Volunteers gather to protest Tea Party Republicans’ opposition to healthy legislation.
Protesters rallied in support of Medicaid expansion in Michigan on Monday. They met at the GOP Victory Center in Livonia — which, not surprisingly, was closed. But they were undaunted, with three speakers making their voices heard on the importance of Medicaid expansion as a crowd, including two local TV stations, gathered to listen.
Robin Edwards, a Field Organizer with the Michigan Democratic Party (MDP), considers the rally a success.
A gentleman who was there dressed up as a Tea Partier made sure everyone knew there was no one at the GOP office — again. We left a cracked tea pot there as an award for Senator Patrick Colbeck, whose ‘alternative’ proposal for Medicaid expansion isn’t really support for Medicaid expansion at all.
Sen. Colbeck’s alternative bill is one of two being considered by the Michigan Senate, in addition to bona fide Medicaid expansion already passed by the House. It’s expected a vote could take place at the end of the month, but considering all the delays so far there are no guarantees.
Emily Todebush spoke out in support of Medicaid expansion at the rally.
Today was another example of folks coming together to show how much Medicaid expansion means to them. We wanted to urge Senator Colbeck for a vote, but he seemed to be out of the office. I’m disappointed that he doesn’t share in our concerns to get hundreds of thousands of Michiganders — some of them children — covered.
Joshua Pugh, Communications Director for the MDP, had this to say:
Grassroots volunteers are fired up and holding rallies all over Michigan because they know that expanding Medicaid is the right call for Michigan. Republican politicians in the Senate are simply stalling to appease fringe Tea Party elements who can’t even get basic facts straight about this critical legislation. By choosing to play politics, they’re not only hurting 500,000 uninsured Michiganders – they’re costing our state $7 million every day after we miss the January 1st deadline, which at this point is all but assured according to Gov. Snyder’s director of the Department of Community Health. Michiganders are fed up with needless politics that hurt working families. It’s time for Republican politicians to do the right thing and expand Medicaid.
More rallies are in the works, and we’ll pass along details as we have them.
In the meantime, contact your Senator to voice your support for Medicaid expansion.
[Photos courtesy of Jill Farber-Bramson & Dr. Allan Bramson.]
