Congressman Scott Talks Healthcare, Farm Bill at Town Hall Meeting

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Residents from all around middle Georgia met with U.S. Representative Austin Scott to talk about concerns they have in the nation’s capitol during a town hall meeting on Monday.

Gridlock in Washington has left local business owners like Bob Schumacher, frustrated.

He hasn’t had health insurance for some time, and has tried multiple times to use the scrutinized healthcare.gov website and hasn’t had any luck, until now.

“I was able to get insurance plan and with the tax credit, it’s going to be about half of the price that it was going to be two and a half years ago,” Schumacher said.

U.S. Congressman Austin Scott talked about Obamacare, the Farm Bill, and the recently passed budget for 2014 at his town hall meeting.

“It’s better that we have a budget than not have a budget, and while it’s not perfect, I think it sets up a path for an appropriations process that helps get this country back on track,” Scott said.

Residents submitted questions ranging from Defense BRAC, to the incident in Benghazi, where a U.S. Ambassador was killed.

“It gives us the citizens, a time to meet with him and to have an opportunity to talk to him about the concerns that we have in the community,” Bill Barnham, a concerned resident, said.

Concerns including what will happen next to the healthcare bill.

Scott isn’t satisfied with its current state.

“So the idea that they can spend half a billion dollars and have a system that quite honestly, the private sector had already been able to put together is beyond me, it just shows the waste in government and the fact that government is not efficient,” Scott said.

But for Schumacher, he’s remained hopeful and says he had to let Scott know.

“They’ve definitely got the website up and running now, and so you can get online and see if there is something out there that works for you,” Schumacher said.

Scott says it’s unlikely anything will change with the affordable care act bill while the current presidential administration is in office.

About the Farm Bill, Scott is hopeful there can be an agreement when Congress meets up again in January.