Within the past couple of weeks, the United States Senate has been on a mission to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, or as others call, it ObamaCare. This mission has been led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a senator from Kentucky, who since President Obama left office, has made it his goal to oust any reminisce of the Obama legacy with this form of healthcare. Since the introduction of the U.S. Senate Republicans health care bill, which many oppose on both sides of the aisle, the piling of criticism, protest, and frustration have left the United States unhinged.
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York is working to make sure that the bill does not set foot in his state, working alongside other state, city, and local elected officials who believe it will be detrimental to their constituents. One of the most recent events was the arrest of New York City Democratic Councilman Corey Johnson. He and hundreds of others were arrested after protesting outside of Senator Mitch McConnell’s office. Johnson, who is one of the candidates running for Speaker of the NYC Council, has been an activist for the LGBTQ community since he graduated high school and was unfortunately diagnosed with HIV, a pre-existing condition. As an elected official and Chair of the NYC Council Committee on Health, Johnson has fought for affordable health care in his community and doesn’t plan to stop fighting on all scales of government, whether it’s city, state, or federal.
Councilman Corey Johnson and the others arrested have not been the only ones arrested within the Capitol for civil disobedience. The number increases every day as people try to lend a voice to the elected officials planning to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Will his arrest create an even bigger uproar amongst his followers and how will it impact his candidacy for the speakership?