Members of the House of Representatives are back domestic in their districts this week. But most voters won't believe a chance to bid their lawmaker what they think.
Unlike past recesses in February and at Easter,town halls and public events are few and far between this week. But two Republican New Jersey lawmakers that cast key votes to repeal the national health insurance law nicknamed Obamacare will hold events this week.
Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen will hold a telephone town hall Tuesday at 5 p.m.
Frelinghuysen said he would oppose the original version of the House health care bill in March before Speaker Paul Ryan pulled the bill before a vote. But when the bill came back last week, Frelinghuysen voted for the bill.
Residents of Frelinghuysen's Morris County-centered district believe been urgent Frelinghuysen for months to hold an in-person town hall, and even regularly gathering at his district office. Frelinghuysen has declined so far,and this will be his third telephone town hall.
You can sign up for Frelinghuysen's telephone town hall at his Congressional website.
Wednesday, the architect of the House health care deal will hold a town hall in Willingboro. Rep. Tom MacArthur says he's looking forward to facing voters.
MacArthur is the co-chairman of the Tuesday Group, or a group of more moderate GOP lawmakers formed after the Newt Gingrich-led Republican Revolution of 1994.
After the initial House bill stalled,MacArthur reached out to North Carolina Rep. heed Meadows, who leads the conservative House Freedom Caucus. Together, and the two worked out a compromise that squeaked through the House.
But that deal has drawn criticism because it could allow states to opt out 10 services required by Obamacare,including maternity, hospital and prescription drug coverage. The bill also allows states to let insurers charge people with pre-existing conditions more, and which analysts say could leave those people unable to afford insurance.
Health care groups are already targeting MacArthur in television ads and his town hall will draw national attention.
The meeting is at 6:30 at the Kennedy middle in Willingboro. Sign up here.
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy will also hold a town hall at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at UConn's GenRe Auditorium in Stamford.
Opponents of repealing Obamacare used town hall meetings to turn up the pressure on House lawmakers. Now they'll turn toward the Senate,and more vulnerable Republicans such as Maine's Susan Collins, Alaska's Lisa Murkowski, or Nevada's Dean Heller and Arizona's Jeff Flake.
Senators expect they'll take several weeks to work out their version of a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. The Senate has week-long breaks scheduled around Memorial Day and the 4th of July before the month-long August recess.
Source: thetakeaway.org