Protesters occupied the offices of Senators Jon Husted of Ohio, Jim Justice of West Virginia, and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, demanding they reject Republican-led efforts to cut Medicaid.
Inside the congressional office building, demonstrators filled the hallways with emotional outcries and urgent pleas of “Don’t Cut Medicaid!”
The non-violent protest concluded with Capitol Police arresting nine demonstrators, who were charged with DC 22-1307: Crowding, Obstructing, & Incommoding.
“This bill isn’t a policy. It’s genocide disguised as policy,” said Jennifer Flynn Walker of Popular Democracy in Action, who participated in the civil disobedience. “We are putting our bodies on the line because our lives depend on it.”
The proposed Medicaid cuts would remove coverage from at least 16 million Americans.
The act of civil disobedience followed a rally where over 200 people from various organizations, including Popular Democracy in Action, joined forces with Senators Ron Wyden of Oregon, Raphael Warnock of Georgia, Bernie Sanders of Vermont, and Representatives Chuy Garcia of Illinois, Pramila Jayapal of Washington, Debbie Dingell of Michigan, and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to demand no cuts to Medicaid.
