Less than a week after casting votes on a historic health care bill, members of Congress are sweeping through their districts to rally constituents on the proposed overhaul of the country's health care system.
Rep. Dan Lungren, R-Gold River, will host a town hall today in Carmichael.
Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Elk Grove, will host his own forum Saturday in Lincoln.
Both House Republicans voted against the $1.3 trillion health care measure, authored by Democrats, which narrowly passed on a 220-215 vote. The House legislation would extend health insurance coverage to nearly every American, and establish a government-run health plan to provide coverage to many of the country's 46 million uninsured.
The Senate is still debating its version.
Lungren's town hall will be held at La Sierra Community Center, 5325 Engle Road, Suite 100, in Carmichael. It runs from 7-8:30 p.m.
McClintock will convene his forum at 10 a.m. at the Sun City Orchard Creek Lodge, 965 Orchard Creek Lane, in Lincoln.
Rep. Doris Matsui, who voted for the health care bill, will make an appearance at California State University, Sacramento, on Friday at 10 a.m. at the Alumni Center. She's expected to speak on a host of issues on her legislative agenda, including health care, said her spokeswoman, Mara Lee. The event is open to the public.
While the town halls being hosted by Lungren and McClintock aren't necessarily being billed as forums specifically on health care, the subject could become a central focus of the Lungren gathering, according to the congressman's spokesman, Brian Kaveney.
Bill George, a McClintock spokesman, said the Lincoln forum will be open to any topic, "but health care is likely to be a hot topic."
The health care debate has been fierce in Congress and across the country.
"The volume of calls was pretty heavy," Kaveney said.
Over the summer, Americans of all political stripes packed town halls across the country. Lungren and McClintock had standing-room-only crowds at a series of town halls that drew thousands of constituents who engaged in sometimes heated discussion.
Call The Bee's Bobby Caina Calvan, (916) 321-1067.
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