Congressman Dan Boren (D-Muskogee) spoke to a crowd of over 150 at his town hall yesterday in Muskogee, focusing on topics like the budget deficit and national debt.
The atmosphere of the meeting was calmer and more subdued than it was during the summer of 2009, but was still concerned about government spending and intrusion. Boren spoke positively of the Tea Party movement, and the new focus on fixing our nation's fiscal situation.
The congressman began the meeting by running through some quick figures dealing with the debt level and budget deficit. Boren said that, while we need to cut discretionary spending, entitlements like Social Security and Medicare are the big problem. Due to the "sacred cow" nature of entitlements, politicians don't want to take risks and make the needed reforms, but that's what our future depends on, Boren said.
Boren drew applause when he said that he voted to cut funding to Planned Parenthood and the President's "czars".
The congressman had a very relaxed attitude about his political future. He knows that his seat isn't guaranteed, and he said that he's perfectly fine with not being in Washington for a long time - in fact, he doesn't plan on staying in office for a long period of time.
Boren said that while the House will end up cutting nearly $100B from the budget, the Senate likely won't cut much. He predicted a final deal being cut between the two houses at somewhere around $30B, which would still leave a deficit of nearly $1.5 trillion. He hinted that he would vote to raise the debt ceiling, but with corresponding budget cuts.
He also said that he is a regular reader of
MuskogeePolitico.com, so... hello Mr. Congressman!
I tweeted updates during the town hall, so for other points, search Twitter for
#BorenTownHall (or click the link)
