Congressman Steve Pearce talks to Dr. Fred Fox after the session ended.

By Mary Alice Murphy

Frances Gonzales introduced Congressman Steve Pearce at the Sugar Shack in Bayard on Thursday, June 1, 2017 to a full restaurant, which could seat about 40 people.

She said the Kate Brown, a member of the Indivisible group in the county, had helped her with the event. Magdaleno Manzanares of the Grant County Democratic Party moderated the event and kept questioners on task.

"I have worked with Pearce a lot," Gonzales said. "He has helped us with issues concerning veterans, water and Native Americans. He has helped bring the tribes together in New Mexico. He's very supportive. When you call him, he calls everyone back. If you need services, he and his staff can help."

Manzanares set the ground rules. "It is beautiful to disagree in a democracy. Some will agree and some won't. The idea is to engage citizens in dialogue. Please raise your hand if you have a question."

The first questioner said: "Silver City has been asking for a town hall with you. Why are you holding it here instead of on a larger venue?"

Pearce replied: "Frances asked me and I agreed to hold one in the Mining District. I have done more town halls than anyone else. I don't know when I can get to Silver City."

Another audience member asked Pearce to address the health care issue. "I feel like the President's bill is short-sighted. Would you support a single payer system and get the insurance companies out of health care?"

"No, I do not support either a single payer or getting the insurance companies out," Pearce said. "The Affordable Care Act is going out at a steady pace. Healthy young people are bailing out as the ACA raises costs for everyone.

"The first sentence of the American Health Care Act says it is revising the ACA, not eliminating it," Pearce continued. "I want to see premiums go down. If we do nothing the ACA will fail. I want to see the health care system survive. The bill is in the Senate now. I think it will be a better bill when it comes back to us from the Senate."

A man in the audience said in May, Pearce's office sent four press releases in which he said he had heard from those who were impacted negatively by the ACA and how deeply stressed they were." What about us who benefited from it?

Pearce said he had heard from many in the middle class. "Some are served well. We are trying to fix it for the ones who were affected badly."

A woman said she had been gainfully employed and always had insurance. "Then I got laid off. I couldn't afford the continuing healthcare insurance, but I can afford Obamacare. I can't afford to lose my house. It's $500 for two people. Trumpcare will quadruple my costs. I will not be able to afford follow up. I was deeply disturbed to see Trump become president, and upset the Democrat didn't get in, although I have no love lost for Hillary. I think Trump is extremely dangerous. I'm wondering what the Republicans believe and if he is competent now or in the future, if he is not, will you get him out?"

Pearce said the costs of health care are escalating. "I don't know where you are getting your figures. The way the ACHA is written, premiums were doing to come down. For those in the 60-64 age group, premiums would fall about $300. The first one might have increased premiums, but it didn't even get a vote."

The same woman said she is self-employed. "I clawed my way back up."

A woman, who described herself as a health care provider said: "We have a model that works: Medicare. Why not consider expanding it? Everyone deserves health care. Now the insurance companies are playing games. Why not look at single payer?"

"I look at the V.A," Pearce said. "That is a single payer and it's dysfunctional. The Indian health care program is abysmal. We set standards in the free market. Our country has the best cancer care. I think pharmaceutical prices are out of control. Obamacare or the Affordable Care Act, however, is in collapse. "

Back to the previous speaker, Pearce said Trump is not incompetent. "I would not join in anything to impeach him, no more than I would agree at the time to impeach Obama, despite requests to do so."

A man said he sees the government abandoning its allies and cozying up to tyrants. "Why isn't the government doing tax reform? Why does Trump not release his tax returns? This is the most opaque administration in history. How will Mr. Trump be bending policy to benefit himself? We are trying to get to his financial deals. If he's clean, why not let us know?"

"The House and the Senate are investigating," Pearce said. "I'm happy for the investigation. The big worry for security is about the anonymous leaks."

Another man said one of the examples of Trump's incompetence is backing out of the climate agreement. "The main beneficiary is Putin because of oil and gas. How can you let him go against climate change and the will of the people?"

"He's elected," Pearce said. "He's the same man. I can't answer for his competency, but he less perpetually lies than his predecessor. Remember 'You can keep your doctor?' for example. Whether Trump is telling the truth is up to elections."

An audience member asked about Jared Kushner and the Russians. "He lied to get security clearance. Should he lose his security clearance?"

"I haven't seen evidence that he lied to get security clearance," Pearce said. "I have seen it in the media. It belongs in an agency that is looking into it."

A woman gave statistics on health care according to the Congressional Budget Office. "A 64-year-old making $26,000 would pay $1,300 a year under Obamacare . The numbers were far different under the premiums for Trumpcare. Who will opt out and who will lose their insurance? You won't see Congress people go on the streets."

Another woman asked why health insurance couldn't be sold across state lines. "It would make the premiums drop."

Pearce said he supports selling across state lines, but it couldn't be put in the ACHA, and has to be a separate bill.

A man asked for a response on education. "It's too costly for college. The Centers for Excellence are because the government paid for them. I have noticed cutting in funding for basic research. That will cut the next generation of scientists. What is your stand on the National Institutes of Health?"

"I am a supporter of NIH," Pearcesaid. " I was part of those who raised the question of the sloppy running of the agency. All presidential budgets are just a piece of paper. People work on the budgets and change them."

A woman said she lived through the 2008 crisis, but lost money. "How could you be a co-sponsor of the bill against keeping the fiduciary rule that protects customers? It allows corporations audits. How do you think supporting a bill will deregulate banks?"

Pearce said the collapse of 2008 was due to the government lending to people of low income. "Fannie and Freddie relaxed the standards. The banks were being told they must lend to low-income people even if they couldn't afford the payments. Wall Street and the government caused the crisis. Rural banks didn't cause it, but they took the brunt of the regulations. Many are now going out of business. 50 percent of people in this district live in manufactured homes. The regulations outlawed balloon payments, which shut off those trying to buy trailers. The regulations said all banks were prejudicial lenders. The regulations were heavy-handed on lenders. I got Maxine Waters to agree with the Choice Act, because both of us believe that local banks will give better service."

"What the fiduciary rule will do is make small people in rural areas lose local advisors," Pearce said. "The advice will come from far away. It will destroy the small independent advisors who know their clients personally, and understand their financial situations."

Gonzales said, on the topic of health care, she is worried about pre-existing conditions.

"Pre-existing conditions were separated out for the bill, with a federal backstop, which prohibits insurance companies from charging more on pre-existing conditions," Pearce said. "The billions will serve as a federal backstop."

A woman made a plea. "Most of the people in my circle are impoverished. Grant County is scary for poverty. Poverty, as Dr. Carson said, is not a state of mind. The budget does not offer safety nets. I'm scared we're going to lose Medicaid. Look at how the richest of the rich will never feel the loss. The richest are not paying in enough."

"The budget has nothing to do with appropriations," Pearce said. "Congress makes appropriations."

A woman complained that the budget had too much allocated to the military.

Pearce went back to his life story. "I came from poverty. My dad was a sharecropper and he clawed his way out."

"That's why I'm taking a lead on Native American issues," he continued. "I have worked since I was nine years old. I'm aware of the need for safety nets."

Ben Fisher of the Silver City Daily Press said: "Grant County is unique in its isolation. There is talk of cutting rural services. How important to you is essential air service?"

"It depends," Pearce said. "Some areas are getting $4,000 per customer. We have opposed it when the number per person is too high. I don't think essential air service or the community development block grant programs will go away. Both the Democrats and the Republicans ignore the presidential budgets."

A man asked Pearce if he is going to run for governor of New Mexico.

"I have not made a decision," Pearce said. "Cynthia, my wife, and I will be talking about it. My heart breaks for this state. I am the only one in my family to have stayed in New Mexico, although I convinced our daughter to come back. To watch what is happening hurts. The economy is self-destructing. We cannot do anything without addressing issues in the poorest areas."

Kate Brown asked Pearce's opinion on a border wall.

"It will be like the budget paper on the wall," Pearce replied. "I want to secure the border, but a wall will not do it. We have reasoned with the administration and told him, we have to get the language in the proposal fixed. A wall is alienating half of my district. Trump said he would kick the criminals out. A wall might work in the big cities. I think we have to keep pressing the issue and get it right."

A man said he could pay off a truck in 10 years. "Why not pay off a house in 10 years? Then I would have more money."

Pearce said the banks would give 10-year loans on houses. "The 30-year mortgage was set up by banks, because the secondary mortgage market is important. Fannie and Freddie like 30-year mortgages. But you save a lot of money if you pay something off in 10 years. Interest eats us up. Too much debt never gets you anywhere."

"I appreciate the fact you are here," Pearce told those gathered. "For the past six years I have gone to speak at the Legislature during the session. A legislator can run as a Republican or Democrat, but the day after he or she is elected, I want members of both parties to serve all New Mexicans. I think the state is ready to change. I work with Maxine (Waters) and I tell her it's not personal. She said: 'I hate Republicans.' I said: 'It's a good bill for Americans.' She agreed.

"When it comes down to it, even that far apart in thinking, we can get work done that benefits our constituents," Pearce concluded. "Personal relationships are so important."