Cantor, Scott to appear at T-D’s Public Square on health-care reform

For the past month and a half, legislators across the state and nation have been hosting their own health-care town halls.

But the Richmond Times-Dispatch is bringing together two lawmakers on opposite sides of the debate for a civil conversation about health-care reform.

On Monday, U.S. Reps. Eric I. Cantor, R-7th, and Robert C. Scott, D-3rd, will come together at The Times-Dispatch's 26th Public Square to assess health care. Cantor and Scott will briefly outline their positions on health care and then open the floor to questions and comments.

Scott has held three town-hall meetings on health care during this summer's congressional recess -- in Richmond, Norfolk and Newport News. Cantor has not held any health-care town halls during the recess.

"We appreciate Congressmen Scott and Cantor carving time out their busy schedules to help us further understand the key points of this issue," said Thomas A. Silvestri, publisher and president of The Times-Dispatch.

The 90-minute Public Square begins at 10 a.m. at The Times-Dispatch's downtown offices, 300 E. Franklin St., and will be moderated by Silvestri.

Only 225 seats are available for the event, and they will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Sign-in starts at 9 a.m. in the front lobby of The Times-Dispatch, and doors to the event open at 9:30.

The Times-Dispatch has been flooded with calls about the Public Square from the public and state and national media.

"We already know there's a good chance that not everyone who comes can get in. That's a fact associated with our limited seating," Silvestri said. "But the Public Square has never been about filling a coliseum or theater. Its focus is on the conversation in the room, which we are sharing live on TimesDispatch.com, in the next day's paper and via transcript in our Sunday Commentary section."

For more details or directions, call (804) 649-6331 or (804) 649-6305 or visit TimesDispatch.com and do a keyword search for "Public Square."

Contact Paige Mudd at (804) 649-6671 or .