Feeling the Heat: Constituents Send Clear Message to House Republicans Over Recess

Feeling the Heat: Constituents Send Clear Message to House Republicans Over Recess

Over the recess, protestors and volunteers turned out at parades, attended town halls, and wrote to their local papers to send a clear message to House Republicans: do your jobs and stop assaulting our healthcare. After spending the first half of this year backing a wildly unpopular health care repeal bill and hiding from their constituents in the process, vulnerable House Republicans spend the week surrounded by more rally signs, protests, and negative coverage.

“Over the recess, the American people made it clear that they are as motivated as ever to stand united against the House Republicans’ harmful and unpopular agenda,” said DCCC spokesperson Tyler Law. “This week provided yet another stark reminder that the House passage of repeal and ripoff will haunt every single vulnerable Republican through Election Day, regardless of what the Senate does.”

Keep in mind that August recess is just around the corner, and that promises to be a whole lot worse for Washington Republicans.

National Stories:

• New York Times: G.O.P. Support of Senate Health Repeal Erodes During Break

• “House Republicans are watching the efforts in the Senate with concern. They passed their own bill this spring that has proved unpopular, and they will not be pleased to have taken a difficult vote only to have the Senate punt, perhaps the worst-case situation for them as they prepare to defend their majority next year. Many shied away from town hall-style meetings during the recess to avoid engaging with voters and protesters on the issue.”
• Washington Post: At Parades And Protests, GOP Lawmakers Get Earful About Health Care
  • “Republicans, who skipped the usual committee process in the hopes of passing a bill quickly, are spending the Fourth of July recess fending off protesters, low poll numbers and newspaper front pages that warn of shuttered hospitals and 22 million people being shunted off their insurance.”
• New York Times: Senate Republicans Lay Low On The Fourth, Or Face Single-Minded Pressure

Here are the stories, images, and tweets from around the country:

• AZ-02:
  • Green Valley News: EDITORIAL: Time For Mcsally To Take A Stand
  • Arizona Daily Star Column: We’re Getting The Shaft On Health Care
    • “All three — Senators John McCain and Jeff Flake, and Representative Martha McSally — are Republicans. And all three seem more interested in working for the Republican party and their base of donors and supporters than for the other people they represent.”

• CA-10:

• Modesto Bee Op-Ed: On Health Care, Protecting Our Savings And Our Homes, Denham Is Doing A Lousy Job
  • “If my health coverage is Medicare or Medicaid (MediCal in California), Denham is not representing me. He supported the House bill that slashed federal money from those programs. If I have a pre-existing condition, Denham is not representing me.”

• CA-25:
• LA Times: Democrats protest outside Rep. Steve Knight’s office with an eye toward 2018
• The Signal: Knight addresses protesters at SCV office

• CA-45:
  • Politico California Playbook: “Constituents of Rep. Mimi Walters have complained that she hasn’t held a town hall meeting in her CA-45 district since announcing her support — and casting her vote — for Obamacare repeal…A non-partisan, grassroots coalition of citizens lined the Lake Forest 4th of July Parade route today to reach Rep. Mimi Walters. About 25 constituents held signs and chanted “Country Before Party” as Rep. Walters passed by in a Mercedes.”
  • Constituents hold signs protesting Walters’ AHCA vote and demanding she hold a town hall (see more photos here)

Photo Credit: Google Photos

• TWEET: “It doesn’t get any more American than this: Constituents from #CA45 finding ways to let their rep know what’s important to them”

—Marie Clark‏ (@KristenDefiant), July 4^th, 2017

• CA-49:
  • Video: Protestors attend the Oceanside Independence Parade on July 1, donning signs and chants holding him accountable for his voting record

Photo Credit: Health Access California

• IA-03:
  • Omaha World Herald: Midlanders have lots of opinions on health care, but lawmakers have few public events this holiday break to hear them

• ME-02:
  • News WOKV: Parades Become Backdrop For Debate On GOP Push On Health Care

• TWEET: “Best part of Independence Day? Yelling at @BrucePoliquin about health care at the Bangor parade and watching him try to become invisible.”

—Rich Kimball (@DowntownRichK) July 4^th, 2017

• Bangor Daily News op-ed: Bruce Poliquin is not accessible to all his constituents
• MN-03:
  • WCCO: Protesters Take Rep. Paulsen’s Parade Spot After No-Show
• “ Erik Paulsen is taking heat for being a no-show at Edina’s Fourth of July parade. The Republican was listed in the official online parade program, including the one that was distributed Tuesday morning. John Swon, the chair of the parade, said that a Paulsen representative called him Sunday to say that the congressman had a scheduling conflict and would not be able to attend the parade… Paulsen has faced a string of protests for his lack of in-person town hall meetings since the November election.”

• KXRA: Protesters Take Congressman Paulsen’s Parade Spot After No-Show

• “A Minnesota congressman is taking heat for being a no-show at Edina’s Fourth of July parade. […] In Paulsen’s stead, protesters from his district took his place in the parade.  A possible opponent in the 2018 D-F-L election, Dean Phillips, criticized the congressman for not showing up.”
  • Daily Kos: Protesters fill in for no-show Republican at Fourth of July parade
    • “Republican Rep. Erik Paulsen didn’t show up at a Fourth of July parade where he was expected on Tuesday, leaving a gap that protesters and his possible challenger quickly filled in, along with questions about Paulsen’s absence.”

• TWEET: “@RepErikPaulsen was a No Show for the Edina Parade so @IndivisibleMN03 took his place!  Typical Erik, never shows up for his constituents.”

— Clara Severson‏ (@clarajseverson), July 4^th, 2017

• TWEET: “So he voted for the health care bill w/o holding a single town hall in 2017 + today flaked on his parade appearance 😳”

—Town Hall Project (@townhallproject), July 4^th, 2017

• NE-02:
  • TWEET:  “@IndivisibleOmah.@DonJBacon How does it feel to get bird dogged at every 4th parade you & your entourage marched in? We See you soon. #indivisible”

—Indivisible Omaha (@IndivisibleOmaha ), July 4^th, 2017

• NJ-07:
  • TapIntoWestfield: Congressman Lance Speaks with ‘Country Before Party’ Protesters in Westfield
    • “Protestors congregated around Lisa O’Dwyer, a member of Westfield 20/20, on Wednesday evening as she, dressed in full colonial garb, read a proclamation demanding that Congressman Leonard Lance put country before party during the Trump Administration.”

• NJ-11:
  • Newark Star-Ledger EDITORIAL: Frelinghuysen’s Only ‘Concern’ Is His Political Survival
    • “It had been 1,470 days since Frelinghuysen met with constituents. The number of people who feel betrayed by him probably reaches six digits. Frelinghuysen needs to engage them all – not at some pancake breakfast or middle school art show or choreographed telephone chinwag, but in a place where he must defend a voting record that would make Scott Garrett blush.”

• NY-22
  • WICZ: Citizen Action Urges Tenney To “Declare Independence” From GOP And Save Health Care
    • “Citizen Action gathered outside of Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s Downtown Binghamton office on Court Street and then marched to the First Congressional Church in an effort to urge her to vote no on a healthcare repeal.”

• NY-19
  • Oneonta Daily Star: Faso gets earful about health care vote
  • The Daily Star: County Drops Support Of Faso’s Health Clause
    • “The Otsego County Board of Representatives shelved a resolution backing Rep. John Faso’s amendment in the American Health Care Act after a standing-room-only crowd spent an hour in Privilege of the Floor comments speaking against the idea at the Board’s July meeting… The outspoken crowd was unanimous against the resolution, and included several doctors and medical administrators as well as two trustees from the village of Cooperstown.”
  • com: “County Board Pulls Motion Backing Faso’s AHCA Move”

• NY-21:
• Post-Star: Mobile democracy: Constituents yearn to speak to, hear from Rep. Stefanik
• Post-Star: EDITORIAL: District size should not limit political debate in North Country

• SD-AL:
• Rapid City Journal: Noem faces heat over health care bill

• VA-10:
  • Blue Virginia: Rep. Barbara Comstock’s Constituents On The March In July 4 Parade
    • “In years past, Comstock’s campaign team has been largely unopposed at the Leesburg parade. This year, however, Dump Comstock members were out in force, handing out their own lawn signs, buttons and bumper stickers.”