IN A TOWN HALL MEETING last week in Fairfield, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton answered questions about health care reform, the federal deficit and financial reform, among other matters. Reiterating his opposition to federal health care legislation, and suggesting across-the-board budget cuts, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton played to an approving crowd last week at the Freestone county courthouse.

Barton met with more than 50 Freestone county area residents Thursday afternoon, making opening remarks then opening the session to questions.

The visit was billed as “America Speaking Out,” listening tour of his congressional district.

Tackling the growing federal budget deficit, Barton noted a chart on handout that shows the federal deficit is not expected to be less than $800 billion for 10 years, based on current revenue and expenses.

“That’s not sustainable. That’s not going to work,” he declares. “You can’t spend yourself out of a deficit.”

Choices to reduce budget deficits boil down to cutting expenses, or raising taxes.

“I don’t think raising taxes is going to work,” Barton says.

The congressman has introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for a percentage cut in spending each year until the federal budget is balanced.

He suggests a two percent across-the-board spending cut, excepting earned benefit programs such as federal and military pensions.

“There is not enough money to give everybody all that they want out of the budget,” he says.

His bill would require a 60 percent majority vote in Congress to override any spending that violated the mandated budget cuts.

Presenting a schematic of the federal health care plan featuring a maze of lines and geometric figures, Barton zeroed in on a single portion of the plan as an example he considers unworkable.

Under policy to require businesses with more than 50 employees to provide health insurance, Barton points out that those businesses have a choice of funding insurance themselves, or opting out for a public option program as a lesser cost.

He says the cost of the coverage would remain the same, but that the government would make up the difference between what a business would pay privately and what a business would pay to put its employees in the public plan.

That difference will be several thousands of dollars per employee picked up by taxpayers.

“That’s a bad deal,” the congressman declares.

Barton also contends that the federal health care plan as approved by Congress is not as good as the present system for privately funded health care, and he predicts supporters of the federal plan will be punished at the polls this fall.

He does, however, support a provision of the legislation requiring insurance to offer coverage for preexisting medical conditions, but wants insurance companies to be allowed to establish high risk pools to cover pre-existing conditions.

The congressman says he will continue working to repeal, or substantially modify, health reform. If that doesn’t produce results, he suggests that funding could be denied in Congress.

He predicts that politicians who supported healthcare reform may face hard re-election contests this year—-100-200 seats are being seriously contested.

Asked if healthcare reform legislation is unconstitutional, the congressmen offers that the federal goverment can regulate interstate commerce, but there is an argument as to whether an individual can be considered interstate commerce by the simple act of “being.”

In response to a question about whether the U.S. is broke, Barton says the government is not broke but is spending the “birthrights” of future generations.

When asked if he believes the Federal Reserve Bank should be returned to federal control, the congressman says that it is technically under federal control, but that he would support an audit to make the institution more accountable.

Barton says he would include foreign aid in his proposed across-the-board budget cuts and may consider discontinuing aid to some countries.

“We’ve rebuilt the world since World War II. We don’t need to continue,” he says.

The congressman does not believe the administration of President Barack Obama is spending the country into failure so that it can be reformed along unspecified lines, pointing out the president does have the right to set the agenda for the country.

However, Barton says, if voters do not like the agenda they have a right to select new leaders.

Barton supports the Tea Party movement because he believes people are taking notice of politics and are getting involved.

He also draws a parallel between Tea Party activities, such as support for lower taxes and less government, and the Republican Party.

“All the things I see happening in the Republican Party are happening in the Tea Party movement,” he says.

Barton noted that he met with Tea Party activists in Crockett prior to driving to Fairfield.

Unemployment benefits, which have been extended to 99 weeks, also came under scrutiny at the Freestone county session. Results of an impromptu poll conducted by Barton of those attending the session showed they favored unemployment benefits of no more than a year duration.

A proposal by one meeting attendee is to use unemployment benefits to provide apprenticeships so that the jobless can find work.

Along that line, attendees expressed dismay about companies outsourcing jobs overseas, jobs that could be filled at home by unemployed workers.

Barton says that the business climate needs to improve to make it more attractive to keep jobs at home. However, he notes, with freedom in the United States comes the choice for companies to locate facilities wherever they desire.

The congressman suggests that residents of his district go to his website to post questions and suggestions, which provide ideas for future legislation.