August 03, 2009
Monday

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told several thousand Alaskans during a "Telephone Town Hall" meeting last Thursday night that she will hold four Alaska-based town hall meetings focused on health care during the August congressional recess.

Murkowski announced the Alaska town hall meetings while on the phone Thursday night with several thousand Alaskans who participated in her Teletownhall. Some 40,000 Alaskan phone numbers were dialed by an automated system, and she successfully connected with more than 8,000 residents throughout the course of the hour-long conversation. Sitting in her Washington, D.C., office, Murkowski talked about the various health care proposals under debate in Congress and took a number of questions from her constituents across the state.

"Last night [Thursday], the phone lines were lit with Alaskans eager to ask questions and raise concerns about the health care debate going on in Washington," Murkowski said. "As a member of the Senate Health Committee, I explained my vote against the Democrat bill that passed the committee earlier this month. There were many problems with that bill, but perhaps the biggest flaw is the staggering cost ­ over $1 trillion dollars and it still would leave as many as 34 million people without coverage. Besides cost, the bill would create a government-run public plan to compete with private insurers. To pay for the government program, the bill would cut Medicare payments and tax small businesses. We all want to reform health care, but we need time to discuss how we pay for a $1 trillion bill that still leaves too many without health care.

"Health care will be at the top of our agenda when Congress returns from recess in September. I plan to meet with as many Alaskans as I can in August and get their thoughts and ideas before returning to Washington."

The town hall meetings will occur on Thursday, August 13 in Fairbanks; Thursday, August 20 in Anchorage; Friday, August 28 in Wasilla and Saturday, August 29 in Soldotna.

All Alaskans are welcome to attend the town hall meetings to ask questions and share their thoughts with Sen. Murkowski.

On the Web:

Information on the town halls
http://murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.Events

Source of News:

Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski
www.murkowski.senate.gov

 

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