Contact: Dave Schwartz, (443) 797-5144

ANNAPOLIS – AFP-Maryland is encouraging all citizens to attend Sen. Cardin’s town hall meeting tonight at Towson University to make sure their voices are heard. The town hall-style meeting is the best way for constituents to reach out to their representatives and let them know how they feel about proposals being considered on Capitol Hill.

“This is democracy in action,” said Dave Schwartz, state director of AFP-Maryland. “The health care issue has drawn interest from folks who ordinarily do not get involved in the political process – and that is why we are seeing large crowds at these events. While AFP-Maryland is advising its members to attend, ask the tough questions, and urge their representative to vote against government-run health care, they must do so in a civil, polite way.”

AFP’s health care project, Patients First encourages citizens to sign the Hands Off My Health Care petition. Over 200,000 citizens have already signed the petition, which will be sent to Congress when they return from the August recess. Citizens can sign the online petition at http://www.joinpatientsfirst.com, urging lawmakers to oppose any legislation that imposes greater government control over health care and results in less choice for patients.

AFP is a national organization with state-based chapters committed to educating citizens about the benefits of living in a society with a limited government and a free market, and mobilizing those citizens to become advocates in the public policy process. AFP-Maryland has over 6,500 members statewide and has recently formed local chapters in Baltimore County, Harford County, and Southern Maryland.

For more information on Patients First, visit http://www.joinpatientsfirst.com