Tourists pelted the Democratic Doctors Caucus outside House Speaker Mike Johnson’s (R-La.) office on Wednesday, interrupting a press conference.
House Democrats held news conferences all around the Capitol on Wednesday to criticize the $3.3 trillion measure as Congress hurries to adopt it before the self-imposed deadline of July 4.
A news conference was scheduled to be held at Statuary Hall, a space just down the hall from the House speaker’s office, by the Democratic Doctors Caucus, which consisted of the six Democratic physicians sitting in the House of Representatives.
Evidently taking note of the massive group of media encircling Johnson’s office during the last-minute discussions with member holdouts, the caucus rescheduled their press conference to be held just outside the speaker’s office. In front of the packed corridor, the Democratic physicians put on their white coats and started to deliver their prepared speeches.
Tourists poured into the press conference as they made their way from the Rotunda, past Johnson’s office, and into Statuary Hall; this location is a key tourist route.
Members were told by police to line up on one side of the hallway and the journalists on the other.
Because tour operators and visitors spoke over the journalists’ comments, the outcome was useless to them. Nobody could hear what the Democrats had to say.
Also, when police battled to maintain the area open during their news conference, it caused a bit of a traffic bottleneck for tourists going between the two places.
Since Trump’s election in November, Democrats have been vocal in their opposition to any reductions to Medicaid. The CBO estimates that by 2034, at least 10 million individuals will be uninsured as a result of Trump’s megabill.
Democrats have persisted in protesting the anticipated Medicaid cuts, despite Trump’s denials and Republicans’ claims that the law just eliminates program waste, fraud, and abuse.
Despite the Democratic Doctors Caucus’ best efforts, the constant stream of visitors making their way from the Rotunda to Statuary Hall on Wednesday rendered their intended statements about the potential harm that Medicaid cuts may inflict on hospitals during their news conference completely inaudible.