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Cut The Feed: Pelosi Tax Town Hall Ends Broadcast When Heckler Brings Up Universal Health Care

Matt Vespa
Matt Vespa  |  April 05, 2018 7:30 PM

Well, it wouldn’t be a Democratic Party if there weren’t for drama within the ranks. Despite the media harping on the divisions within the GOP, the Democratic Party is just as splintered, as the progressive and establishment wings battle each other for control. They’re still fighting over who is to blame for the 2016 loss to Donald Trump. Was it because the party was too liberal or not progressive enough? Regardless, Rep. Nancy Pelosi is rolling out her 2018 agenda, which includes raising taxes on the middle and working classes. As Guy wrote, the Democrats will work to repeal the Trump tax bill is they retake Congress. Yet, some people at a tax town hall event in California yesterday decided to press Pelosi, Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA), and Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA) on who will “champion” the Golden State’s outrageously expensive single-payer health care initiative. While the event was winding down, the livestream to the tax town hall was cut before more drama could be recorded (via NTK Network):

As the event ended, the attendee yelled, “S.B. 562, which is the Health Care for All Californians, only awaits a champion.”

“Would anyone on the panel be willing to be a champion for S.B. 562?” he asked.

As he continued, the moderator interrupted the protester, telling him, “The event is over.”

Pelosi did not say anything, and her livestream shut down.

This isn’t the first time drama has occurred at an event with a top Democrat. Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN), the DNC’s deputy chair, threw out a protester who was asking why the party wasn’t behind single-payer health care in July of 2017. This issue has been something of a dividing line between the two wings of the party. Even The Washington Posteditorial board said that California’s health care pipe dream is insanely expensive. The billhas no mechanisms to fund it, which is why the State Assembly deep sixed it for now. Angered progressives flooded the offices of Democratic state lawmakers with furious calls, some involved death threats. 

And this wasn't the only problem; Pelosi had a little Twitter problem promoting this event as well.