Barr ignores health-care message
As many members of Congress hold town hall meetings across the nation, Rep. Andy Barr’s meetings are of a different character. Occasionally, he hosts a Coffee with the Congressman that is poorly advertised, a thinly veiled attempt to lower the number of constituent attendees.
Meeting with constituents is an important piece of the political process — not for us to hear from our elected officials (they have many ways to communicate), but for them to hear from us. I attended one of Barr’s coffees and found him to be startlingly unwilling to hear what people had to say.
In a recent speech about health care on the House floor, the text of which is on Barr’s website, his closing words were: “I hope all Americans will take this opportunity to learn more about this bill and offer their feedback. Mr. Speaker, we tried to put Washington in charge of your health care. Now it’s time to put patients, their doctors and their families in charge.”
We are attempting to offer our feedback, and the overwhelming message is that the patients, doctors, and families of Kentucky want access and affordability, which the proposed health care act will remove for so many.
Listening is the least Barr can do.
Melissa Bane Sevier
Versailles
This story was originally published May 24, 2017 at 7:25 PM with the headline "Barr ignores health-care message."