Faso won’t attend health care town hall meeting in Kingston
Republican U.S. Rep. John Faso has been invited to a health care town hall meeting taking place Monday evening in Kingston, but his spokeswoman said he would be unable to attend due to another event.
Courtney Weaver said Faso would be in attendance at a senior forum earlier in the day Monday in Kingston, but was already committed to attend a different event in the evening. She said he would not be at the health care town hall.
The “Save our Healthcare Town Hall” will be
held from 6:30 to 9 p.m., Monday at the Senate Garage, 4 North Front St. in Uptown Kingston. Seating is limited, so people interested in attending are encouraged to reserve their space.
Details about the event are available online at http://bit.ly/2phnXDN.
Faso, R-Kinderhook, on Thursday voted in favor of a House bill to repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, commonly called Obamacare. Following the vote, the congressman said the Affordable Care Act has failed in its promises to the American people.
Organizers of Monday’s event said Faso’s vote was “morally bankrupt” and constituents need the congressman to answer why he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
While Faso, who represents the 19th Congressional District, will not be in attendance, U.S. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, DCold Spring, has said he would.
On Twitter, Maloney said constituents deserve answers. He said if Faso would not go explain his vote on the American Health Care Act, Maloney would.
Maloney represents the neighboring 18th Congressional District. His spokeswoman, Caitlin Girouard, confirmed Saturday the offer he made on Twitter.
In a tweet, Maloney
wrote, “I’m headed to Kingston Monday night to do @ RepJohnFaso’s town hall meeting. If he won’t do it, I will. Join me? #AdoptADistrict.”
Weaver said Faso’s office had no comment on Maloney’s tweets.
Since taking office earlier this year, Faso has resisted calls to hold a town hall-style forum for the public in his 19th Congressional District. In late February, more than 700 people showed up for such a meeting at a Kingston school to which Faso was invited but did not attend.
While Faso will not be at the health care town hall, he would be the guest speaker at a forum for seniors at The Kingston Library.
Gail Myers, deputy director
of the New York StateWide Senior Action Council, said Faso is expected to attend the forum from 1 to 2 p.m. in the community room at the library. She said all the seats for the event had already been reserved. Anyone interested in being put on the agency’s contact list for future events, could call (800) 333-4374, Myers said.
A group of seniors in Ulster County plans to start a local chapter of the StateWide Senior Action Council, Myers said. She said the forum, which will take place from 1 to 3 p.m., would focus on issues affecting seniors, such as the federal budget process, Medicaid and Medicare, Social Security, and their ability to remain healthy and in their homes.