It was a full house for a congressional town hall event as U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, took questions from a lively crowd.
Like many town halls that have taken place across the country in recent weeks since President Donald Trump's inauguration, this one Saturday, Feb. 25, was filled with a passionate crowd demanding answers from Huizenga on topics from education to immigration. It ran for at least four hours -- much longer than an average meeting.
No topic garnered more reaction from the crowd than those concerning the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare.
Huizenga gives that while there are things worth keeping, such as preexisting conditions and lifetime caps, he intends to work toward a solution to repeal the existing law.
Such drew a "booing" reaction from the crowd.
"It just has to be a system where those of us who consume health care as patients have more understanding of the true costs, have more input as what the decisions are and, frankly, that we have some skin in the game with our healthcare decisions," said Huizenga following the meeting.
This meeting was Huizenga's first in-person town hall event, following a telephone hall earlier in the month. Some people at the time were upset that they could not connect.
Republican U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Cascade Township, who represents Michigan's third congressional district, hosted a town hall Saturday in Hastings.
Huizenga says additional town hall meetings are planned for other locations across the second district, which includes but is not limited to Muskegon, Grand Haven, Walker, Newaygo and Ludington.