HELENA - Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg, Montana's sole congressman, is wasting no time criticizing House Democrats' health reform proposal, sending out quick-hit Internet messages rapping the plan as excessive government control and bureaucracy.

The five-term congressman also scheduled an "emergency" town hall meeting Saturday in Billings, inviting the public to hear about "what's in this bill and what's missing."

Rehberg had asked that Congress recess for 30 days after introduction of the bill, so the public could examine and comment on its contents.

"Unfortunately, we're only going to be given little more than 72 hours," he said in scheduling the Saturday meeting at Petro Theater on the Montana State University-Billings campus, beginning at 11 a.m.

House Democrats unveiled the 1,990-page bill on Thursday in Washington, D.C.

The measure would require most Americans to buy or otherwise have health insurance starting in 2013, provide subsidies to help lower-income people buy policies, and expand Medicaid, the federal health insurance plan for the poor.

It also would create a government-run health insurance plan to be offered as a competitor to private health insurance. This plan wouldn't be available until 2013, and would be offered to people without insurance.

Finally, the bill would require employers to offer health coverage to their workers, but would exempt businesses with annual payrolls less $500,000.

Rehberg's call for the town meeting prompted criticism from Tyler Gernant, one of two Democrats running to oppose him in the 2010 election.

Gernant, who supports a government-run health insurance plan as an option for consumers, said the meeting is "to protect the insurance industry from having to open up the market of providing health care coverage."

"As soon as the insurance industry starts to see the American people demanding choice from health care providers, they pull the strings on Mr. Rehberg and get him to call this so-called emergency meeting," said Gernant, a Missoula attorney.

Rehberg's campaign said the Billings meeting is the 17th "listening session" he has held on health reform this year.

"No amount of political gamesmanship will stop Denny from hearing directly from folks on such an important topic," said campaign spokesman Tyler Matthews. "Montanans deserve to have input and be a part of this process, and Denny's going to continue to see that they do."

Rehberg has said the country needs reforms to increase access and affordability for "those who want it," but that he opposes "government-forced insurance" and the "government-run public option."

Using the Web sites twitter.com and Facebook, Rehberg on Friday posted a series of comments criticizing the House Democrats' proposed bill, saying it creates a "new board of federal bureaucrats to dictate the health plans that all individuals must buy," among other things.

"Who actually believes that this $1,055,000,000,000 bill won't add 'a thin dime' to our deficit?" Rehberg wrote.

The "new board of federal bureaucrats" is actually a public/private advisory committee composed of federal and nonfederal employees, chaired by the surgeon general, to recommend benefit levels for health insurance policies to be sold on a new health insurance exchange, which is an Internet-based clearinghouse for policies.

Public comment would be heard on the recommendations before benefit levels are approved by federal health officials.

Rehberg also noted that the bill would fine those who don't buy what he called "bureaucrat-approved" health insurance.