far better to detect a small problem early on than a big problem late in the process. you are right, wellness has got to be something that we all take seriously. our health, how we eat and exercise, is very serious, and we should take it very seriously. i will tell you after having said that, this is my eighth town hall meeting this year. and when we are done, late in the evening, i am forced to do what a lot of us are forced to do. go to a drive-in, sorry a

drive-thru, big difference. and after a town hall meeting and i was so hungry when i got done.=÷ and chick-fil-a was still open, and i pulled in and order the number 1 combo, and they said, do you want a biggie size, and i said of course. and throw in the nuggets too. and i finished eating that and it hit me like a ton of bricks. that was dumb. think about what you put had your body, it's something that we struggle with and something we should control in health care and should. yes, sir. >> i am norman, and live here in cherriville. i would like you to take a little of stimulus money and put better seats in this

auditorium. [laughter] >> well, norman, as you know, three months ago this auditorium didn't have air conditioning. and we are grateful that we got some. >> and i know the seats will come. >> yeah. >> this may sound awful dumb to you, i guess, i called your office and asked for some numbers. and through them i learned that about 1.4 million north carolinans are under medicaid. and why can we not adjust medicaid enough to take care of those people who now do not have insurance?

now, of course i don't want to see the illegals considered. and there are a lot who now don't have insurance and who don't want insurance. and it's not going to leave that great big of number who are now uninsured that they could not somehow change the rules enough to feed them into medicare. and your job is done, and we can all go home. >> uh-huh, about medicaid. the plan i would support and the plan i do support is written by senator richard berg, the berg/ryan nusberg bill in the house, this bill will give all americans that we fund health programs in the federal government. and we will give everyone a tax credit using those existing revenues. and the fact is that we can

give all americans a $3,000 tax credit so they can buy health insurance. now that tax credit you only get it and it functions on your tax form. and so all americans would get about that amount of money, about $3,000 to buy health insurance. and they would be in the private marketplace which means they can make decisions for themselves. they want a cheaper plan or catastrophic plan, they can make those decisions themselves. furthermore you wouldn't have the issue of the gentleman of medicare, getting that supplement. everyone would be in the private insurance marketplace, and most americans would be able to buy off of that. there are some americans we

need to provide for, and no one disagrees with that. we need to take care of the least among us that can't provide for themselves. but the vast majority of us would get into the private marketplace. this would help get those in this place, and 60% of the uninsured are under 35. and a lot of these people don't buy because they don't think they need it. and there is a component of people that are laid off or without work, or just can't afford to buy health insurance. and we need to make sure that they have access to it. and we can do that through existing government revenue streams. and beyond that it would fix

medicare and medicaid, and deficit 30 years from now. based on the fact that we give people individual control, and that's the plan i support. thank you. [applause] >> hi, i am betty white from kings mountain, and i want to thank you for being so committed to the people in your district. but i would like to know what happens in the 1960 when billions of dollars was borrowed out of the social security fund, never put back to start all of those free programs. if you go to the bank and borrow money, you have to pay it back. if they had paid it back, social security would not be in the shape it is now if that money had been paid back. and the second thing, veterans are the backbone of our country, they made this country what it was. they are being forgotten and

pushed through the cracks. something needs to be done there. >> absolutely, i think you are right. when we have a young man or woman that is willing to fight for our freedoms, we have to honor our commitment to them when they come home. and that means the best benefits and health care in the world, and that's what i support. it wasn't just in the 1960's when congress robbed social security to pay for other things, they have done it since. and we need to make sure that social security is off of the subject, i don't want to use the term lockbox, but you take it away from politician hands and make it whole, and how to form it for the next generation to make whole those at or near retirement. but for the younger workers, to make sure they are able to get

a before out -- benefit out of social security and not just pay into it. and that may look different than the social security we have now. and we need to have generational favorness, and that starts with our seniors now, and not to have any cuts to seniors receiving benefits now. thank you. [applause] >> my name is charles, i live here in cherryville, here on the outskirts. i have one question, according to homeland security, i am one of the biggest threats, i am a terrorist in america, if you have read that policy. look at me, i don't think so. >> he says that with a smile too, he couldn't be such a bad guy. >> i was reading obama's web page and want to take 300

billion away from medicare and want $140 billion because doctors are cheats and stupid, and the patients are stupid and they need to call a nurse and say i want to go home. i know that nurses are just as good as doctors, i love nurses, but i want a doctor to look at me and say, here's your problem. i don't want hmo. and i say this, i am laid off because of the auto industry. i have a pre-condition where i had a heart attack 10 years. and i walked. and i paid for my wife's insurance, so she's got insurance. i still don't want that policy, burn it, that's my conclusion. ? -- and as far as the soldiers, when a mother or father cry over a coffin, we give them a

reason to believe, don't make me come back. that way that soldier didn't die for nothing, i would hate to be a parent crying because their son or daughter is in a grave. thank you. >> thank you. [applause] >> thank you, and you are right. that's why we need to see these things through, to make sure we achieve the goal. we have to make sure that the goal is achievable and achieve the goal. and our fighting american men and women can achieve any goal. but the politicians don't need to muck it up and be sure that they fight the fight and get it done. and get them home, absolutely. i keep changing the mission, absolutely. but health care in terms of pre-existing conditions, i think you should be able to get health insurance, than discriminated because you have a pre-existing condition, even if it was 10 years ago.

and our current system doesn't address that and this bill doesn't address that either unfortunately. and i want to be sure that everyone has that access to make their health care choices themselves. and i would rather you make your health care decision with your family and the doctor you are seeing, and that discussion with them, and not congress. who do you trust more? congress or your doctor? >> i would hope the doctor. yes, pearl. >> hello, congressman, it's good to see you again. thank you for being here and giving so generously to all of us, i am pearl floyd, and i am the representative for this district. and i am happy to be here with you tonight as a citizen. and my concerns also resolve around health care. and as a health care

professional with 30 years of experience in cancer detection, it hits home. because as i look at the individuals who come through my laboratory, they are very concerned when they come in to have tests drawn, they want to know what is going to happen to me. when we look at the chart, and that's a great chart you have talking about what happens in socialized medicine with lowering the survival rates, which means we live longer in the united states. because we put the technology and health care we have at our disposal to use for our citizen. and therefore we have an opportunity to have a better opportunity of life, even though we are dealt a card unfavorable of a disease. my question to you congressman, how do we as citizens in district 110 and gaston county and cleveland county, help

prepare ourselves so that we can have the best quality health care and choices, so we can live longer and healthier lives? >> thank you pearl, and thank you for representing us in raleigh, i know it's quite a task and challenge in the economy and the struggles there, thank you. [applause] >> yeah, i have a chart here explaining the cancer survival rates. i am sorry -- look, i thought we would have town hall meetings like last year, where it was 10 of us in a kum baia circle. but the chart i have here is a survival rate for prostate cancer in united states, canada, europe and england. prostate after five years, 91%

survive. 85% in canada survive. and all of europe, 57% survive. and in england where we have a single-payer system, there is a 50.9% survival rate for prostate. when people talk about health care, this is what i think, real lives. and we have all been touched by cancer. if not personally, those of us in our family. and had hits home, you look at breast cancer, 84% survive in united states, canada, 82%, and great britain, 69%. and you can look at all cancers, and can come up afterwards.

and i have this chart on my website, and we have the reference points here, so you can look at where we got this data and judge that for yourself as well. the fact is that survival rates not just for cancer, but across the board, are better here in the united states, because of health care. it's flawed, but it's better than the system of a single option. and that includes a long line, and fewer choices with you and your doctor and family. and beyond that, in these systems because they are so expensive and such a burden on the taxpayers, you have rationing of health care. where the decision comes to a board of elected officials on whether or not you get your treatment or cure, whether or not that's worth the dollar cost for the taxpayer. i don't want to be in that system. i don't want to be an elected

official in that system where congress is voting on whether or not you have access to a cure. whether or not you have access to a procedure or a drug. so what we can do to maintain freedom of choice in health care is coming out to these town hall meetings. i don't know if we have total on how many folks were here tonight. brett, 232 people. last year it was 19. right? the town hall meetings i have had this year, i have had eight. and we have had close to 4500 people come to the town hall meetings. last year we had a total of 10 town hall meetings with less than 400. you see that people care about this. you can hear it in people's voices tonight by the fact they are sitting here and what the

gentleman said were hard chairs. right? so people being out, being engaged and writing their state representative. actually writing me and e-mailing me and making phone calls. those things matter, and you can make your voice heard to our two senators and to our president -- was going to say two presidents. sorry about that, i am grateful that joe biden is not president. [applause] sorry joe. but the point is an active and engaged citizenry makes all the difference. it holds elected officials accountable and can express our opinions ourselves. that matters in a big way, and i am glad that citizens are active and engaged and making their voices heard. where there is heat, there is fire, and where there is smoke

there is flame. and this august has been hot, and the reason it's been hot, is because we have people reading the bill. we have people making decisions for themselves. we have people doing research whether or not this is the best approach. and i think that the consensus is not for the plan. three weeks ago, the president's approval rating on health care and his plan were a net positive. and now they are a net negative. three weeks. these town hall meetings are leading public opinion than following public opinion. and the fact you are turning out makes a difference. is there consensus in this plan in this room? [applause] >> representative mchenry, i am lean mcmillian, and i am from gaston county. >> hold on one second,

therefore, am i representing your perspective on health care? >> yes. [applause] >> thank you. >> first of all, i want to thank you for being so accessible. you really are and your people are and we appreciate that very much. i am one of those people that has read a good portion of the bill, and in many different times of day and night. my eyes have glazed over. and there are a lot of things in it i wanted to talk about. but i thought i better look into one thing in particular that no one else seems to be discussing. and i got my notes because i am quoting this bill. it is called the america's affordable health choices act for 2009. on page 1, it states, the purpose of this bill is to provide affordable, quality health care for all americans

and reduce the growth in health care spending and for other purposes. my question among others is this "and for other purposes" covers a big territory. also on page 29, they talk about costs sharing levels. and then on page 59, i am quoting, electronic funds transfers in order to allow automated reconciliation with the health care payment and remittance advice. representative mchenry, i never thought i would have to ask this, and correct me if i am mis reading this, when did the government think they had the right to go into my bank account? [applause]

also as a side option, we shouldn't be calling it the public option this, is the government option. no way around it. [applause] >> this has come up a couple of times about access to your bank account. that's a concern. we are still seeing how that is done operationally under this legislation. so i appreciate you bringing it to everyone's attention. i appreciate you reading the bill and being engaged. i share the same concerns you have about government accessing either your medical records or your bank account. absolutely. and finally. >> i worry about this. this is supposed to be +ça fre country. >> well, elections have consequences. i will tell you, elections have

consequences. we tell this to our kids, you know. there are consequences to your actions. as adults we sometimes forget that. but as a matter of how our system works, our republican form of democracy, means we elect officials that we support their focus and their actions. and so if we don't support those actions, then we made the wrong choice in the election, and need to correct it in the next. so people need to be engaged and make their voices heard and that people are accountable and accessible and doing the right thing in government. thank you. now i got two other charts here i want to reference. and again i am sorry they are not large enough for the crowd but they are on my website. operationally we have a chart,

the front row if you could tell the folks in the back row. it doesn't matter, it's a mess. you can't even understand it on the front row if you get into the details of it, it's very complex. and we have another chart, this is from the leing group, they do health care insurance, they are called the gold standard of health care research. they have researched this bill and this so-called public option. and you said in your question, it's a government option. unfortunately it's only an option in the beginning, and then it's the only option. if you say "the only" it makes it not an apgz. -- option, what happens in this exchange, the health care commissioner determines what health care plans can be

offered in this national exchange. and they determine the public plan or government option is. so therefore, if the referee is wearing a carolina panther's jersey, do you think he will be an unbiased referee of the football game? think of this practically, if your kid is on the baseball team, you can't be a fair referee, it's difficult. if you look at health care commissioner, they can have the plan skewed for the government option. and what happens, based on how this bill operates, the onus is on the individual, and not the business to provide health care. and so individuals will have to purchase it. under this plan, the government option, based on how it's formulated.

119 million americans will ceased to be offered health insurance by their existing business. that doesn't make the government option a good option. in fact it makes the government option the more likely outcome in a single-payer system. the reason i oppose this bill, is the same reason why barney frank supports this bill. now he said, i support a public option because a good public option will lead to a single-payor system and i support a single-payor system. he had sound reasoning, it's basic math; right? i come to the same conclusion except for the fact i don't want the federal government having a single payor system. >> yes, sir. >> the united states of america is the greatest country on earth. there are opportunities, there

are too many uninsured and unemployed and too many single moms that can't take care of their children. and too many people, like that spoke, her husband and her served in this country. and now a child that can't get health care because of a pre-existing condition. there needs to be a change this this system. we can debate and talk and another hundred years could go by. finally something is being done, i want to thank you congressman. there will be health care for citizens in the community. across the state of connecticut and across the united states of america. maybe it won't be perfect, maybe a couple of bugs in this, but there will be health care. we are the greatest nation on earth, we need those opportunities, god bless you,

thank you, and we love you. [applause] >> [inaudible] for the coup to take over, for the military [inaudible] it's a long story. and i have to say this sounds like a lot about what my family escaped from. [applause] i don't know, when you have the government take over your life you don't have control. [applause]

>> i say that you americans were born here, ok you are taking your freedoms for granted. [applause] >> i am from upstate, i grew up here. and thank you for this democracy. where in the constitution is the federal government's right to take over health care? [applause] >> the government provides health care for representatives, and under v.a.

under tricare for those serving and for the disabled and medicaid. these are well established back to world war ii, and challenged in court and every constitutional claim is brought. and the supreme court has routinely dismissed those. and a lot of people asking where is public education, and the courts have recognized of title i and those from washington, d.c. so the teachers can keep their jobs in the worse budget year in the history of the state of connecticut. >> and as congress continues its summer recess, we would like to hear from you. are you attending a town hall

meeting in your community? share your experiences and thoughts with us on video at c-span.org/citizen video. live coverage of a town hall meeting on health care, with congressman gramm, on tuesday on c-span. this fall enter the home to america's highest court, from the grand public places to those only accessible by the nine justices. the supreme court coming the first sunday in october on c-span. .