Members of the Tea Party returned to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC to make a final push against US President Barack Obama's proposed healthcare overhaul.
As the US Congress prepares for a final vote on President Barack Obama’s massive healthcare overhaul, members of the Tea Party movement are back protesting on Capitol Hill. As lawmakers inside the Capitol pushed hard to get the final votes for the bill to pass, outside protestors were fighting their own battles.
“My outlook for this week is that we will change minds and represent differing ideas and that this health care bill will be defeated,” said protester Robin Stublen.Although many Americans are fed up with insurance companies making record profits and raising premiums for care, some Tea Partiers think that getting paid for your own hard work is what being American is all about.
Many brought petitions and letters to their congressional representatives and others who might be wavering on their vote.
“Unless we put our foot down and draw a line in the sand, we’re not gonna have any sand to draw a line in. The government’s just going to take it over,” said protester Jim Griffin.
Even if Congress approves the bill, the protestors say they aren’t going away.
“The Congressmen that vote yes, we will protest them, the protest will continue. We’ll protest their vote at their offices, in their districts. We’ll protest their vote at their events in their districts. We’re not going to stop protesting,” said Debbie Dooley, national coordinator for the Tea Party Patriots.