Protest Group Hopes Republicans Consider Human Impact Of ACA Repeal

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Salewa Ogunmefun, from One Pennsylvania, addressed her group's motivations in protesting the Republican congressional retreat in Philadelphia, telling Chris Stigall on Talk Radio 1210 WPHT that they hope the incoming administration takes into account the benefits of the Affordable Care Act.

"We are just trying to make sure that President Trump, as well as the Republican Congress, understand what our concerns are about healthcare, understand that it's about people's lives and not about politics and also understand how much the ACA has actually helped Pennsylvania and Philadelphia over the last couple of years."

Ogunmefun said she believes Republicans have not fully thought out how they plan to implement their healthcare alternative.

"Repeal and replace just seems a lot more about politics and not necessarily about the 24 million people that are covered. Our biggest concern is just, if you have a plan to improve and expand the Affordable Care Act and cover more people, for cheaper, let's do that. But, it just seems...because they haven't released a plan, they're not publicizing a plan and I think there is a couple of times that Mitch McConnell was quoted in the last week and a half, saying that the strategic retreat is for them to figure out their repeal and replace plan, it just, kind of, seems to me a little backwards."

She hopes Washington will consider the human impact of any action they finally take.

"We're just trying to make sure that healthcare and the Affordable Care Act in particular is front and center and people understand exactly how many people, not politicians, how many people in Philadelphia are affected or will be affected by repealing and replacing it."