Colorado congressman enthusiastically booed at town hall after supporting the GOP health-care bill


A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Republican Rep. Mike Coffman (Colo.) faced the wrath of angry constituents Wednesday night as the crowd at his town hall made clear its displeasure with his decision to support Paul Ryan's health-care bill, which would have repealed the Affordable Care Act but failed to muster enough support to go to vote. "That's not the way we do things here in Colorado," said one man who identified as Republican. "The ACA is the law of the land. What will you do to revise, strengthen, and bolster ObamaCare?"
A woman in the health-care industry who said she had a preexisting medical condition offered Coffman a choice: "Are you going to side with Trump or are you going to ... stand with your constituents?"
Coffman was first elected to the House in 2008, but the fury directed at him Wednesday reflects the tough re-election he'll have next year, when he faces Democratic candidate Jason Crow, a former Army ranger. Coffman is hardly the first Republican to come under fire at a town hall this year, either: In the days leading up to the proposed vote for the health-care bill, many Republicans faced boos, ultimatums, and heckling. Some Republicans went as far as to respond by dismissing that the people in the room were actually their constituents.
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.
For his part, CNN described Coffman as appearing "to take the frequent 'booing' in good humor," although he agreed to protect the coverage of people with preexisting conditions and he quickly jumped to say White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer "needs to go."
High school teacher and self-described Democrat Susan Gilbert said Coffman shouldn't have been surprised by the audience's mood. "If he was listening to the public and looking at all the letters and phone calls and postcards, he should have been more perceptive," she said.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
FDA to re-evaluate effectiveness of common nasal congestion ingredient
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
A flesh-eating bacteria is growing in numbers due to climate change
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
CDC recommends new RSV vaccine for infants under 8 months
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
U.S. health agency advises easing federal marijuana restrictions
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Medicare drug price negotiations start with 1st 10 drugs, pharmaceutical industry lawsuits
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Air pollution may be increasing antibiotic resistance, new research suggests
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
Tick bites could cause an allergy to red meat, CDC says
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
The danger of drinking too much water
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published