Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, is holding a town hall meeting in the Brazos Community Center on the topic of healthcare reform.
The Battalion has a team at the center and will be covering the events as they take place.
The first of the attendees arrived at the center more than four hours before the start of the meeting.
Similar town hall meetings across the nation have sparked fierce debate and produced large crowds.
A member of the congressional office said that they are expecting very high numbers and will do everything possible to accommodate everyone who wishes to be a part of the discussion.
The format of the meeting will be as follows, constituents write their name and county on an index card as they proceed into the main seating hall. Once the meeting has begun, the Congressman selects random index cards and those who are selected will have the opportunity to ask a question or voice a concern of theirs.
1,200 visitors will be admitted into the center and local radio station, WTAW 1620, is planning to be live on the air through speakers outside the center for those who are not able to get inside.
Fifteen minutes before the doors open, there is a line into the parking lot and snaking out to the street with people arriving continually. Attendees include people from all ages, from college students to senior citizens, many people have an opinion on how to reform healthcare.
Signs, custom tee-shirts and flags showing their possessor's opinion on the controversial topic dotted the line.
Several of those waiting in line are making speeches to whoever will listen and random exclamations from both sides are being shouted out.
The doors open in just over five minutes.
As the doors opened and the line started moving and the seats began to fill, two individuals did not move. They had not arrived late, and they were not working for the event. Jerry and Joyce Dyer were simply standing in protest, not shouting just holding a simple sign: "No to Obama's Healthcare."
"I would not give five minutes to hear what he has to say," Joyce Dyer said. Her husband Jerry continued, "I don't understand how he could support a plan that would tax the people more in his region, we are already suffering. It's like cutting a dying fish's throat."
The Dyers have lived in the area for more than 60 years.
Among those who did enter was a group of Aggies, and among them was the president of the Students for Obama chapter at Texas A&M.
"I am here because I support Chet Edwards, and I think what he is doing is great. But most of all I really think something needs to be done about healthcare and it's really pathetic what we've got in play right now," said Andrea Soule. "People scare you and call it socialism and they come out with these big scary words and they think the government is scary, but when in reality it could be them that needs [healthcare] one day."
The 1,200 seats have been all but filled with more than 20 minutes until the start of the town hall.
Currently, the WTAW 1610 AM is live and streaming outside as it is expected not all arrivals will find open seats inside.
Continue checking thebatt.com as this story will be updated as the events of the night unfold.
Patrique Ludan and Christian Hughes contributed to this report
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