Protesters in wheelchairs disrupt health care bill hearing

WASHINGTON — Protesters in wheelchairs interrupted Tuesday’s hearing on the GOP’s health care bill — loudly screaming, “No cuts to Medicaid! Save our liberty!”

The noisy protests forced Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch to recess the hearing just moments after it began.

Hatch told the protesters, “If you want a hearing you better shut up!” His complaint was to no avail as the protests continued.

So Hatch then shut the hearing down, saying it would resume when order was restored.

The protesters are being removed from the hearing room one by one.

The hearing comes as Senate Republicans pursue a last-ditch effort to pass legislation to repeal and replace “Obamacare.” They appear to be short of votes ahead of a make-or-break deadline at the end of this week.