Dana Rohrabacher's Office Focus Of Affordable Healthcare Act Rally: Aliso Viejo

ALISO VIEJO, CA — In what has been called a hastily approved bill, Californians are rallying at state representatives offices to draw attention to millions who will suffer should the current pending health-care bill return to the House.

Throughout the day Tuesday, union representatives and health-care advocates held rallies outside the offices of four Southland congressional Republicans who voted in favor of the House version of the health care bill, calling on them to oppose the proposal pending in the Senate if it returns to the House.

One rally began at 10 a.m. at the office of Rep. Dana Rohrabacher in Huntington Beach, according to Rachel Linn-Gish, Director of Communications for Health Access California. [Health Access California] is the statewide consumer advocacy group.

READ: Rohrabacher was lampooned last week for his questions to NASA regarding ancient civilizations on Mars.

"Our role is to co-chair the fight for our health coalition," Linn-Gish said. "We have gathered over 150 different organizations from across the state, mobilizing, organizing and educating others against the repeal of affordable care act."

The crowd of hundreds gathered at Rohrabacher's Huntington Beach offices, including representatives from the group Indivisible OC 48, Planned Parenthood and Congressional Candidate, neuroscience Dr.Hans Keirstead.

According to Health Access California statistics:

Over five million Californians rely on direct help through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), either to get their coverage through the Medicaid (Medi-Cal) expansion, or to get financial assistance to afford a private health plan through Covered California. Over 1.2 million Californians who receive these direct benefits live in districts where their Congress member voted for a repeal proposal that would cut these benefits. Including the broader cut and caps to the whole of the Medi-Cal program, over 3.6 million residents in these districts would face cuts to their care.

In Rohrabacher's district, over 90,000 Orange County residents are receiving direct financial assistance from the Affordable Care Act. The 48th district includes Seal Beach, Sunset Beach, Huntington Beach, Midway City, parts of Westminster, Fountain Valley, parts of Santa Ana, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Aliso Viejo, Laguna Beach, and Laguna Niguel.

Patch editors have reached out to his office for comment, however a statement released on the Congressman's website in June of 2017, shared his response to the vote on the Affordable Healthcare Act, saying:

Obamacare was on its own deathbed, risking the health of all Americans as its inevitable end drew closer. Rather than make healthcare more affordable, as the Democrats promised eight years ago, the Obamacare bureaucracy managed to price health insurance out of reach for more and more Americans. As insurance providers of necessity pulled out of a growing number of states, and with doctors themselves quitting, ordinary Americans faced the peril of losing their coverage. Congress was obliged to address the looming crisis. The Republican healthcare proposal takes us in the right direction. While a different approach, it is no less committed to covering Americans with pre-existing conditions. What we sent to the Senate may not satisfy everyone, but it's vastly superior to the failing Obamacare monstrosity. Ronald Reagan used to say, "The ‘status quo’ in Latin means the mess we're in." I'm proud to support the Republican healthcare alternative rather than just maintain the status quo.

Additional gatherings will be held at noon at the office of Rep. Mimi Walters, 333 Michelson Drive, suite 230, Irvine; and at 6 p.m. at the offices of Rep. Ed Royce, 210 Birch St., Brea, and Rep. Steve Knight, 1008 West Avenue, M-14, Palmdale.

Of those who have showed up to rally, Tuesday, the people are speaking according to Linn-Gish.

"One, they are not happy, and two, they are telling their congressmen: don't vote for a rushed version (of the healthcare bill) if it comes back to the house (as is,)" Linn-Gish said.

At noon in Irvine, Walters' district, led by OC labor federation. A coalition, people on the ground all over the place. We are unhappy with the vote that she took in the house, and we are trying to get across the harm that will be caused if it goes back to the senate.

Later, at 6 p.m., Rep. Edward Royce's Brea office will be the focus of attention.

"There are five million Californians who benefited from the medicaid expansion and received subsidies who will be directly affected on day one, should the bill be passed" Linn-Gish said.

Photo, courtesy Congressman Rohrabacher's Website