Protesters object to Rep. Mike Rogers’ support of Trump

Jan. 31--Cyndy Porter held a sign reading "hands off my health care" as she stood on the Noble Street sidewalk in front of the federal courthouse on an unseasonably warm Tuesday afternoon.

The Jacksonville woman doesn't have health insurance through the 2010 Affordable Care Act that Republicans like U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Saks, and President Donald Trump have vowed to repeal. Porter said that doesn't make her any less concerned for the people who would be affected should the Republicans succeed.

She's not too thrilled about Trump's plan to build a wall along the Mexican border either.

"I don't want to see them repeal the Affordable Care Act," Porter said as others around her held signs of protest. "And I don't want a wall built ... I think it'll be useless."

Porter was one of more than 20 people who showed up Tuesday afternoon outside the courthouse, site of Rogers' Anniston district office, to protest him and his support of many recent Trump policies. The event was organized by Jesse Smith, who ran as a Democrat against Rogers in the last two elections, and his former campaign manager. The group presented a signed petition at Rogers' office in opposition to policies ranging from repealing the ACA to Roger's proposal to withdrawing the U.S. from the United Nations.

"We're out here to let the congressman know we don't appreciate his silence in the chaos going on in our society," Smith said.

According to a press release, Rogers was in Washington D.C. on Tuesday, speaking on the House floor in opposition of previous President Barack Obama's decision to commute the prison sentence of Chelsea Manning, convicted in 2010 of leaking American military and diplomatic activities.

Opposition to Trump and Rogers is an apparently minority view in Calhoun County. Trump won 69 percent of the vote in the county. Rogers won 70 percent of the vote in the county against Smith in the last election.

Most of the protesters stayed outside in front of the courthouse, holding signs with various messages like "stop the repeal," "U.S. needs the U.N.," and "I'm afraid, but not of Muslims," while a few entered to submit the petition. Meanwhile, a few passing motorists expressed their displeasure of the protest, yelling comments including, "get a job," "go Trump," and "support our president."

White Plains resident Sherry Richard expressed her opposition to the protesters as she walked by the event.

"I support Trump all the way," Richard said. "We've got to stand up for America."

In a Tuesday email to The Star, Rogers spokeswoman Haley Wilson didn't address specific questions about the protest. However, she noted Rogers' continued support for some of the policies the protesters were against.

"Congressman Rogers has long supported efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare and build a wall along the Mexican border," Wilson wrote. "Congressman Rogers stands ready to work with President Trump to implement the conservative agenda that East Alabama voters overwhelmingly support."

Rogers has also recently sponsored a bill to withdraw the U.S. from the United Nations.

Jim Williams of Anniston, who handed the protesters' petition to a worker in Rogers' office, said he thought withdrawing from the United Nations would be a bad idea.

"People don't know how important the U.N. is to the safety of the U.S. and the world," said Williams, who served in the U.S. Navy. "It allows avenues to do things in other parts of the world that we'd otherwise be unable to do."

Karen McCord of Gadsden said she attended the protest because she supported the Affordable Care Act and didn't want it repealed. McCord said her son already can't afford health care because Alabama chose not to expand Medicaid as dictated in the ACA.

About 1 million Alabamians rely on Medicaid, a joint state-and-federal program that provides health care coverage to the state's poorest, mainly children and the disabled. The federal government offered extra money for states to expand Medicaid and provide coverage for residents who still couldn't afford the low-cost insurance plans also offered in the ACA.

"The Republicans have had eight years to come up with a plan to replace the ACA and they still haven't come up with anything," McCord said.

Staff writer Patrick McCreless: 256-235-3561. On Twitter @PMcCreless_Star.

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