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Democratic U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan, who has come under fire for not holding any town hall meetings during the congressional recess, said Friday she's been “meeting with people all over North Carolina.”
“I've met with physicians, I've met with constituents, I've met in small group settings and I've heard a range of opinions,” she said after touring a Charlotte company that manufactures solar panels.
Some critics have accused her of dodging constituents on the health care issue. Some other members of Congress, including her GOP counterpart, Sen. Richard Burr, have held town halls specifically on health care or on other issues.
Hundreds flocked to three such meetings this week hosted by Republican Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte. She took questions for more than four hours at each of them.
Hagan prefers smaller gatherings.
“We can actually have discussions and answer their questions in small groups,” she said.
The freshman senator from Greensboro said she expects Congress to pass a health care bill that stabilizes costs, expands access to care, covers pre-existing conditions and is “deficit neutral.”
She said some form of reform is necessary.
“The way we're going right now is not sustainable,” she said.
