Democratic lawmakers staged an impromptu sit-in at the Capitol over TrumpCare
On Monday night, a group of Democratic lawmakers sat down on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to talk about Republicans' plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare. The impromptu event started with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) streaming a Facebook Live talk about TrumpCare, and it quickly grew from there.
Democratic Sens. Jeff Merkley (Ore.), Chris Murphy (Conn.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Brian Schatz (Hawaii), and Bob Casey (Penn.), among others, joined Booker and Lewis on the Capitol steps, as did a crowd of about 20 people. Ben Wikler, the Washington director of progressive public policy group Move On, estimated that by 11 p.m. ET Monday, "hundreds of people" were outside the U.S. Capitol "promising to show up every day this week to fight TrumpCare."
People shared stories about their life-saving health-care experiences, which Wikler tweeted out:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"I don't know if we beat TrumpCare," Wikler wrote. "But I know that tonight gave me hope for a movement that believes health care is a right."
This week, Senate Republicans are pushing to vote on their health-care bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated Monday that under the BCRA, an additional 22 million people would be uninsured by 2026 than under the current law, ObamaCare.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Octopuses could be the next big species after humans
UNDER THE RADAR What has eight arms, a beaked mouth, and is poised to take over the planet when we're all gone?
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Sudoku medium: December 23, 2024
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Crossword: December 23, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US economy still strong in final preelection report
Speed Read It grew at a solid 2.8% annual rate from July through September
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists reject deal, continue strike
Speed Read The rejection came the same day Boeing reported a $6.2 billion quarterly loss
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published