Utahns who are concerned about the U.S. Senate Republican health bill gathered at Senator Mike Lee's office in Salt Lake City Wednesday. They were hoping to meet with him in person as Congress takes a Fourth of July break.
Around 30 people showed up at the Wallace Federal Building downtown and met with several of Lee’s aids.
One of them was Susan Stetich. Stetich has multiple sclerosis and became a single parent of three teenagers after her husband passed away. Obamacare brought their insurance rates down. She’s worried about taking care of her family if rates go back up.
"The less money I have the less chances they have for college. If I’m not covered and if something happens to me, that is going to literally financially implode us," Stetich said.
Also at the meeting was Shauna Livingston. She has two children with pre-existing conditions. One had a crushed femoral artery in an ATV accident and the other has down syndrome and relies heavily on Medicaid.
"My daughter has down syndrome and her down syndrome is not going to go away in the next ten years. What is going to go away is me and my ability to take care of her as I get older," Livingston said.
Conn Carroll is Senator Lee’s communications director. He says while the senator could not attend the meeting he’s seeking feedback on the health bill through his video town hall meetings.
"We are working with groups like Indivisible Utah and opposition groups who disagree with the senator to get questions from them, submitted by them lined up because we do want to hear from everyone," Carroll said.
The stories from the meeting with Lee’s aids will be collected and shared with the senator.