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Buerkle talks vets, seniors' healthcare at town hall

After opening with acknowledgement of the veterans present and the work she's done for them, Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle (R-Onondaga Hill) turned her focus to a flyer that was being distributed outside.

Buerkle held her 17th town hall since taking office in Cicero Friday morning. The flyer being handed out by the political advocacy group Citizens Action of New York discussed her "dangerous record" on social security and Medicare.

Buerkle told the crowd of mostly senior citizens that it wasn't true.

"There are no cuts for those who are on Medicare; there’s no change," she said. "The Affordable Care Act changes Medicare as we know it, not the budget proposal out of the House."

When it was time to take questions from her constituents, some of the topics got a little easier.

First up: "Are you as excited for your second term as I am?"

It drew a smile and a laugh from the congresswoman, who in November will face-off against the man she took the seat from, Democrat Dan Maffei.

Her appointment as a congressional liaison to the United Nations and taxes were among other questions she fielded.