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Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Hinson’s town hall riddled with misinformation
Peggy Stover
Jun. 11, 2021 2:39 pm
I’ve had several meetings with Congresswoman Ashley Hinson’s Cedar Rapids staff to determine why she voted against a bill to protect health care workers from violence (HR 1195). Her staff has been cordial during visits and follow-up emails. I also attended her recent town hall.
Violence against health care workers is rampant and receives scant media attention. Nationally, 75 percent of the estimated 25,000 annual workplace assaults are against them. Forty-seven percent of emergency room physicians and 30 percent of nurses have been assaulted by patients.
Hinson seemed stumped when asked about HR 1195, so I provided a synopsis and stats. She said, “many bills that are voted on don’t go through committees, and this is probably one of them. The bill had provisions in it which I did not agree with.” When pressed for specifics, she answered with illogical chatter on voting procedures.
Public records show it was discussed in the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. And unlike what she stated, major bills such as HR 1195 are required to be assigned to a committee before they can be voted on.
Her misinformation continued when a gentleman asked about another bill (HR 5) that he called the “hate speech” bill. Hinson agreed with his categorization. It was clear neither knew that HR 5, The Equality Act, would expand the 1964 Civil Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act to protect LGBTQ individuals from discrimination.
Hinson is an ex-journalist who should know the importance of facts versus misinformation.
Peggy Stover
Cedar Rapids
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