Jake Lowary, and Ariana Maia Sawyer

The Tennessean

James Burks taught school for 42 years, and lost much of his right arm due to a treatable but incurable form of cancer. He drew perhaps the most rousing applause from about 130 residents on Tuesday inside at a town hall in Fairview hosted by U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn.

The applause wasn't for his question. It came when he gave a piece of advice to the eight-term Republican from Brentwood.

"Understand that, please, the things going on in America today are not Democrat or Republican things," he said. "(What you're doing,) you're doing it for the good of the people, not anyone on any side of the aisle."

Burks, who says he split his vote in November between Democrats and Republicans, told Blackburn to "be careful" with school vouchers, health care and other key issues facing the Republican-led Congress and a White House facing intense criticism.

Blackburn's town hall in this normally quiet rural Williamson County town was one of several across the nation in recent days and weeks that have been tense at times and combative at others.

When one woman asked questions about Planned Parenthood, Blackburn continued her longtime pledge to prevent taxpayer money from going to the women's health organization that conservatives criticize for assisting with abortions. Renee Armand was one of several to shout "shame on you" and "lies" during the answer.

"I think she's incapable of answering a question," said Armand, who has owned a farm in rural Williamson County for 30 years. "She treated us with enormous disrespect and condescension."

Affordable Care Act dominates

But questions over the possible repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act dominated the questions from the audience inside Fairview City Hall.

Elizabeth Wanczak and Rusty Gordon were the first two people into the small chamber Tuesday. They wanted answers on the ACA.

Wanczak has health insurance through the ACA, and said she wouldn't have been able to have her daughter if not for the insurance she found through the federally run health insurance exchange. She came to learn about maternity coverage included in any replacement plan pledged by congressional Republicans.

"If not for ACA, we wouldn't have insurance," she said.

Gordon said Republican attitudes toward the ACA after the election of President Donald Trump have been "flippant."

"They've done nothing for the last six years but try and sabotage the ACA," he said. He said he hoped Blackburn delivered something other than "the same old company line."

Read more:

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Many of the questions were without clear answers from Blackburn, who served on Trump's transition team and is carrying key legislation that will be a part of the repeal effort from the GOP-led House. She said the replacement will include provisions allowing people of certain age groups with pre-existing conditions to get insurance.

She said the replacement plan will be "more responsive and more affordable" as well, without going into many specifics.

Access to health insurance is a particularly acute issue in Tennessee.

Humana decided last week to leave the federally run healthcare.gov exchange, leaving the Tri-Cities area as the only region in Tennessee that has two insurers from which residents can choose in 2018. The Greater Knoxville area will have none.

An alternative town hall

As the people arrived for the town hall, an early group of about 80 people chanted several now-familiar calls to support women, the Affordable Care Act, Planned Parenthood, immigrants, free speech and democracy.

"I just hope she comes out and talks to us," Ryan Jeanes said.



He hung a photo of a guffawing Blackburn surrounded by fluorescent colored signs that said, "Healthcare is no laughing matter" and "Trump's Russian ties are no laughing matter."



"A lot of politicians don't like to answer hard questions," Jeanes said. "But tough, because this is a democracy and we make them."

By the time the alternative town hall began, a crowd of about 200 people stood in the rain, approaching a microphone one by one to ask Blackburn questions they would have asked had they been inside.

Their concerns were wide ranging, but nearly everyone expressed a desire for Blackburn to represent them and not the Trump agenda.

College Grove resident Worth Squire said he felt disenfranchised as a voter and was disappointed with the location of the town hall.

"Why aren't you holding a town hall in a location big enough for everybody who shows up for it?" he asked.

The crowd cheered in agreement.

Their questions and comments were all recorded, and event organizer Bernie Ellis said Blackburn had promised him she would watch the video later.

At the end of her event indoors, Blackburn came outside and spoke to the crowd standing in the rain. She did not answer questions.

"Well, I just want to say thank you for those that took the time to come out," Blackburn said. "Everybody's voice is important to the conversation, and I have always said that while you may not agree with me, you will always know where I stand."

She thanked everyone again and walked off as the crowd chanted, "No ban, no wall."