Yet, in what's become an increasingly common theme for the Trump administration, the entire narrative on the debate had flipped in a matter of hours later in the week, and the ACA appears safe for the time being. Despite this success, progressive activists weren't ready to rest on their laurels; they gathered at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park in downtown Tampa in a protest in which they stressed that the most recent healthcare victory only brings a small break.
“We're here in regards to the fight to protect the ACA and healthcare,” said Stephanie Garza of the group For Florida's Future. "We're making sure that our voices are heard and we want everyone to know in Florida that this fight is not over. The Republican repeal effort failed this week but that doesn't mean we're going to stop making our voices heard.”
Saturday's event was one of ten events across Florida and brought out groups covering nearly all of the Bay Area's progressive activism bases, including Mi Familia Vota, Planned Parenthood, Florida Voices for Health, Hillsborough County DEC, Congresswoman Kathy Castor’s office, Hillsborough County Democratic Hispanic Caucus, Hillsborough County Democratic Disability Caucus, New Tampa Democratic Club, Women’s March Pinellas, Surly Feminists for the Revolution, OFA, Women’s March Tampa/Hillsborough and Fight for $15. All were able to apply the far-reaching consequences a repeal of the ACA would potentially unleash on their causes, from Blue Rainer of Fight for $15 speaking of the realities of a low-wage worker crushed even further should they have health problems to Phil Compton of Suncoast Sierra Club applying the consequences of increased pollution to public health. It was emphasized that beyond all else they wanted to accomplish, there needed to be a united front on such a major issue.
“At this point it's people before politics,” said Lisa Perry of the Women's March. “We are Americans and we should come together to find solutions to the things that need to be fixed without abandoning the people of America. … We have to stay vigilant, we have to stand together. Healthcare should not be a partisan issue. The way that the Trumpcare plan was put together behind closed doors without public hearings is ridiculous. That's not the American way that's not the democratic way.”
The way in which Republicans in the U.S. Senate created and rallied for their Obamacare replacement bill — i.e., behind closed doors without a lot of time for senators and their staff to review it — got a lot of criticism, and health care advocates think it likely wouldn't be long before the next attack on the ACA/Obamacare will spring from the shadows while the Trump administration distracts the public with a fog of other controversies. It was hard for activists to be celebratory when the Trump administration, which campaigned on the promise of immediate repeal, was thwarted only by a single “no” vote from Senator John McCain (R-Arizona). Saturday's rally spoke more of need to double down, to hold on to this win and make it as much of an advantage as they possibly could, even — as if it were remotely possible — coming together for a bipartisan solution.
“We can't take away the Affordable Healthcare Act without having some sort of replacement on board for it,” said Elizabeth Lanier of the Surly Feminists for the Revolution. “We have to reach across the aisles and come together as Democrats and Republicans and come together or fix the Act. It's not perfect, it never was perfect and it was never meant to be perfect. Folks need to contact their Senators, contact their Governors, everybody on a State and Federal level and ask them to put party politics aside and start working for the good of the American people.”
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 3, 2017.