Chattanooga residents protest Trump’s healthcare bill

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Protesters marched through Chattanooga this evening, making sure their opinions about President Trump’s healthcare bill were heard.

Many people attending the protest and prayer service had a pre-existing condition. They say their health will be put in jeopardy if this bill passes.

Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center organized the event.

People marched down the street, carrying a fake body. Then a prayer service was held. They held signs listing their pre-existing condition. Some people attending were cancer survivors.

Organizers say they want to let Representative Chuck Fleischmann know how upset they were that he voted for the new healthcare bill. They say today’s march was about awareness and giving people a voice.

Beth Foster with the Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center said, “Another way that we can lift up the stories. A lot of people may not stop to read an article in the paper, but they are going to stop and look when they see people carrying a body through the street and singing hymns on a Friday night.”

One cancer survivor spoke out about the bill.

“At this present time I already pay $664 a month for insurance with a 2500 deductible and that could go up astronomically with this bill.” said cancer survivor Joann Flores.

Organizers say they will continue to hold demonstrations until there is a single payer healthcare system in the United States. They also urge people upset with the new healthcare bill, to contact their representatives.