West Challenges Klein to Public Healthcare Forum

Deerfield Beach, FL - 8/3/09 - Republican Congressional candidate Allen West (FL-22) today challenged Congressman Ron Klein to hold a joint public forum to discuss Congressional plans for reforming healthcare. "I believe this gives you and me a unique opportunity to highlight the myriad of policy options for healthcare reform in front of the constituents of Florida's Twenty-Second Congressional District," West stated in a letter hand delivered this afternoon to Klein's offices in Washington D.C. and south Florida. West continued, "A joint forum would enable the citizens to hear about the variety of plans available to fix a system we both agree needs reform." West asked Klein to appear publicly with him after the U.S. House adjourned for their traditional August recess without taking a full floor vote on healthcare reform. West provided Klein with a variety of formats for the public forum.  "I am open to anything from a public town hall meeting to a more formal style debate with questions asked by members of the media,"   West said. "We have both campaigned on changing the way Washington works," West concluded in his letter to Klein.  "We can together demonstrate our commitment to this change by bringing healthcare reform to the forefront of pubic discussion here in south Florida."