Harris faces criticism for not holding an in-person meeting on Obamacare
Harris, an anesthesiologist who made opposition to the health care law a central component of his 2010 campaign for
The
Harris has used telephone town halls for years, so his comments did not indicate a change in approach.
"We just finished an election and I was all over the district during the election," Harris told
Supporters of the Affordable Care Act said they see things differently.
The
"With the clear push to repeal the ACA, it's on the forefront of everybody's mind at the moment," Jackson said. "Everybody's just sort of nervous about what's happening next and wants to feel that they're in touch with their representatives in
Asked about Harris' contention that such groups are funded by outside interests, Jackson said: "There are no funds at all."
Telephone town halls allow lawmakers to choose their questioners to ensure they receive friendly questions. In past telephone meetings conducted by Harris that have been observed by
Still, Jackson said, even if Harris takes questions from critics on the call, it's not the same as talking to their congressman face-to-face.
"To me, a tele-town hall is not a town hall," she said. "The fundamental point of a town hall is to get face time with your constituents -- to understand that there's a human behind this.
"A tele-town hall is dehumanizing."
A Harris aide said the congressman has held more than 60 in-person town halls since his election in 2010, and dozens more by telephone.
Elsewhere in the country, crowds of angry constituents have confronted Republican Reps.
They have pressed the lawmakers to describe their plans for replacing the health law, and how they will deal with millions of people who benefit from it.
Harris said he would meet with constituents when he can hear feedback on a proposal.
"When the replacement plan comes out -- unlike in 2010, when there was no discussion nationally -- I'm going to go around the district and hold live town hall meetings and discuss the replacement plan," Harris said.
There was significant consternation at town halls during the summer before the Affordable Care Act was passed by
Those confrontations, some of which were broadcast on national television, were part of the reason lawmakers switched to telephone town halls in the first place.
At the time, many
Harris noted those exchanges took place before
Some of those popular provisions -- such as eliminating annual and lifetime caps on coverage, and allowing people with pre-existing conditions to buy into health insurance -- are dependent on less well-liked components, such as requiring that everyone in the nation buy some sort of plan or face a tax penalty.
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