District 17 Congressman Chet Edwards began his first in-person town hall in front of a capacity crowd in Bryan saying he was ready to hear from his constituents and answer their questions.

Some 1,200 residents at the Brazos Center and many more tuning in through KBTX.com and News Talk 1620 WTAW got the chance to hear from their elected leader in the US House.

From the outset, Edwards said contrary to the belief of his detractors, his vote would not be influenced by fellow Democrats.

"I will not let, whether it's the president, whether it's leadership in the House, force me to vote, and they won't force me to vote based on party loyalty," the congressman said.

He also said the issue was not one less important than a re-election bid.

It was an audience in the Brazos Center Wednesday that seemed to come largely to oppose what's on the table in the House.

One questioner asked, "if this bill passes, will Congress live by the exact same healthcare plan as you vote in for America?"

It was met with a cheer from the majority of the crowd

"I agree with your response, and the fact is that Congress should live by any of the provisions...should," Edwards said.

It was a passionate audience, some with loud voices during Edwards' statements, including on what have become keynote talking points.

"There are no death panels in this bill," the Democrat addressed to some negative audience reaction. "I would vote against any bill that had a death panel in it."

With many in the crowd in this largely conservative district opposing government-run plans, Edwards posed the question of who would like to see Medicare, a government-run program, eliminated. Many in the audience raised their hands.

Edwards then asked a questioner.

"Would you go so far as to repeal the Medicare program and the Medicade program," he asked.

"I would gladly do that if the government would allow me to spend my money charitably the way I want to do it and not allow you to tell me how I'm going to do it," the man said to a rousing ovation from many.

Time and time again, the Congressman returned to the point that something must be done with healthcare in his opinion.

"We've got to reduce healthcare cost increases or we're going to bankrupt families all across this district," Edwards said. "We'll bankrupt the country."

Committing to read and analyze every page of the bill -- a task he hasn't completed yet but pledged to -- Edwards near the end of the night repeated another pledge, one not all believed.

"I don't want government to run 20 percent of our economy, and I will not vote for a Canadian-style, British-style healthcare plan," Edwards said.

He also added a call for some middle ground to be found by the political parties and a nation split on the issue.

"Despite whatever differences would be expressed here tonight, we're all Americans," Edwards said. "We all love this country. We all love our families, and having a quality healthcare system that's affordable and sustainable, that ought to be the driving passion for us working in Congress."

Edwards will have another town hall meeting in Waco Saturday, and a third in Johnson County next week.