Protests Against Replacement Bill Take Place Around California
Rallies are held in California cities like Los Angeles and Oakland, as well as other locations around the nation. Meanwhile, Democrats mobilize to use the vote against vulnerable Republicans.
Los Angeles Times:
Crowd In Downtown L.A. Protests Obamacare Repeal
Crowds marched through Downtown Los Angeles Thursday afternoon to protest efforts by Republican lawmakers to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. In a rally that occupied a portion of Temple Street outside of the Roybal Federal Building, speakers addressed a crowd of healthcare providers and advocates. (Kohli, 3/23)
Reuters:
Obamacare Supporters Rally Against Congressional Repeal Efforts
Supporters of Obamacare staged rallies across the country on Thursday denouncing efforts by President Donald Trump and Republican congressional leaders to repeal the landmark law that has extended medical insurance coverage to some 20 million Americans. Hundreds of demonstrators turned out in Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles marking the seventh anniversary of enactment of Obamacare, as the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has become widely known. (Simpson, 3/23)
KQED:
As House Vote Approaches, Protesters Of GOP Health Care Bill Get Creative
Wearing white coats and surgical scrubs, a small group of political activists passed out pink fliers in downtown Oakland Wednesday. They wore toy stethoscopes and shiny, circular mirrors on their heads. They’re not really doctors, but they dressed the part to grab the attention of pedestrians and warn them about the political efforts to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. (Klivans, 3/23)
The Bakersfield Californian:
Locals Rally Against Healthcare Bill Ahead Of Expected Vote
On the eve of the House’s long-awaited, nail-biter vote to undo and replace Obamacare, 20 Kern County residents rallied in front of Congressman David Valadao’s Bakersfield office Thursday evening urging people to call on their representatives to vote against it..."I think it’s a joke,” Julie Otero, 53, said of the bill, "because where’s the ‘better’? All I see is destruction.” Otero, a board member of the United Domestic Workers Kern Chapter, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, and hypertension. She said the repeal would hurt her health and finances. (Mills-Gregg, 3/23)
San Jose Mercury News:
Bay Area Voters Not Surprised By GOP Health Care Vote Delay
Yet no matter where they got the news, and regardless of their political leaning, several people on the Bay Area News Group’s 25-member voters’ panel — assembled to evaluate President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office — said they weren’t surprised that the dismantling of Obamacare had gotten so gummed up in the nation’s capital that the GOP plan appeared to be going nowhere for now. (Seipel, 3/23)
Bloomberg:
Democrats Aim To Weaponize Health Bill Against House Republicans
Democrats seized on the House health-care vote as an opportunity to inflict political damage on vulnerable Republicans.The Democratic National Committee has begun blanketing the districts of roughly 50 House Republicans with targeted emails and robocalls about the bill, urging recipients to call the lawmakers to express opposition to the bill...It’s the first time the DNC has carried out this kind of campaign since Perez became chair of the party last month and reflects the committee’s efforts to be a hub of anti-Trump activity. (Epstein, 3/23)