Wednesday at noon nine individuals, residents of the 4th Congressional District, came to Representative Vicky Hartzler’s Harrisonville, Missouri field office to express their concerns with the republican attempt to repeal the ACA (“Obamacare”) and “replace” it with Trumpcare. Adam Timmerman, a Field Representative for Representative Hartzler (r), opened up the office to hear their concerns. He listened intently, took notes, and, like all of the constituents in attendance, was unfailingly polite throughout the hour long exchange.
“Indivisible” – Harrisonville, Missouri – March 22, 2017.
“Trump care makes me sick” – Harrisonville, Missouri – March 22, 2017.
“Christian Warrior” – Harrisonville, Missouri – March 22, 2017.
Adam Timmerman, Field Representative for Representative Vicky Hartzler (r).
“…I would like my story to be heard, too. And there’s just so much uncertainty about this act, about how it’s going to affect people. Who’s going to lose insurance? And, and, all I ever hear is it will be their choice. But it’s not always a choice. It’s whether you choose to eat, you choose to pay rent, you choose to pay your mortgage, or you choose to have insurance. And I know many people disagree with me, but I agree that health care should be a right, it should be a right by our government…”
“…I think she [Representative Hartzler] is not listening to her people in her district. I think when we get on the phone, um, that is not a good test of the members of her district at all. Town meetings is a good test for that. You can’t get on the phone and take five different people to talk and get a feel of the thousands of people she represents. And she is our voice, she’s not big business or insurance’s voice. Or the party line voice. She is not. We should be able to connect with her and talk with her and give her our worries and concerns and on our issues in this district…”
One of the constituents was concerned with the “facts” presented by Representative Hartzler (r) on a recent district telephone conference call with constituents:
“…if she [Representative Hartzler] truly wants to serve her constituents I think she needs to gain access to these things [facts], which is about a fifteen minute Internet search, actually. I’d be happy to send her those links as well as articles from numerous medical journals that have come out in support of ACA. And then she would have the information she needs to vote, to make a knowledgeable vote, for those individuals that she serves…”
“…Missouri did not expand Medicaid. And, on top of that if Trumpcare does get passed almost an additional forty thousand people in her district alone will not have any health insurance. Now that comes back to when, you know, they wait ’til they’re deathly ill or really, really sick, they go to the emergency room. They can’t pay that bill. So, who does?…”
Eight of the nine individuals present supported continuation and improvement of the ACA (“Obamacare”) and opposed its repeal and the implementation of Trumpcare. With one individual, an apparent libertarian, it was difficult to tell what he thought.
Welcome to Missouri’s 4th Congressional District.
