Frankel gets feedback
Congresswoman reaches 9,200 constituents during a telephone town hall
WASHINGTON — Raine from Boca Raton was afraid of getting mired in a war in Syria. Cheryl in Plantation wanted to defund Obamacare.
U. S. Rep. Lois Frankel fielded questions and comments about these and many more issues during a telephone townhall meeting Wednesday night that linked her to 9,200 of her Broward and Palm Beach County constituents.
It was a chance for the freshman Democrat fromWest Palm Beach to find out what was on the minds of people in her district while reaching a much bigger audience than the crowd that typically shows up at in- person town- hall meetings.
It’s also a format that avoids direct confrontations and demonstrations. But Frankel made a point of saying she participates in many face- to- face encounters in her district, including a public forum on immigration issues earlier onWednesday.
The questions at the telephone town hall were polite and friendly. Many were supportive of Frankel and her causes. Some were critical of the stance taken by her and fellow Democrats, including President Barack Obama.
“We have to de- fund this [ health care] law, because it’s going to ruin our country,” said Cheryl of Plantation.
Frankel defended the Affordable Care Act, saying it providesnewbenefits and will curb the rise in insurance costs.
“One thing about Obamacare is there are 31 million Americans who do not have access to insurance right now, and many of those folks end up at emergency rooms or clinics,” she said. “And somebody’s got to foot the bill for their care. Andwho’s footing the bill? It’s the rest of us, whoarepaying for insurance, paying our taxes. Obamacare is not just for the peoplewhodon’thave insurance. It’s for all of us.”
Raine from Boca Raton said he feared that Obama was leading the nation into a civilwar in Syria. “I’m quite concerned that we are getting involved in a conflict like AfghanistanandIraq, where it took us years to get out,” he said.
Frankel, who had opposed the war in Iraq and thinks American forces have stayed too long in Afghanistan, said she favors sending humanitarian aid but not troops or “anything else” to Syria.
She broke with Obama on one issue: cost- of- living raises for Social Security.
The president has indicated hewould be willing— as part of a budget deal to reduce spending — to change the way inflation is figured to trim future raises. Frankel opposed the move, saying, “I don’t think we should balance the budget on the backs of our seniors.”
Callers alsoansweredsomepolling questions, designating their choices by punching numbers on their phones. A plurality named jobs- and- the- economy as the most important national issue and helping military veterans get benefits as the most important local issue.