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Health Care Town Hall Meeting Held In Ambridge

Rep. Jason Altmire Says House Was Ready To Vote On Bill In July

POSTED: 6:16 pm EDT October 17, 2009

The health care debate in Washington arrived closer to home Saturday.

Rep. Jason Altmire met Saturday with dozens of constituents in Beaver County at a town hall meeting in Ambridge, where local residents had the opportunity to get their questions answered concerning what changes lawmakers will make to the health care system.

Altmire said the House was set to vote on a health care reform bill in July.

"Several fiscal conservatives, myself included, said, 'No, let's slow this thing down. This is too important a bill. This is too important an issue to do this without having time to read the bill, and without having time to go back into our districts in the month of August all around the country and have meetings,' just like this one," Altmire said.

Altmire said the latest House bill doesn't do enough to contain health care costs and doesn't help small businesses afford it because it includes a payroll tax.