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ROCK HILL A hostile crowd greeted U.S. Rep. John Spratt in his home county Thursday night, filling a 700-seat hall to voice anger over far more than health-care reform.
Many in the Rock Hill audience lashed out at illegal immigration, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a federal government they say no longer deserves the trust of Americans.
Outside, an overflow crowd of 200 listened on portable speakers.
The loudest applause inside a packed Baxter Hood Center might have come when a Fort Mill man denounced Pelosi for one criticism of opponents of Democratic reform efforts.
“One of the things that really made me angry is being called a brown shirt,” said Larry Magnuson. “I would really like to see Nancy Pelosi talk to me personally and I'd give her a piece of my mind as to what an American is.”
The boos and groans made for a far different atmosphere than a town hall one day earlier in Sumter, S.C., when many questioners began by thanking the 66-year-old York Democrat for his service.
Bill Butts of Catawba used his two minutes of public speaking time to describe what he called the “reverse Midas touch – whatever the government touches, it mostly turns to crap.”
“Do not tell me that illegal alien invaders do not get health care free in America,” Butts added. “I see it every day.”
Existing federal law bars illegal aliens from free medical care except in emergencies, Spratt replied.
Responding to other questions, Spratt sought to make clear he favors slowing down to search for bipartisan compromises on health care changes. Spratt said he also wants to push for tort reform to limit malpractice damages – even if a separate bill is necessary.
Any health-care overhaul bill must avoid adding to the federal deficit, he said, a goal that drew groans of disbelief from the Rock Hill audience.
Spratt said he is open to a so-called public option, but now doubts it has enough votes to pass.
“My mind is not made up,” Spratt said. “I'm committed to getting something done in this Congress. But as I said earlier, I think we should move with all deliberate speed.”
Pressed on whether he would follow his party or vote the will of constituents on health care reform, Spratt said it's possible for the two to converge.
“A major factor in how I vote will be how my constituents are stacked up on it,” he said.
Jo Maddox, among the few speakers to voice support for Spratt, said the crowd didn't fully represent his constituency.
“The working people were at work,” she said afterward of the crowd at the 5 p.m. meeting. “The working poor couldn't take a day off. “… There were a lot of folks in there with white hair. It was a skewed audience.”
