At town hall, Rep. Bobby Scott fields questions from boisterous constituents

Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

April 19--CHESAPEAKE -- U.S. Rep. Bobby Scott faced an energetic but polite crowd at a town hall forum Tuesday night that wanted him to explain what he will do about everything from health care to congressional term limits to war overseas.

The 90-minute session at the Indian River Community Center attracted more than 300 people who mostly expressed support for the Newport News Democrat but urged him and Congress to do more to address their concerns.

Peggy Riddick, a married Chesapeake woman with two children, told Scott the Affordable Care Act may have helped some people but it hurt her family.

"Not all boats are being equally lifted," Riddick said, noting she and many others have higher deductibles than before the law was passed. "We don't have health insurance until we reach the $3,000 deductible. ... Why am I paying so much more?"

Scott acknowledged the law "didn't cure that."

Scott, who has long favored a single-payer or so-called Medicare-for-all system, said the health care law wasn't able to address all the problems. But it did slow the increase in health care costs to the lowest rate in 50 years, he said.

"I think the high deductible ought to be illegal," he said.

Philip Kessler of Virginia Beach said that even though Scott and other Democrats are in the minority, they need to to present their own specific plan to improve the health care law, rather than criticize the Republican majority's efforts to abolish and replace it.

"Do the Democrats have a plan?" Kessler asked. "Is there something in the works?"

Scott said his party's leaders have told Republicans that they want to improve the law but won't agree to compromises that weaken or remove coverage from millions now using Obamacare.

With the GOP in control, no Democratic plan ever gets a House vote, he said. "The first order of business is to defend what we've got so we don't go backwards."

Perhaps the most testy exchange was with Scott Horn of Portsmouth. He asked Scott whether he supports a constitutional amendment creating term limits for members of Congress. The crowd applauded Horn when he noted that limits would create "an ever changing House and Senate" rather than career politicians.

Scott, who was first elected in 1992 and doesn't agree with term limits, replied, "Actually, we're elected for one term. And every two years the voters get to throw me out or re-elect me as they see fit. ... You ask me what I'm doing to promote that. Nothing."

Jake Jacklich, a retired Navy lieutenant commander from Norfolk, told Scott he was particularly concerned with President Donald Trump's military actions in Syria and escalating tensions with North Korea.

"It's unclear if these are direct threats against us," Jacklich said. "It almost seems like these actions that the president is taking are trying to solve his political problems."

He asked whether Scott would pledge not to support such military actions.

"I can't make a commitment on things we don't know about yet," Scott said.

He supports using diplomatic pressure -- possibly with China's help -- on North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un to back off testing of missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

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