http://www.columbian.com/news/2011/may/16/herrera-beutler-town-hall-if-im-offered-the-option/
Crowd pulls few punches at Herrera Beutler town hall
Congresswoman faces protesters, some boos amid mostly partisans
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler faced a boisterous, partisan crowd Tuesday evening at her first Vancouver town hall, where she fielded sometimes hostile questions about her vote to restructure Medicare and her reluctance to support raising the federal debt limit.
The Camas Republican had her supporters too, who applauded her vow to continue fighting to cut federal spending. She drew both boos and applause when she said, “If I’m offered the option to raise the debt limit with no strings attached, I would vote no.”
The chance to question the congresswoman was decided by lottery.
When it came time for questions, a Vancouver man who identified himself as Scott won a standing ovation when he said, ”We didn’t have a deficit in 2000, but since then we’ve had two wars and tax cuts. If we end the wars and roll back the tax cuts,” that would solve the nation’s budget crisis, he said.
Herrera Beutler did not directly address why she has supported making the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy permanent. But she said she does favor taking a hard look at military spending and supports ending subsidies for big corporations like Exxon and BP.
The congresswoman was asked why she uses the term “Obamacare” instead of “affordable health care for more people,” and why those who criticize the federal health reform bill don’t offer alternatives.
Herrera Beutler agreed that Republicans need to come up with their own solutions to the health care mess.
- -
| 