[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Pages 21309-21310]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      COFFEE WITH THE CONGRESSMAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Neugebauer) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NEUGEBAUER. Mr. Speaker, like many Members in the House, I spent 
a good part of August visiting with those who sent me here to 
Washington to represent them. I held seven ``Coffee with the 
Congressman'' meetings in all parts of the 19th Congressional District, 
and I was amazed at the tremendous amount of turnout.
  Those who came to these meetings were upset about the direction that 
the government is taking their country. They want their voices to be 
heard in Washington. I told them I would bring their messages back to 
Congress with me, and hundreds of those attending our meetings filled 
out these message forms. As I said, I would like to read these comments 
on the House floor so that everyone in Congress will know how they 
feel. The people of the 19th Congressional District, and I think people 
all across America, share these same thoughts. So, for the next 5 
minutes, you're going to hear from the people who came to the August 24 
townhall meeting in Abilene, Texas, in their own words.
  David from Abilene, Texas wrote these comments:
  ``My message to Washington is fix Social Security, Medicare, 
Medicaid, VA, and welfare first. When they have a good working system 
in place, then we can talk about taking on health care.''
  Claude from Tuscola, Texas had these comments:
  ``In my business, I have 19 employees, and I have reasonable health 
care coverage for all my employees, and I furnish this at no cost to my 
employees.

[[Page 21310]]

Two of my employees cover their families at their expense. It is a very 
good policy.''
  Jerry from Abilene said, ``I'm a 75-year old male, married 52 years 
with 6 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. This is all about the 
enormous debt I will be leaving for them. Please quit the spending, and 
look for ways to cut costs and improve our current system.''
  Charles from Abilene said, ``You can't borrow your way out of debt. 
When you find yourself in a hole, stop digging. Whatever happened to 
common sense? Stop the cap-and-trade bill. It will raise taxes on all 
and not affect the global climate. Drill for oil in Alaska and our 
coastal waters, where there are proven reserves. If the health care 
bill is good enough for the taxpayers, it should be used by the 
President, Congress and the unions.''
  Charleye from Abilene said, ``I do not want the government to control 
our health care. Please do not pass the proposed health care reform. 
Government spending is out of control. Please put a cap on spending in 
all areas. Not more bailouts--for anybody. Please listen, and stop 
spending our money now.''
  Bill from Abilene asked this question:
  ``Should this health care bill get passed, will all of the national 
politicians have to get on it too, or will you still keep your 
individual health insurance you have now?''
  Trudy from Abilene said, ``Please stand against all bills that are 
not read and debated. `No' to government health care.''
  Tom from Abilene said, ``You must do everything possible to prevent 
publicly funded abortions in the health care bill.''
  Maria from Merkel, Texas said, ``People fail to see I am paying for 
this. Somebody has to. I'm tired of paying taxes toward things that 
people don't want to work for.''
  Lucile from Abilene says, ``I do not want government control of my 
health care. This excess spending is ruining the U.S. Please be serious 
about your country and its citizens.''
  Grace from Abilene said, ``No new taxes. We need insurance reform, 
not health care reform. The government bankrupted Medicare, not the 
recipients. No more bailouts. When did we start bailing out people that 
lived beyond their means in their high-priced homes?''

                              {time}  1315

  Mike from Abilene: ``I am a 27-year retired Air Force veteran. I am 
concerned about TRICARE for life and the loss of benefits under the new 
health care bill.''
  Amy from Abilene: ``Please save citizens of the U.S. from paying for 
abortions or any encouraging of such, from any funding directly or 
indirectly of euthanasia.''
  Caryn from Abilene: ``Leave our health care alone and cut our 
taxes.''
  Ruth from Cisco: ``Please continue to stand for truth and freedom in 
Washington. The health care bill is not about more health care, but 
less--rationing.''
  Hal from Abilene: ``I am not against sensible reform. I am against 
government control of our economy and health care. In short, stay 
within the confines of the Constitution and out of our lives.''
  Marion and Mary from Abilene: ``Stop the runaway spending like cap-
and-trade. Fix our present health care system. Support our vets, old 
and new.''
  Emily from Abilene: ``I don't think most Congressmen realize or 
understand the true feelings of the American people. We used to have 
real regard for our leaders.''
  Jerry and Camille from Ranger, Texas: ``Stop the bailouts. Stop the 
outrageous spending and get back to following the Constitution. Read 
all the bills before signing. I was in the front row and I had never 
been to a town hall meeting before.''
  Kay from Abilene: ``I oppose cap-and-trade which will dramatically 
reduce our standard of living and is absolutely unnecessary.''
  J.M. from Abilene: ``Government has to stop spending and pay our way 
out of debt.''
  This is just a small fraction, Mr. Speaker, of how the American 
people feel.
  Libby from Abilene: ``While we have Medicaid for people, it is 
impossible to find a doctor who will take new Medicaid patients in 
Abilene.''
  Mike from Abilene: ``Do not pass health care reform that reduces 
Medicare benefits or makes access to doctors more difficult.''
  Betty from Abilene: ``Read the bills before you sign them.''
  Robert and Essie Mae from Abilene: ``Stop the spending!''
  Debra from Abilene: ``What are the pros and cons to mandatory health 
care as with auto insurance, seat belt laws and smoking bans?''
  Edna from Jayton: ``First, we should reduce government.''
  Maetta from Abilene: ``How about our representatives and senators 
sharing in the same health plan that they provide for the rest of us?''

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