Thursday and Friday, March 16-17, Move On and partners, including Daily Kos, are participating in 12-hour stakeouts at Congressional offices around the country.
When I left at 2pm, we’d had about 50 folks come out to hold signs and come together to protect healthcare and protest Trumpcare.
We handed out fliers with information to passersby, and supporters were encouraged to write letters and postcards to Senator Portman. Then, individuals or small groups went into his offices on the lofty 30th floor to deliver those messages to staff members. This ensured the staff knew we were there, since they are 30 floors up, that’s a real barrier to a protest on the street.
Having people write letters and postcards on site and delivering them to the office was exceptionally cool. Most people didn’t know you could drop letters off to staff. Well, you can, as a constituent go into the office as an individual or small group with little trouble. Try it where you are!
Portman’s staff listened to the concerns and collected the letters. Some of the women shared their struggles with healthcare over disabled and aging family members, covering their children while not working, and many other concerns that have been alleviated by Obamacare.
Activists shared stories about how often and how long they spend contacting their elected officials—sometimes as many as six hours a day.
Thank you to everyone who came out in Cincinnati, and around the country.
For those of us in Ohio, Portman’s vote is critical, as he’s on record opposing cuts to Medicare.
Did you attend a stakeout? If so, tell us about it in the comments.
Sign up here to attend a stakeout shift on Friday—There’s still time to get out there!
