The US Capitol Police (USCP) said in a statement it had responded to reports by offices in the Senate office buildings and warned protesters to “cease and desist with their unlawful demonstration.”
Those who refused – 19 men and 21 women – were placed under arrest and charged with violating D.C. criminal code paragraphs dealing with crowding, obstructing or incommoding.
Demonstrators have been demanding an end to the Republican effort to push through the Senate a healthcare plan that would repeal and replace Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
The Senate-drafted proposal sparked criticism from Democrats and a number of Republican lawmakers after the Congressional Budget Office said in a report that the measure would leave 22 million more Americans without medical insurance by 2026 compared to current laws.