Finally, a Republican who didn't run away.

[RandySF]

More than 200 people took the Republican congressman up on it, packing a Palm Harbor community center on Saturday morning so tightly that late-comers had to park down the street.

The twist: Despite the demographics of the district, which includes all of Pasco and parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, nearly all the guests came to support for the Affordable Care Act, the Obama-era health law now on the chopping block.

There was John Ford, 66, who was once denied coverage for his hip because he had previously had the joint replaced. And Christine Mendonca, 34, who worried that without Obamacare, she could no longer afford to get pregnant.

Evan Thornton, 21, fought back tears describing the congenital heart condition that could cut his life short. The Affordable Care Act had allowed him to have coverage under his parents' plan into his 20s, he said.

"I'm an independent who voted for you," he told Bilirakis. "Please don't take my life away. Please don't let me die."

Only a handful supported efforts by Congressional Republicans to repeal and replace the health law — and one was a Bilirakis employee, case work director Kristen Sellas.

"We have deductibles that I never had before," Sellas said. After Congress began requiring members and their employees to buy Affordable Care Act plans, co-pays for surgeries that were once $350 jumped to $3,000, she said.

Bilirakis, a six-term representative who was recently named to a key health subcommittee, listened more than he spoke. "I wouldn't be a good representative if I didn't hear you out," he said.


http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/a-bilirakis-gathering-turns-out-to-be-strongly-pro-obamacare/2312107

[manicraven]

1. It's really simple...Improve the AFA and stop with the repeal!

[world wide wally]

2. Sure

He'll leave stent and then vote the way Ryan tells him to vote.
Sorry that one guy will have to die, but at least it will be under his Republican Congressman so he can take comfort in that

[riversedge]

3. But so far, this Repug only has REPEAL on his mind--

as I read his comment. Nothing about fixing the ACA




.......The forum ran 20 minutes longer than the two hours that had been scheduled. When it ended, Bilirakis told reporters it had been "a great listening session" and promised to take his constituents' comments to Washington.

But when asked if his thoughts had changed on the Affordable Care Act, the congressman turned to familiar talking points.

"We need to repeal because we need to do it right and expand health care," he said. "That's unacceptable. Right now, 73 percent of the counties only have one provider. It's too expensive. The premiums are too high. The deductibles are too high."

He plans to hold another listening session next Saturday in New Port Richey.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

4. They wasted their time. He will screw them over. He's a Republican. It's what they do.

[Wounded Bear]

5. I suspect there are a lot of blue votes out there in red districts...

Assuming we get to have an election in 2018, I could see 30-40 districts flipped. Overall, the current movement looks like it's time to stop the constant drift to the far right and have a hard turn to the left.

I'm hopeful. This foo-fer-raw over ACA is grist for the mill. One of the strategies of it all was to get it out there and see if the Repubs had the stones to actually repeal it. Nice to see them getting some backlash over it.

[UTUSN]

6. R#12 & K n/t