Senator Warner was out on the road this week, discussing health reform with thousands of Virginians in a variety of forums and formats.

On Monday, he started the day by answering listeners' questions on the "Jimmy Ray and Jen Show" on Norfolk's Eagle 97.8.  Listen to the interview below (in two parts):

After dropping by the WDBJ-7 noon broadcast, Senator Warner spoke to nearly 200 health care workers, doctors, and administrators at Lewis-Gale Medical Center, where he answered their questions about health reform.

The Roanoke Times wrote about the discussion:

"If we do nothing the federal deficit will get so large that it will undermine the value of the dollar and undermine our economy," he said, suggesting that the increase in health care costs should be on par with inflation.

Questions from the audience also focused on costs of providing medical care, with particular attention given to medical malpractice tort reform and reimbursement structures for the government-run Medicaid and Medicare programs.

Later that afternoon, he sparred with conservative talk radio host Doc Watson during an extended conversation on Richmond's WRVA 1140 AM:

Right before dinnertime, Senator Warner hosted a health care reform telephone town hall meeting with close to 4,000 Virginians.

He ended the day at the Salem Red Sox baseball game, throwing out the first pitch and chatting with fans in the stands:

On Tuesday, after visiting the D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Senator Warner met with two dozen small business owners in Charlottesville.  

He discussed his biggest concern about the health reform debate:

Warner criticized how the health care reform proposal has been laid out, noting that it has been the subject of much misinformation and demagoguery.

“It hasn’t been laid out in the way that I would have laid it out,” Warner said. “Maybe I’m too used to being the CEO, not just the junior senator.”

Click here to read more about Senator Warner's discussion with small business owners from the Daily Progress.   

Senator Warner will continue this conversation with Virginians in coming days and weeks, listening to concerns and answering questions about health reform.

Since mid-June, our office has responded to 80,000 calls, emails and letters about health reform, thousands of Virginians have participated in telephone town halls, and the Senator has hosted community meetings in Roanoke, Salem, Norfolk, Charlottesville and Alexandria.