Protesters voice concerns outside Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ town hall

Caroline Rourke by Caroline Rourke

Cathy McMorris Rodgers held a town hall at Gonzaga University Thursday night.

Protesters who could not get into the town hall organized a rally to discuss their concerns.

Their goal is to show that Congresswoman that even though seats at her town hall were limited and reserved quickly, they’re still here, and they want their voices heard.

Healthcare is a big topic for many of the folks protesting outside the town hall, given that Cathy McMorris Rodgers was the sole Washington congressional representative to vote in favor of it.

The push to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act has been on Darci Ladwig’s mind for a while now.

Her 14-year-old daughter Zoe has Cerebral Palsy, among other health issues.

“She relies on Medicaid and the protections of the Affordable Care Act to access the community and to actually live,” said Ladwig.

Darci Ladwig spoke in person with Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers to ask that she not support the AHCA. The Congresswoman voted in favor of the house bill back in May.

“I felt like it really let my daughter down and all of the people in our community really,” said Ladwig.

Ladwig was one of the speakers at a rally before the town hall Thursday night, hosted by a group that is also disappointed in the congresswoman for what they say is a lack of accessibility.

Thursday night’s town hall is Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ first town hall since the 2016 election.

In January, Fuse hosted their own town hall and invited the congresswoman. She didn’t attend, but 800 other people did.

The 300 spots available for Thursday night’s event were all claimed in under an hour.

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