BY CHELYEN DAVIS
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-1st District, will hold a public town hall meeting in Fredericksburg on Sept. 1.
The meeting will be held at the Univeristy of Mary Washington's Fredericksburg campus, in Dodd Auditorium from 6 to 8 p.m.
Wittman is also holding a town hall meeting the night before in Newport News.
The meetings will focus on the controversial proposals to revamp health care, although Wittman spokesman Steve Stampley said the congressman would take questions on other topics. Stampley said a format for the meeting has not yet been established.
Wittman's Web site has a list of "principles on health care reform" that include a promise to "protect Americans from being forced into a new government-run health care plan that would:
"Eliminate the health coverage that more than 100 million Americans currently receive through their job;
"Limit choice of doctors and medical treatment options;
"Result in the federal government taking control of health care."
The list also says Wittman supports making health care affordable and accessible for everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions; promoting prevention; enacting medical liability reforms; and providing tax incentives for individuals to buy insurance.
The full list is at wittman .house.gov.
Rep. Eric Cantor, R-7th District, has not scheduled any in-person town hall meetings on health care, but his office said he plans to hold several telephone town hall meetings in the fall, including one in September.
Sen. Mark Warner may have public meetings on health care reform soon. Spokesman Riki Parikh said Warner's staff is "organizing a number of events over the next several weeks to give Senator Warner a chance to hear from constituents on health care. Our goal is to offer Virginians a variety of opportunities and avenues to express their views."
Parikh said Warner plans to schedule traditional town hall meetings in September "once the Senate is actually considering a health reform bill."
Parikh said Warner has received more than 60,000 phone calls, letters and e-mails on health care, and that more than 4,500 people participated in a telephone town hall meeting in July. Warner also takes questions on his Web site and has provided some video responses.
Sen. Jim Webb's office said his staff is "looking at opportunities to discuss health care reform with Virginians" when the senator returns from a trip to Asia.
Chelyen Davis: 540/368-5028
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com