Congressman Jeff Denham set to appear at town hall in Turlock

Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, will appear at a town hall meeting in Turlock next month. By that time, Congress may have sealed the fate of the Affordable Care Act or could be continuing with a national conversation about health care.

Denham’s office said the April 17 event is an open forum for constituents of the 10th Congressional District. The event will be held in coordination with state Assemblyman Heath Flora, R-Ripon, Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa and Turlock Mayor Gary Soiseth, who can answer questions from the public about state and local issues.

Denham has not stated a clear position on House Speaker Paul Ryan’s plan to repeal former President Barack Obama’s health-care law and replace it with refundable tax credits to help people buy insurance. The Republican bill would end a federal mandate requiring people to have health insurance.

According to a Congressional Budget Office analysis, the Republican plan would increase the number of uninsured Americans by 24 million in 10 years, but federal deficits would be reduced by $337 billion over a decade.

Proponents of the ACA have pressured Denham to hold a town hall on health care and break with Republican leaders who have vowed to repeal Obamacare.

“We are encouraged by Congressman Denham responding to the thousands of advocates who have been pressing him on this issue,” said Tim Robertson, executive director of the North Valley Labor Federation. “I think there is going to be great interest in attending the town hall, regardless of whether a vote on the bill has occurred or not.”

For a number of years, the government-night forums have been held in Turlock, allowing residents to interact with federal, state and local elected officials. The Larsa Banquet Hall was chosen for the forum because of its larger capacity accommodating up to 700 people.

Chiesa usually moderates the government-night events. “Hopefully, it will be a great dialogue and a civil dialogue,” Chiesa said Wednesday. “I am sure there is going to be a lot of questions about (health care.) Usually, the interest is more the state and federal level than the local level.”

A news release Wednesday from Denham’s office said people attending the town hall should be prepared to show proof they live in the congressional district. The district boundaries include Stanislaus County and the southern portion of San Joaquin County, including Escalon, Ripon and Manteca.

“Non-residents will be admitted if space allows,” the announcement says.

Jessica McFaul, communications director for Denham, said the congressman wants to hear what concerns and opinions are on the hearts and minds of constituents. People from outside the district may attend, but “we don’t want our constituents to be left out because folks from outside the district took their place,” McFaul said.

In addition to health-care issues, Denham expects to field some questions about immigration.

An estimated 25,500 residents in Denham's 10th Congressional District have insurance through the Affordable Care Act, and more than 90 percent have used subsidies that make the coverage more affordable. About 135,000 residents in Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties were added to the Medi-Cal program after the ACA expanded eligibility.

The town hall is set for 6 p.m. April 17 at the Larsa Banquet Hall, 2107 E. Monte Vista Ave., near Turlock.

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 7:12 PM with the headline "Congressman Jeff Denham set to appear at town hall in Turlock."