All across the country, Republican lawmakers are coming home to angry constituents demanding answers on the future of healthcare coverage. Among those lawmakers is Representative Gus Bilirakis, who has heard from hundreds of people asking him not to vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare.
- About 50 protesters at Bilirakis's office in Tarpon Springs today
- Bilirakis: "Obamacare is broken. There is only one provider in Pasco County."
- Trump administration dismisses protests as paid for by Democrats
Specifically, Bilirakis has held three town hall meetings in District 12 over the past few weeks. He's been there to listen to people's concerns, but those opinions have not affected his stance.
"It's democracy in action," said Rep. Bilirakis. "I have a duty to listen to my district, but I will tell you that Obamacare is broken. There is only one provider in Pasco County. That's not good. People need choices. Premiums are too high. Deductibles are too high"
Protesters were back at Bilirakis's office in Tarpon Springs on Thursday. About 50 people showed up to make clear to Bilirakis their opinions.
"You can't just take away health care from millions of people and leave them stranded," said Sarah Hurtado of New Port Richey. "It's a situation of life and death."
On the national level, the Trump administration has dismissed protests across the country as largely paid for by Democratic operatives.
Protesters outside of Representative Bilirakis's office on Thursday denied that assertion.
"No. Not at all," said resident George Pope. "I've just been inspired by the change in administration and what has been going on. I don't think even Trump supporters realized what they were gonna get."