Last Friday (January 13), the House passed a budget resolution that would start the process of dismantling Obamacare. The motion to repeal Obamacare has been done without any clear plan for replacement, which has been concerning to both Democrats and Republicans.
Slate reported that yesterday (January 14), Rep. Mike Coffman – one of the Republicans who voted for repealing Obamacare – held a public event at a library for his constituents in Aurora, Colorado. At this event, Coffman was going to provide a forum for his constituents to ask about his recent vote, as well as any possible plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act. But out of the 150 people who showed up, only 70 were actually able to meet with Coffman – and he only allowed four people into the room for just a few minutes at once. It certainly wasn't an issue of space, as the library room was reportedly big enough to hold much more than four individuals.
For the people who showed up to the public event, the answers they were seeking were a matter of life and death. One woman named Berthie Ruoff told NBC 9, "My husband passed away and the only way I was able to get insurance was through the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare." Ruoff is now worried about what the future looks like for her. She also explained to Slate, "I am potentially going to lose my health insurance. I've had a preexisting condition. I've had breast cancer. What's going to happen to me? My spouse who had health insurance passed away. What do I do? You know, what am I supposed to do?"
Reporters who were on the scene captured photos of the massive crowds hoping to speak with Coffman.
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While they waited, the constituents sang to pass the time.
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Ultimately, Coffman did not wait to see everyone. Instead of meeting with all of his constituents, Slate reported that Coffman left the event early, leaving through a back door of the library. In a video that captured the moment, you can hear people yelling at Coffman, demanding that he listen to everyone in the crowd.
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Coffman later issued a statement which read, "Rep. Mike Coffman routinely hosts constituent one on one meetings across the district. Constituents are invited to meet individually with the congressman to express their opinions, seek help with a range of issues, and discuss legislation. Given the volume of people who came, the Congressman met with four people at a time for five minutes each for a total of more than 70 constituents."
Related: With the Threat of Repeal, People Are Sharing Their Stories of Why We Need to #SaveACA
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