People have signs against Medicaid against Medicaid and have a demonstration outside of West Virginia Senator Shelley Moore Capito in Charleston, W.VA.
Six people were arrested on Wednesday afternoon in the office of West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Moore Moore Capito in Charleston, West Virginia, when they tried to protest against proposed federal cuts against food aid and health programs.
Seven people came to the Capito office in the United Bank building in downtown Charleston to push Capito to choose no for the “a large, beautiful draft law”.
The group found that the office was closed to the public, they said in a press release. When they called the office, they were denied the chance to arrange a meeting, they said. A person who was apparently arrested in front of the other six.
According to a press release, the Charleston police department accused the six of the violation. This included the members of the Charleston City Council, Beth Kerns and Joe Solomon, together with the activist and a long-time Bishop priest Jim Lewis. The community members Lyn May, Paul Dalzell and Morgan Fowler were also arrested. The press release said the police answered a complaint and asked people to go, but rejected.
“My little girl is dependent on medicaid,” said Fowler in a statement on Wednesday. “My aunt survived a stroke, but if these Medicaid cuts go through, she will have no way to survive at all. Senator Capito claims to take care of West Virginia, but this law would reduce health care for our babies so that billionaires can buy larger boats.”
Outside the building, about a dozen more people gathered who gathered signs with news against the proposed cuts against Medicaid and Snap.
John Doyle, a retired resident of Charleston, held a sign that warned: “Snap saves life. Hands away.” Doyle said that the West Virginia invoice would harm especially for the enormous damage.
“I’m particularly concerned about Medicaid, Snap and other human services that are cut off,” said Doyle. “This is a state in which this entire economy – health care – is the largest employer in West Virginia. If you do not believe that this will affect the entire state, you are wrong.”
Charleston’s city councilor, Chelsea Steelhammer, was also the people who protested outside the building. Steelhammer said that she was motivated to protest through her work as a teacher.
“My students – many of them are dependent on Medicaid and Snap,” said Steelhammer. “If you have no health care, you are sick and do not learn. If you don’t have food, you are hungry and you don’t learn. And if you don’t learn, you will not succeed.”
Steelhammer said that if she could speak to Capito, she would tell her that she should listen to her voters.
“Just think about what will happen to these children,” she said.
Capito and Senator Jim Justice, both Republicans, have expressed support for adding work requirements for Medicaid.
In an explanation on Wednesday afternoon, Capito said that everyone should have the right to hear their voices in a respectful and peaceful way. She defended the suggestions for cutting snap and medicaid.
“Consider the Medicaid and Snap determinations used in the draft law that the Senate claimed to concentrate the programs for those who are justified and should be in them,” she said. “Our goal in the invoice is to root the waste, fraud and abuse of the programs to ensure that it is sustainable in the long term.”
They enable our work.
