Protesters Storm Graham-Cassidy Health Care Hearing: ‘Kill the Bill, Don’t Kill Us’
Sen. Hatch: “If you want a hearing you’d better shut up.”
Protesters: “No cuts to Medicaid, saved our liberty.”#GrahamCassidy pic.twitter.com/XAAMVHbKiG— CSPAN (@cspan) September 25, 2017
A congressional hearing on the Graham-Cassidy health care bill was unable to proceed after protesters inside the room began chanting in opposition to the Obamacare repeal effort.
The protesters included members of disabled rights groups, health care advocates, and left-wing activists. Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican from Utah, attempted to bring order to the room, saying, “If you can’t be in order then get the heck out of here.”
Hatch’s request was met with a chorus of anti-repeal chants, including “Save our Medicare!” and “Kill the bill, don’t kill us!” Police then took cues from the GOP senator and began escorting protesters out of the space, some of which had to be rolled out in their wheelchairs — which made for a bad visual for the already unpopular repeal effort.
Below is more video from the loud protest, including an up close shot of a woman in a wheelchair being dragged out by a police officer:
Wow. pic.twitter.com/VOlQHBksPy
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) September 25, 2017
WATCH @NationalADAPT activists, including many in wheelchairs, arrested outside Graham-Cassidy hearing pic.twitter.com/DcGspgTU2k
— Kira Lerner (@kira_lerner) September 25, 2017
Bill Cassidy doesn’t seem to be phased. pic.twitter.com/3Ioi7aa2ZH
— Matt Fuller (@MEPFuller) September 25, 2017
Police remove protester as demonstrators shout “No Cuts to Medicaid, save our liberty” at hearing on health care bill. (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/Z769C7BmUe
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 25, 2017
“If you want a hearing, you better shut up,” Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch says as protesters chant “No cuts to Medicaid.” pic.twitter.com/xBU9qiJXmi
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) September 25, 2017
Watch above, via CSPAN.
[featured image via screengrab]
Follow Caleb Ecarma on Twitter.
