LIMA, Ohio 鈥� Speaking over constituents鈥� often-hostile shouts and angry murmurs, one of Congress鈥� most conservative Republicans told a tense town hall meeting here Monday that less government regulation 鈥斅爊ot more 鈥斅爄s the solution to their rising health care premiums.
鈥淲hat we want to do is make sure we have the best health care system in the world and bring back affordable insurance plain and simple. That鈥檚 what I鈥檓 trying to do. That鈥檚 what we continue to focus on,鈥� said Rep. Jim Jordan, the co-founder of the House鈥檚 conservative Freedom Caucus. Its firm opposition to the GOP鈥檚 plan to replace the Affordable Care Act forced party leaders last month to yank their bill from a vote on the House floor.
But on the eve of Congress鈥� return to Washington after a two-week Easter recess, Jordan offered no clues聽to his party鈥檚 next move on a health care bill or the prospects for a government shutdown if Congress fails to agree before the Friday deadline on a bill to provide short-term funding to keep it operating.
More than 200 people attended the Ohio congressman鈥檚 2 1/2-hour meeting, mostly pummeling him with questions and personal stories about their health care. Jordan heard from constituents with sick children, veterans who couldn鈥檛 access Veterans Affairs鈥� care and nervous families who feared what could happen to them if federal Medicaid funding is cut, among others.
Seated on black folding chairs in a windowless hall of the Lima Veterans Civic Center, many in the audience followed a practice that鈥檚 been common this year at congressional members鈥� town hall meetings 鈥斅爃olding up red signs when they disagreed with Jordan and, less frequently, green signs when they agreed. Jordan, unruffled by opposition, drew laughs once when he referred to a woman in the crowd as 鈥済entlelady,鈥� in the formal way that male members of Congress sometimes address female members when the House is in session.
Tobias Buckell told the congressman the ACA鈥檚 mandate that insurers cover preexisting conditions had made it possible for both his wife, Emily, and him to have careers as freelancers 鈥斅爃e as a science fiction writer and Emily as an e-book designer. Buckell, the father of twin 8-year-old daughters, told Jordan the only way he could risk that career choice was because he was able to buy insurance through the law鈥檚 exchanges. He has a genetic heart condition that he said had made him virtually uninsurable before.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be moved to a high risk pool, we鈥檒l pay three times as much our current rate 鈥� how will that help me?鈥� asked Buckell, 38.
Though the most vocal members of the crowd were largely in disagreement with Jordan鈥檚 views, a quiet minority in the front of the room shook their heads and waved green signs in agreement when the congressman responded to a question by saying he did not believe health care is a universal right.
(Rachel Bluth/KHN)
鈥淚 do not believe health care is a right. Rights are not given to us by the government, rights come from God, although Jim acknowledged that the American people have come to accept it as a right,鈥� said Linda Gentry, a 66-year old constituent who works for an insurance company.
Of the 17 questions Jordan was asked, 13 related to health care. Lisa Robeson, the event鈥檚 moderator, estimated that around half of the 45 questions submitted in advance focused on the topic.
Jordan鈥檚 comments on the federal government鈥檚 role in solving the opioid crisis brought what might have been his audience鈥檚 most negative reaction of the night.
Ohio has been especially hard hit in recent years. It in opioid overdose deaths in 2015, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, while Dayton, just an hour and a half south of Lima, topped a criminal justice group鈥檚 of America鈥檚 most drugged-out cities last year.
鈥淚鈥檓 not convinced the federal government giving more money will solve the problem,鈥� Jordan said. Instead of a 鈥済rand scheme鈥� handed down from Washington, he suggested churches, schools and families are best equipped to handle the opioid epidemic 鈥� a remark that raised a sea of red signs across the room.
闯辞谤诲补苍鈥檚听4th聽District touches the northern part of the state near Lake Erie, and includes rural areas and suburbs of Columbus, the state capitol. He has been the district鈥檚 congressman since 2007 and he has little reason to be alarmed by contentious town halls. Jordan was reelected last November with more than 68 percent of the vote.
By the end of Monday鈥檚 town hall, some of Jordan鈥檚 constituents were divided on whether they鈥檇 heard what they came to find out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 clear to me that there is sort of a vague idea what the Republican replacement would be, and I don鈥檛 think we got a statement about that,鈥� said Robert Kemp, 62, a health care economist that also rose to speak in favor of universal health care.
Barbara Mayer, 81, a retired teacher, didn鈥檛 mind the lack of specificity. She said it was unfair for people to demand comment on a measure that hasn鈥檛 been finalized yet.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e quoting things about what Trump鈥檚 bringing out and it isn鈥檛 even public yet,鈥� Mayer said. 鈥淧eople aren鈥檛 giving the new Congress a fair trial.鈥�