Rep. Holt Holds His Last Town Hall Meeting In Municipal Building

In what will probably be his last town hall meeting as a U.S. Congressman, Rep. Rush Holt (D-12) spoke to township residents July 12 about topics ranging from infrastructure to immigration to the Affordable Health Care Act.

Holt, who is not seeking re-election in November after eight terms in the House, told the more than 150 residents in attendance that he is still working for them.

“I need to hear from you,” he said.

Among the topics Holt touched on:

Manufacturing in the U.S.: Holt said there are a number of proposed bills in the House to encourage manufacturing in this country but, he said, “they are pretty much stalled.”

The Affordable Care Act: Holt said the program is working “a  lot better than people realize.”

“It’s putting  laid on the increasing costs of medical care, which is one of the greatest needs.”

The so-called “Hobby Lobby Decision,” in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that retain closely held corporations could decide to not offer coverage of some contraceptives in their health care offerings, is a “slippery decision” which “is not in the public interest.”

Immigration: Holt said more immigrants should be allowed in the country, and that laws dealing with human trafficking need to be changed to help the thousands of unaccompanied children in some border towns be placed in foster homes.

Small business growth: Holt said the country “still is not operating on all cylinders” economically, and that the federal government should do what it can to help.

Current state of Congress: “What we have now is a kind of denial of government, which is very frustrating for someone like me who believes that through government we can make things better,” Holt said. “Right now the House of Representatives is run with a mentality that government can’t do anything right and shouldn’t try. That’s why we can’t get started.”

After the session, Holt said that although this will probably be his last town meeting, it’s “surely not” the last time he will visit Franklin.

 

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