That's me standing behind Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi as we stand watch at the Capitol last Thursday, the night the Senate voted yet again on an Affordable Care Act repeal. Or was it Repeal and Replace? Skinny Repeal? Who knows these days. What's accurate is that the current administration and its Republican colleagues in Congress want fundamental changes to the way health care functions in our country. And somehow this equates with dismantling the current system and ensuring millions lose care.
I'm trying to give the Capitol a side eye. I'm working on the technique.
This protest wasn't my original plan for a Thursday night. I went to Capitol Hill to attend a rooftop Sip 'n' See for the upcoming Diner en Blanc, a pop up party that brings together thousands of folks to dress in white and dine in an outside location. It's a whimsical event that is part of my bougie in the city life. As I sipped my wine, I couldn't help but look over to the Capitol and wonder what was going down. I felt a need to show up. To show my face and my displeasure at what seemed inevitable at that point (no, I didn't trust John McCain).
I hadn't heard about a protest, but surely there was one. I checked my goto planner, Twitter. Using the keywords"DC" and "protest," I found an image that MoveOn had posted just a couple of hours before, and their Facebook page listed meeting time and location.
This is what democracy looks like!
I arrived about 7:45, and there were maybe 15 people. That gave me second thoughts, but, hey, technically, meet up time was 8. I stuck it out, grabbed a sign and lined up behind the large banner. I had no idea what was about to transpire.
This night, I heard from Congresswoman Pelosi, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood and additional members of Congress. I also saw and heard stories from people who are affected by these policies. This includes the Little Lobbyists, ADAPT, and The Arc. Their stories and activism were incredibly moving. It felt good to be there, chant and be a witness to this historical moment.
Still, I was nervous. I didn't stay up to see how the vote turned out. I was exhausted physically and mentally. I woke about 4 a.m. and heard the measure had failed. I felt elation, a kind of elation that's been missing since last November. While I'm not sure that this will hold, I am grateful for this victory for the people. Thank you Senators Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski (and, you, too Senator McCain).