Dingell letter to town hall protester: ‘I understand your concern’

Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) on Wednesday wrote a letter to a man who disrupted his healthcare town hall meeting last week.

The man, Mike Sola, interrupted the meeting last Thursday and pushed his wheelchair-confined son Scott to the podium where Dingell stood. He asked why Scott, who has cerebral palsy, would not be covered under the new health reform plan.

In the letter, Dingell wrote “As a father I understand your concern. We all want the best health care for our children and loved ones” and explained that the bill would help his son get care.

“I attempted to explain an amendment which was adopted by the House Energy and Commerce Committee, but sadly before I was able to give the details of that amendment, the crowd became disruptive,” Dingell said to Sola.

“In my more than 50 years as a member of Congress I have always worked to represent my constituents, the great people of Michigan’s 15th Congressional District, well,” he added.

With regard to Sola’s son, the long-time proponent of healthcare reform wrote that he proposed an amendment to the bill that would create a “voluntary national insurance program for adults who become functionally disabled.”

Dingell also explained that under health insurance reform, individuals would not be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions.

“If your son ever had to buy insurance on his own, he would be guaranteed coverage,” he wrote.

Photo of Mike and Scott Sola approaching Dingell at town hall from linked Detroit Free Press article: