The office of Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) came under fire this week over an insensitive conversation one of his staffers had with a constituent looking for answers over her health care struggles.
Bev Veals, a three-time cancer survivor, told WRAL of how she has been reaching out to state lawmakers because her husband was furloughed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and she didn’t know what would happen to her health insurance as a result. After getting in contact with Tillis’ office, Veals ended up recording a phone call with one of his staffers after getting frustrated by his unsympathetic response to her medical concerns.
“You’re saying that, if you can’t afford it, you don’t get to have it, and that includes health care?” Veals asked.
“Yeah, just like if I want to go to the store and buy a new dress shirt,” the staffer replied. “If I can’t afford that dress shirt, I don’t get to get it”
“But health care is something that people need, especially if they have cancer,” Veals protested.
“Well, you got to find a way to get it,” the staffer responded.
“So what do I do in the meantime?” She asked
“Sounds like something you’re going to have to figure out,” he said.
WRAL sent Veals’ video to Tillis’ office, along with a request to interview the
This apology was not enough for Veals, who said “We need our legislators to listen to us and help us solve this problem because it’s not just my problem – not being able to afford health care. It’s the problem of hundreds and thousands of North Carolinians.”
Watch above, via WRAL.