An overflow crowd estimated at between 200 and 250 people packed into the Watertown Police Department’s Community Room Saturday morning for a town hall meeting featuring South Dakota Congresswoman Kristi Noem. Normally Noem opens her meetings with a Congressional overview but skipped that Saturday going directly to questions instead. One of her first came from a Sioux Falls man who asked Noem for assurances his health insurance won’t continue increasing under the new Republican healthcare plan. Noem responded saying Obama Care is failing on its own merits with double digit increases and insurers leaving the market.

Noem also touched on the score given to the new Trumpcare by the Congressional Budget Office showing the Republican Plan reducing premiums by 10 percent and the deficit by more than 330 billion dollars, but leaving millions, including 25,000 South Dakota residents, in fear of losing their insurance.

Noem says the tax credits offered by the Republican plan will benefit Americans who would see a net return of between two and fourteen thousand dollars.https://soundcloud.com/wnax-radio/noem-319c

Attendees came from all over the state to attend the town hall meeting that featured a moderator to ensure the crowd didn’t get unruly. The room filled to capacity more than an hour before it began.