Activists spend 24 hours in GOP senator’s office to protest ObamaCare repeal

Hey @SenCoryGardner we ain't leaving your denver office till you vote NO pic.twitter.com/jRaMZIihI3
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 27, 2017
A group of disability activists spent 24 hours in Sen. Cory Gardner’s (R-Colo.) Denver office starting Tuesday to protest against the Senate GOP ObamaCare repeal bill.
Protesters arrived at 9:30 a.m., and a handful refused to leave at the end of the day, the Denver Post reported. Most of the group that spent the night in Gardner’s office uses wheelchairs.
The group said in social media posts that they were locked into the office and threatened with arrest if they didn’t leave.
But Gardner aides said the activists weren’t asked to leave and even had a staff member stay in the office overnight with them.
Hey @SenCoryGardner we ain’t leaving your denver office till you vote NO pic.twitter.com/jRaMZIihI3
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 27, 2017
Cops are coming we rowdy “RATHER GO TO JAIL THAN DIE WITHOUT MEDICAID!” #ADAPTandRESIST pic.twitter.com/fEqSfdFdf2
— WheelchairSportsCamp (@wcsportscamp) June 27, 2017
“We don’t plan to go anywhere. We’ll be here all night. The only way you get us out of here is by promising to vote no” pic.twitter.com/DHymuRXKMv
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) June 28, 2017
Holy hell THEY ARE STILL THERE — 22.5 hours (!) after arriving, ADAPT activists keep up sit-in @ Sen. Gardner’s Denver office over TrumpCare pic.twitter.com/brCg1tGP0Z
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_Vox) June 28, 2017
{mosads}”The senator’s state director spoke with them earlier today to ensure he listened to all of their concerns regarding potential health care legislation,” a Gardner spokesman told the Denver Post.
“The organization currently in the office has spoken to Senator Gardner several times and are in constant contact with his health care policy staff regarding requested reforms to our health care system.”
Senate GOP leadership on Tuesday delayed a vote to advance the legislation until after the July 4 recess.
“If anything, we have to double our efforts now that the bill was delayed, not back off,” a protester said.
A Congressional Budget Office score released Monday found the Senate bill would leave 22 million more people without insurance, compared to present law, over the next decade.
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