Women’s March organizers encourage Iowa demonstrations six months after Election Day

CEDAR RAPIDS - Six months after Election Day, a few Eastern Iowans gathered outside U.S. Rep. Rod Blum's Cedar Rapids office Monday to give feedback on recent policy, especially health care.

Similar demonstrations were scheduled throughout the state as Women's March Iowa encouraged voters to speak to local legislators.

Though Blum was in Dubuque Monday, about eight Eastern Iowans attended the Cedar Rapids demonstration.

Joan Husmann, of Anamosa, attended the event because she said she is upset with the version of the American Health Care Act the House of Representatives passed last week.

Husmann said she is concerned the bill could allow states to waive the regulation that says insurance companies' can't deny or charge higher premiums for patients with pre-existing health conditions. Under the AHCA, Husmann said she could be labeled as having six pre-existing conditions, including emphysema and depression.

Her son has the same concerns, she said.

'My 38-year-old son - who is a college graduate, has his own business, works probably 60-70 hours a week, of course, has to get his own health care - has Crohn's disease. That's not something where because he was a bad person, he got it.”

Sarah Gard, of Central City, said she plans to attend Blum's town hall session at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Kirkwood Community College, 6301 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, and share her concerns about the AHCA vote.

Blum had previously said his 'yes” vote couldn't be counted on for the AHCA, saying it didn't lower premiums enough for Americans.

'The piece about protecting pre-existing conditions, before he said that was really important,” Gard said. 'That's why he didn't vote for the first version of the bill, but the second version didn't have that protection. He did vote on it.”

Gard said she's recently been reaching out to Blum's office with her concerns and wanted to show up to Monday's demonstration as a precursor.

'I should have been showing up sooner,” Gard said. 'I'm showing up for everybody, not just myself.”

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