Frelinghuysen defends Senate health care bill in telephone 'town hall'

Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen, criticized for not holding meetings with his constituents in person, held his fifth telephone "town hall" on Tuesday

MORRISTOWN -- U.S. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen's latest telephone 'town hall' stuck to familiar themes Tuesday as he again defended his vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The first caller, identified as Sherry from Morris Plains, asked Frelinghuysen why he voted for a bill that "you yourself said is not good" -- a reference to his prior statement that the legislation would be improved "significantly in the Senate."

"I think we're going to make progress. We want to see what the Senate comes up with," Frelinghuysen said.

Earlier, Frelinghuysen reiterated his view that the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is failing.

"We made a commitment to health care reform," Frelinghuysen said.

"It obviously hasn't been easy. It certainly hasn't been a popular decision," Frelinghuysen said.

Caller, Christine from Stanhope, told Frelinghuysen she is a Democrat and has voted for him but is troubled by "your take on the whole health care thing."

Frelinghuysen said he remains optimistic about the Senate bill and its ability to help more people with limited resources.

"I am hopeful that the Senate package, if we ever see it, will do more to meet the needs of people on Medicaid," Frelinghuysen said.

Frelinghuysen was not asked about President Donald Trump's recent description of the House bill -- which narrowly passed in May with Frelinghuysen's support -- as "mean."

Nor was he asked about the estimate, from the Congressional Budget Office on Monday, that the Senate bill would result in an additional 22 million Americans losing their health coverage by 2026.

Fallout from that estimate prompted the Senate Republican leadership, on Tuesday, to delay any vote until after the July 4th holiday.

Most of the questions during the 61-minute session focused on topics unrelated to the current health care debate on Capitol Hill, ranging from improper use of handicapped parking spaces to a U.S. Labor Department rule affecting financial advisers.

The second to last of about 16 questions on Tuesday was from Steve in Wayne, who said he has "learned a lot" from Frelinghuysen's telephone town halls and asked for his thoughts on the partisan divide among Americans. 

Frelinghuysen, in response, said, "I think we are in a time of heightened anxiety."

He then referenced Trump's opponents, stating that they "want to reverse" the outcome of the election.

"They're unhappy about a lot of things the president has said, his choice of words. I believe in free speech, but really there's an absence of civil discourse," Frelinghuysen said.

He added that those on the "hard conservative right" were contributing to the division.

On one point, Frelinghuysen drew a clear distinction between himself and Trump.

"There is no doubt that Russia meddled in our election," he said.

The 12-term congressman has been criticized for not holding in-person town halls. This is the fifth session he's held with his constituents by telephone.