MARIETTA - The recent death of Sen. Ted Kennedy won't give an added push in Washington to a health care reform bill, U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) said Monday night at the Cobb Civic Center. It was the congressman's second town hall meeting in Cobb in less than a week.

"I don't really believe it will have a big effect. There's been a lot of talk over the weekend about it. (Kennedy's) vision over the years in the Senate was to lead the liberal cause. He was pretty much unabashedly the liberal lion of the Senate in health care reform in the way President Obama has proposed it," he said. "While there may be some who will say this will be the push that will get us over the finish line, I don't think so. I think people will still feel very firmly about either their support or opposition to this reform."

Gingrey said he's been busy over the summer hosting town hall meetings and listening to constituents. He said he's received thousands of letters and phone calls on health care reform.

"The main thing I've learned from my constituents is that they don't like it. We've done a number of town hall meetings in August and the turnout has been double what would be at a normal town hall meeting. This is a subject that is really close to people's heart," he said. "What we're seeing is a lot of seniors at the meetings. They realize the Medicare program is going to be cut pretty drastically to pay for this health care reform. People are speaking out loud and clear and want me and Congress to know and understand their concern."

A repeated question at both of Gingrey's town hall meetings has been whether the public actually has any power in the decision of the health care reform.

"I think they have a lot and they're beginning to realize that they do. A lot of times people are frustrated and say that as an individual, small group, or small area of the country that they don't really have a lot of influence," he said. "That may be true, but when they all show up all with the same voice, the media will cover it. So I think people are really encouraged now that maybe their voice means something. That's a real positive thing."

Indeed, Monday night's town hall meeting was filled with hundreds of people who had a unified voice - one that was saying "no" to Democrat-backed health care reform.

One constituent begged Gingrey to fight against reform when he returned to Capitol Hill, and if all else failed, to abstain from voting.

"If they push to this and you're going to lose 240 to 190, don't vote. Make them pay for it. Stick an elbow in their ribs. In other words, bold dramatic action. I don't believe this is over. Fight!" he said, before the crowd rose to their feet.

Questions ranged on the same variety of topics that were presented in prior town hall meetings: Medicare, veteran's health care, tort reform and the nuclear option. Gingrey addressed the heightened discussion surrounding the nuclear option, a process by the majority of the Senate to end the attempted removal of a bill (filibuster) by majority vote, as opposed to 60 senators voting to end a filibuster.

"That is taking away the rights of the minority through policy and procedure, kind of like wheeling and dealing, and doing things that the Constitution never intended the majority to do to force something through without needing 60 votes, without the threat of filibuster," Gingrey said. "I hope and pray the majority party will not do that because I think they will do it at their own peril. It would be terrible for the country."

While the majority of attendees were against Democratic proposals on reform, a few concerned citizens showed up at Gingrey's town hall meeting to ask the congressman how he would help them without health care reform. Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-east Cobb) was also presented Monday with about 100 signed postcards from Atlantans Building Leadership for Empowerment (ABLE) members who want to persuade Isakson that health care for all is a moral imperative.