RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Hundreds of people have gathered for a rally outside the Virginia Capitol to oppose Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.
High-ranking Democrats including Sen. Tim Kaine, Gov. Terry McAuliffe and U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott and Donald McEachin spoke to the crowd Sunday in Richmond. The rally was one of many around the country in support of the federal health care law, which President-elect Donald Trump has promised to overturn and replace.
Elsewhere in the Commonwealth, it was standing room only in the Charles Houston Recreation Center gymnasium in Alexandria, Virginia, where hundreds of supporters showed up for a rally aimed at saving Obamacare. A similar event was held in Bowie, Maryland.
It’s SRO at Alexandria rally — one of many across nation aimed at saving Obamacare pic.twitter.com/AXHPGLuOuZ
— Dick Uliano (@DickUliano) January 15, 2017
In Richmond, speakers said the law had expanded access to health care and emphasized the importance of provisions that limit lifetime caps on coverage and prevent insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions.
Attendee Kate Barrett of Richmond says she worries that if the law is repealed, her daughter, who has an incurable cancer, could be denied coverage or become unable to afford treatment.
WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
