Demonstrators Tell Congressman To Meet Constituents, Save Obamacare

About 75 people rallied outside of Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick’s Middletown office Friday to bring attention to a variety of topics.

The rally included discussion on the recently-elected congressman’s lack of town halls and questions on his stance regarding the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare.

“I’m not saying the ACA is perfect, it’s a very complex issue,” said activist Steve Cickay of Newtown. The core issue is that the health insurance law shouldn’t be repealed without a plan to replace it, he added.

Signs held by those in attendance outside the congressman’s office at One Summit Trace read “Save the ACA,” “No Vouchers,” “Press is not the Enemy” and “Radicalized Mom.”

“Today, it’s about the Obamacare,” said Ro Moran, a resident of Langhorne who was demonstrating as a concerned voter. She held a sign that said, “I am not a paid protester.” Moran said she was rallying for Fitzpatrick to make sure Obamacare is not repealed without a replacement.

“People have to do this, and it is great to see ordinary people out here,” Cickay said as he looked out at the gathered crowd. Everyone gets sick, Cickay noted, and stated being heartless to people is not the way in which progress is made.

Noting the need for town halls in the district, Cickay relented that Fitzpatrick is doing a good job in meeting with private constituents, but the true learning and growing happens when multiple people with different points of view come together.

In addition to worry about healthcare being repealed, many of the protesters had something to say about Fitzpatrick’s lack of town hall meetings.

“Bring that same high regard for dialogue and the political process to us and host town halls,” one woman shouted during speeches.

Lansdale resident Betsey Pankoe, one of the organizers of the rally and a member of the Progressive Democrats of America, explained that the rally was a coordinated effort. According to Pankoe, the goal of the rally is to get in contact with a congressman who appears to the activists to be ducking the public and press.

Pankoe explained that she is not sure the rally will have an impact but hopes Fitzpatrick will make himself available to the press and his constituents.

Groups of demonstrators made their way up to the fourth floor office occupied by Fitzpatrick and talked to his staff, who they said listened to them and were receptive to their comments. The congressman was out of the office at the time.

“It went really well,” one man said as he left the office.

In an early January statement and interview with NewtownPANow.com, Fitzpatrick has affirmed his stance on the repeal of Obamacare as being irresponsible without an existing bill to replace the law or to fix it.

“We need to proceed in fixing our healthcare system in a responsible, deliberate manner. That means any changes or improvements to our current system must ensure both the continuity of coverage and the continuity of patient protection provisions, and should be undertaken in a bipartisan fashion,” Fitzpatrick said in a statement.