Raleigh News & Observer: Yellow tape awaits protesters at Tillis’ office
Thom Tillis is taking extra precautions to avoid speaking with his constituents. He’s not answering phone calls, not accepting mail and not allowing folks to enter his offices to leave messages or speak with him. He even has police tape blocking the entrance to one of his offices in North Carolina. Tillis is going to be responsible for voting for or against TrumpCare and he is unwilling to meet with the people he is representing with that vote. Sen. Tillis said once that he would vote for anything to repeal the ACA so we must continue to pressure him.
Health-care protests around the state have focused on Tillis, including two outside his home on Lake Norman. On Fridays the past two weeks, liberal advocacy group Progress NC loaded boats with protesters and chanted while floating near Tillis’ house.
[Floating health care protest held outside Tillis’ lake home]
Groups that have gathered at the Raleigh office in recent weeks include Indivisible NC, Progress NC, and NC Piedmont Democratic Socialists of America.
Michael Eisenberg of Raleigh, a regular protester, posted a video on Twitter complaining that he could not deliver the letter to the office. In the video, Eisenberg said this is “how fascism starts.”
At Tillis’ office in High Point, protesters posted videos on Facebook complaining they could no longer stand in front of the office to protest. They were told to protest across the street at the public park.
Senate Republicans released a new version of their health care repeal-and-replace bill on Thursday. Tillis said he would vote in support of the procedural step needed to move toward a vote on the plan.
“I look forward to carefully reviewing the changes made to the Better Care Act,” he said in a statement. “From what I’ve already seen, major improvements have been made, including a significantly bigger investment to combat and treat opioid addiction, and more funding to help control the rising costs of premiums for individuals and families,” he wrote.
