Protesters around the country on Thursday responded to lawmakers who declined to hold town halls by bringing their complaints straight to the doors of their elected officials' offices.
From Arkansas to Arizona, supporters of Obamacare chanted, sang songs and in some cases, got arrested as they made their case against the Senate Republican health care bill.
ARIZONA
The Arizona chapter of the Progressive Democrats of America, a grassroots PAC operating inside the Democratic Party, said five of its members were arrested at a gathering outside the Phoenix office of Sen. Jeff Flake after a building manager called the police, claiming they were standing on private property. ABC affiliate KGUN reported that the four women and one man were taken into custody for trespassing after they repeatedly refused to leave the private property.
Protesters chanted "Where is Jeff Flake!" and "Nows the time to stand and fight! Health care is a human right!
In Tucson, Pima County Sheriff's deputies arrested two men at a health care-related protest at Sen. Jeff Flake's office Thursday morning, according to KGUN. Deputies say the men were arrested just before 9 a.m. for reported threats. One of the protesters allegedly referenced the shooting of U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, according to KGUN.
ARKANSAS
In Arkansas, protesters waited in Sen. Tom Boozman's Little Rock office, but were told by a staffer to limit themselves to ten people inside the small waiting room.
"Let's please be respectful of each other," the staffer told the group.
"Well, we would like for our senator to be respectful," a protester responded. "If you're going to have constituents, and if he's going to be the U.S. Senator, he should have an office where constituents can come sit and speak their minds!"
At Sen. Tom Cotton's office, in the same building as Boozman's office, other protesters sang pro-Medicaid songs, to the tune of "Glory, Glory Hallelujah."
And another protester told a Cotton staffer, "The legislation is supposed to make cuts to VA services ... as a veteran Sen. Cotton should have other veterans in mind." The staffer responded, "We appreciate your service. Thank you."
TEXAS
Sen. Cruz was one of the few Senate Republicans to hold a town hall. Most of the questions at the event in Austin were on veterans' health care, but he did have a few spirited exchanges with supporters of the ACA.
"I'm happy to have a conversation, but if we're just yelling back and forth at each other, we can't have that," he told one heckler.
At the end of the event he thanked the largely friendly audience for a "respectful and spirited debate," adding, "we may not have convinced each other but that's part of the democratic process."
Protesters, who chanted songs, also rallied outside of Sen. John Cornyn's office in Austin.
Police were spotted escorting protesters away, and one of the officers was spotted frisking a male protester.
COLORADO
Obamacare supporters held a "Save Medicaid Rally" in Denver, where several hundred people showed up.
One female protester urged rally-goers to call Sen. Corey Gardner. "Call him at least once a day and tell him to vote no and to commit to us, before he leaves Colorado, to vote no on this ridiculous tax cut for the wealthy!" she said.
Activists at Sen. Corey Gardner's Denver office didn't get a face-to-face meeting, but they did get a 15-minute phone chat with their senator, who was not in the Denver area.
They told him they "demanded" that he vote "no" on the Senate bill -- but Gardner said he couldn't say how he would vote because the bill as presented is just a "discussion draft," not the final version.
"I cant commit yes or no," he told the activists, from the Denver chapter of Democratic Socialists of America.
KENTUCKY
A few dozen protesters chanted and held signs outside Sen. Mitch McConnell's office in Lexington.
"Don't get sick! Please die quick!" chanted protesters, mocking the GOP's healthcare plan.
KANSAS
Sen. Jerry Moran was treated warmly by a crowd at a town hall in Palco that seemed largely supportive of Obamacare, because he opposes the current Senate GOP bill.
He had a few exchanges with the liberal members of the audience, but all of them were respectful. This was a crowd that clearly appreciated being among the few that actually had an opportunity to talk to their senator over this recess.
If public hearings are not held in the Senate on the next Senate bill, will you withhold your vote? one attendee asked Moran of the health care bill.
I will not necessarily. That's not the criteria. I know that's not the answer you were looking for, Moran responded.
No! she said back, though she listened attentively as he explained why that wasnt the case.
Moran touched on the scarcity of Republican town halls.
I've been told that it's silly to hold town hall meetings, he said. You may not be my voters, but you are my constituents. And you deserve to have a conversation with me, he added, to applause.
Read the original post:
Protesters opposing GOP health care bill descend upon lawmakers, some arrested - ABC News
- How good is fish for your diet? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What foods have both fiber and protein? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Is There Evidence That Acupuncture Works? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What are some good fiber foods? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Can Green Tea fight HIV infection? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Quality of GNC Supplements [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- The Gene Smart Diet [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Tips for eating in a vegetarian lifestyle [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Regarding the Starting of a new diet regimen [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Thoughts on Dropping Weight [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What do doctors think about vitamin E supplements? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- What herbs or supplements are commonly used for depression? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Is there a safe way to lose a lot of weight? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Diets that promise you will lose weight [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Are Fish Toxins Linked to Diabetes? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Can Plastic Surgery Help Migraines? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Weight Loss Surgery Eradicates Diabetes Symptoms [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Found: A Gene That Controls Fat Cells [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Sugars and Starches, what's the difference? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Improving your health with a serving of nuts? [Last Updated On: November 8th, 2009] [Originally Added On: November 8th, 2009]
- Is Your Diet Causing You To Be Depressed? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Placebo Effect: Magnetic Bracelet Therapy [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Does serotonin promote sleep? [Last Updated On: December 13th, 2009] [Originally Added On: December 13th, 2009]
- Decreased energy levels - Overeating, Sleep, Nutrition [Last Updated On: February 1st, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 1st, 2010]
- When will the body begin to cannibalize muscle tissue? [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2010]
- Foods that are high in antioxidants [Last Updated On: February 7th, 2010] [Originally Added On: February 7th, 2010]
- Editorial: Reduce health care costs by cutting administrative overhead [Last Updated On: April 1st, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 1st, 2012]
- Health Care Winners: Centene, Onyxx [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Dan Morain: Nurses union puts politics ahead of health [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- What's next if Obamacare falls? [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Global Managed Health Care Services Industry [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Immigration Fight Echoes Health-Care Case at High Court [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Medical Centers Lead Workplace Wellness Effort [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- The next health care overhaul? Look to employers [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Capital BlueCross Hosts Community Health Care Forums Focused on Managing Costs While Maintaining Quality [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- County committee to look at area health care [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- President Obama Calls on Students to Tell Congress: #DontDoubleMyRate - Video [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Sen. Coburn: Competition in Health Care to Allocate Resources - Video [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- Jesse Kelly health care - Video [Last Updated On: April 25th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 25th, 2012]
- PHC Vision Statement (short version) - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- The Bioeconomy Blueprint Panel - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Providence Health Care's Vision Statement - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Department of Health and Human Services: Minority Health Blogger Townhall - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Health care worker accused of stealing identities of brain i - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Health Care Reform, Part 1 of 3 | KYVE Insiders Roundtable - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Health Care Reform: The ACA and Beyond - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Is Broccoli Like Health Insurance? - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Did Obama make a mistake on health care? - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- How Democrats Lie About Health Care - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Toobin on Health Care: This was a "judicial hissy-fit" - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- President Obama says health care law will stand - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Obama Defends Health Care Law From 'Judicial Activism' - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Obama Healthcare Individual Mandate - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- President Obama attacks Supreme Court on health care - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Raw Audio: High Court Dissects Health Care Act - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Health care on trial - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Final Day of Health Care Law Arguments Before Supreme Court - Video [Last Updated On: April 30th, 2012] [Originally Added On: April 30th, 2012]
- Feds to put up $1.9B for Oregon health overhaul [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Scuttling health care act will freeze Medicare, White House warns [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- U.S. Health Care Spending High, But Quality Lags: Report [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Yes, the Health-Care Mandate Is About Liberty [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Health center gets $1M federal grant [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Health-care reform panel considers exchange options for Va. [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Hmong health care gap focus of Healthy House dinner [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Walsh-led health bill to be unveiled [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- Ontario health system confusing for ailing seniors, study finds [Last Updated On: May 4th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 4th, 2012]
- 'Health Care Deserts' More Common in Black Neighborhoods [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- With federal money, Oregon kicks health care reform into high gear [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Nurse practitioners tackling more 'doctor' tasks [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Konza Prairie Health Center Receives $4.5 Million Grant [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Alberta wages hurting Sask. health care [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- House releases plan to cut growth of Massachusetts health spending in half [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Mass. House Will Unveil Bill Seeking To Rein In Health Costs [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- President Obama Welcomes the Kentucky Wildcats - Video [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- President Obama Speaks on College Affordability - Video [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- My First Job: Gene Sperling - Video [Last Updated On: May 5th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 5th, 2012]
- Health-care costs worry near-retirees [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]
- Massachusetts Institutes Health-Care Price Controls. Is America Next? [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]
- Massachusetts Moves Toward Health-Care Price Controls. Is America Next? [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]
- GOP plan boosts Pentagon, cuts social programs [Last Updated On: May 7th, 2012] [Originally Added On: May 7th, 2012]