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All U.S Rep. Patrick McHenry had to do during his first-ever Asheville-area town hall meeting was offer an invitation to stand up and be heard.

Thirty people swiftly moved into lines on either side of a packed ArtSpace Charter School auditorium to ask questions of their new congressman — some of them pointed and many of them about Obamacare.

They all wanted direct answers from the congressman Wednesday evening, and many of them, including Skip Edwards, questioned the Republican’s position on the Affordable Care Act.

Edwards and his wife, both 63, had health insurance until he lost his job during the recession and the East Asheville couple found themselves in financial trouble despite staying relatively healthy.

Both had pre-existing conditions and were denied insurance, making them eligible for a state plan called Inclusive Health.

“It cost us $1,300 bucks a month — extremely expensive,” Edwards said. “It taps us out every month. But at our age and health, we’ve got to have it.”

McHenry, 37, has repeatedly voted against the Affordable Care Act, choosing to either defund, repeal or delay it. In defending his position, he said he did agree with some aspects of the act, including ending discrimination against pre-existing conditions and extending the age a children can stay on their parents' health insurance.

About 270 packed the auditorium, with others turned away for lack of space.

Edwards and others wondered why McHenry would vote against a plan they feel is better than nothing at all. He said he would not vote for something he feels is bad policy.

McHenry also fielded questions about everything from the political gridlock in Washington, D.C., to immigration reform and affordable housing in Asheville. He told the crowd he is also frustrated with the lack of action in D.C. http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130808/NEWS/308080026/?gcheck=1
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Originally posted by Niki2:

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All U.S Rep. Patrick McHenry had to do during his first-ever Asheville-area town hall meeting was offer an invitation to stand up and be heard.

Thirty people swiftly moved into lines on either side of a packed ArtSpace Charter School auditorium to ask questions of their new congressman — some of them pointed and many of them about Obamacare.

They all wanted direct answers from the congressman Wednesday evening, and many of them, including Skip Edwards, questioned the Republican’s position on the Affordable Care Act.

Edwards and his wife, both 63, had health insurance until he lost his job during the recession and the East Asheville couple found themselves in financial trouble despite staying relatively healthy.

Both had pre-existing conditions and were denied insurance, making them eligible for a state plan called Inclusive Health.

“It cost us $1,300 bucks a month — extremely expensive,” Edwards said. “It taps us out every month. But at our age and health, we’ve got to have it.”

McHenry, 37, has repeatedly voted against the Affordable Care Act, choosing to either defund, repeal or delay it. In defending his position, he said he did agree with some aspects of the act, including ending discrimination against pre-existing conditions and extending the age a children can stay on their parents' health insurance.

About 270 packed the auditorium, with others turned away for lack of space.

Edwards and others wondered why McHenry would vote against a plan they feel is better than nothing at all. He said he would not vote for something he feels is bad policy.

McHenry also fielded questions about everything from the political gridlock in Washington, D.C., to immigration reform and affordable housing in Asheville. He told the crowd he is also frustrated with the lack of action in D.C. http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20130808/NEWS/308080026/?gcheck=1
&nclick_check=1

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