Rep. Goodlatte sets town hall healthcare meetings

Bob Goodlatte is joining the town hall parade with a noticeable caveat.

The 6th District representative said Wednesday that he’ll hold a series of meetings across his district on health care. The difference between him and Democrats pilloried at the similar events across the country: Goodlatte also bristles at so-called Obamacare.

A veteran congressman who’s cultivated a reputation as one of the lower chamber’s most staunch conservatives, Goodlatte will launch his meetings Sept. 3 in Roanoke followed by another session at 10 a.m. Sept. 5 at Turner Ashby High School Auditorium in Bridgewater. Details still are being finalized on a meeting in Lynchburg.

“I’m encouraging people to come out to the town hall meetings and have a good discussion about a major issue,’’ Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, said. “I have some grave concerns about the legislation working its way through Congress. I want all points of view.”

Staunton Republican Committee Chairwoman Anne Fitzgerald had asked Goodlatte about scheduling the town hall meetings during a luncheon with community leaders last week in Staunton.

“I’m excited he is going to meet with the folks,’’ she said.

Fitzgerald said she has encountered many people in Staunton and Augusta County “who really wanted to hear from Congressman Goodlate’’ in person on health care reform.

During the Staunton luncheon, Goodlatte said he opposes a government insurance plan option. Instead, Goodlatte favors changes such as medical malpractice reform and association health plans that would allow small businesses to band together in groups of thousands to reduce insurance premium rates for their employees.

Goodlatte repeated a popular conservative criticism of Democrats’ frequent rallying cry pegging the number of uninsured Americans at 47 million. Just 10 million or fewer genuinely lack choice, he said. The remaining 37 million include people who simply choose not to carry insurance, illegal immigrants and people who are eligible for government programs such as Medicaid but are not enrolled.

In addition to the town hall meetings, Goodlatte is conducting telephone sessions that began this week.

He expects to talk with thousands through the telephone meetings.

Fitzgerald said the telephone meetings do not allow for the “back and forth’’ that constituents want with their elected officials.

The health care town hall meetings held by members of Congress across the county have generated fiery responses from opponents of the health care reform plan touted by President Barack Obama.

Newly installed 5th District Rep. Tom Perriello has held numerous town hall meetings across his district. The meetings have generated strong turnouts and civil responses.

While Perriello supports the idea of competition in health care, he told a Fluvanna County audience earlier this week he could not support the legislation now working its way through the House.

The congressman said he would back the legislation if it would bring down the cost of premiums and be deficit neutral.