From Pontoon Boats to Town Halls, Americans Are Sitting In and Calling Up to Stop Trumpcare

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Protesters all over the country have descended on their Republican senators’ offices during the Congressional recess to demand that they vote no on Trumpcare. Parents, veterans, socialists, disability rights activists, and dozens of other concerned groups staged sit-ins, protests, and pontoon flotillas to get the attention of their senators – many of whom were too cowardly to hold town halls.

Below I’ve included some footage from the protests in Arizona, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio – but these are just some of the stories.

Arizona

Disability rights protesters took over Senator Jeff Flake’s (literally, his name) offices in Phoenix, Arizona on June 5.

Kentucky

Mitch McConnell, in typical turtle fashion, locked his constituents out and refused to meet with them. But they kept protesting.

The Indivisible group from Kentucky and the Indivisible group from southern Indiana also protested together at Big Four Bridge to jointly call on their senators to vote no.

Louisiana

Three protesters were arrested outside of Senator Bill Cassidy’s office in Metairie. Protester Haley Saucier explained how the Medicaid cuts from this bill would, quite literally, condemn her to death or certain bankruptcy.

Nebraska

Protesters held a sit-in in at Senator Ben Sasse’s Lincoln, Nebraska office.

North Carolina

In North Carolina, Senator Thom Tillis refused to hold a town hall, and instead spent the week on Lake Norman. So North Carolinians, in true Southern fashion, pulled out their pontoon boats and joined him.

Ohio

ADAPT Disability rights activists and the Democratic Socialists of American took over Senator Rob Portman’s office on July 6 and 7. As in so many states, the protesters were eventually arrested for trespassing. Portman said, “We aren’t going to allow a handful of Socialists, many of whom are from New York to disrupt our ability to serve the needs of the Ohio constituents who contact us in need of vital services every day.” Charming.

Pennsylvania

Senator Pat Toomey’s constituents were blocked from his closed, “invite-only,” TV town hall on July 5. As in many other states, disability rights activists were eventually arrested for “trespassing.”

It’s no secret that Mitch McConnell and oh-so-personable Ted Cruz are still conniving to pass this monstrosity, but thanks to efforts like these, support has reportedly waned during the recess.

Keep calling and keep fighting ’til it’s dead, you heroes. This is what democracy looks like.

(Via Twitter; image via Shutterstock)

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