A number of people are being arrested on Capitol Hill as they protest the Senate’s healthcare bill, according to various media reports and eyewitness accounts.
The Senate on Thursday morning released its version of the controversial bill that would repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that was drafted in secret. The bill would cut funds to Medicaid, defund Planned Parenthood for one year, and repeal taxes on wealthy Americans that were used to fund healthcare for less affluent Americans.
Many protesters were disabled and were wheeled out of Congress by police officers. Several protesters are wearing yellow shirts with “My Medicaid Matters” written on them.
The Washington Post reported that protesters were blocking the hallway outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-K.y.) office.
During a live stream of the protests, several of the protesters said they relied on healthcare funding that will be impacted by the new health care bills. One protester said people got out of their wheelchairs and laid down on the ground.
Daily Beast reporter Andrew Desiderio also tweeted several photos and videos from the protest.
In one video, a protester can be heard yelling, “My child is going to die and my family is going to die, and they don’t give a damn about it.”
The protester continues: “They make these decisions for our people behind desks wearing suits, and it’s not fair. My people are going to die because of decisions that that man is making for our society.”
More from the scene pic.twitter.com/9lvwuYgb5t
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 22, 2017
Desiderio also tweeted video of Capitol Police physically removing people from the hallway.
Capitol Police are physically removing protesters who are staging a “die-in” in front of McConnell’s office pic.twitter.com/8BU0dW63VI
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 22, 2017
Q: Are you being arrested?
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 22, 2017
“Yes I am.”
Officer wheeling her would not answer. pic.twitter.com/NmxGM9S4Z3
“McConnell’s gonna kill us,” this protester says. Also claims he’s being arrested pic.twitter.com/VMuW7b7oNf
— Andrew Desiderio (@AndrewDesiderio) June 22, 2017
Other journalists also saw people being hoisted by police out of the hallway.
#HAPPENINGNOW protests in front of @SenateMajLdr ‘s office over cuts to #medicaid after release of #Senate #HealthCare bill pic.twitter.com/yzhEluAlVp
— Abigail Robertson (@AbigailCBN) June 22, 2017
Huge protest inside and outside of Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mcconnell’s office happening right now. pic.twitter.com/Iu9wet6cXx
— Mariam Khan (@MKhan47) June 22, 2017
The Senate is expected to vote on the newly unveiled legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as early as next week.
