'Reform' is Wyden's town hall theme

By HANNAH HOFFMAN

Of the News-Register

Health care reform was the hot button issue for the 350 attendees at a Friday town hall meeting held by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden at Newberg High School.

The event was the 533rd town hall Oregon senior Democratic senator has held in Oregon since his first election to the post in 1995.

People interested in offering comments or posing questions were selected by lottery. Health care - and to a lesser extent, immigration - drew the most interest from those whose numbers were pulled.

Last month, Wyden was one of 60 senators to support a bill that would overhaul the U.S. health care system.

A champion of health care during his entire congressional career, he submitted his own reform prescription, which remains posted on his website. However, he jumped to the majority bill when his didn't garner enough support.

"That legislation is real change," he said of his own bill. "It steps on the toes of a lot of people."

He said it includes tort reform as well as insurance and pharmaceutical reform - something that's omitted from the House and Senate versions now being hashed out in conference committee.

Audience members expressed concern that the new bill would cut funding for Medicare and require people to purchase coverage by law.

Wyden said Medicare benefits would not be cut. And he said he succeeded in inserting a provision that increase Medicare reimbursement for doctors in Oregon - long a major sticking point, as Oregon's reimbursement rates are among the lowest in the nation.

Illegal immigration was also a frequent topic of questions. Wyden took the opportunity to outline his stance on immigration reform, but also steered the conversation back to health care reform whenever he got the chance.

Asked if he would support denial of citizenship to children born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants, Wyden turned back to health care to draw the distinction making his point.

Illegal immigrants would not be eligible for benefits under health care bill just passed by the Senate, he said, but their children would because they were innocent parties with no control over the situation. He said that reflected his line of thought.

Reform was Wyden's theme of the night.

He touched on health care reform, immigration reform and even tax reform. And he had detailed proposals to offer in all three areas.

The only thing he didn't seem to think needed reforming was his audience. "I don't think there's been a bad question in the house," he said in conclusion.