As final healthcare reform vote nears, GOP Congressmen encourage protests
By Jon H. Harsch
© Copyright Agri-Pulse Communications, Inc.
Washington, March 21 – As both Democrats and Republicans continued complex parliamentary maneuvers and impassioned House floor exchanges inside the Capitol this weekend over healthcare legislation, protestors outside held a loud rally, chanting slogans such as “Kill the Bill,” “Nancy,” “You Lie,” “We won’t go until you say no,” “Waterboard Congress,” “Liberty,” “USA,” and “It’s our money.”
Encouraging the crowd, Rep. Steve Buyer (R-IN) called the rally a mixture of Tea Party activists and other protestors and thanked them for “showing up, defending liberty.” He said he hoped that one million protesters will surround the Capitol “until the bill is killed.”
Also thanking the crowd for showing up, Rep. Steve King (R-IA) told them that “never before have the American people surrounded the Capitol like the walls of Jericho.” He urged what he called “Constitutional conservatives” to help “stop this bad bill now. Your voices are echoing in the Rules Committee now.” His remarks sparked a louder than ever chant of “Kill the bill.”
Rep. Ted Poe (D-TX) told the crowd that “This bill is unconstitutional because it forces you to buy something whether you want to or not.” He called on the protestors to help “Defeat this government takeover of your personal liberty.”
Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-KS) told the protesters “Stay with this, this fight’s going on, we can be victorious because you’re here and we’re listening and we’re going to go up there and not only vote no, we’re going to vote hell no!”
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