Brad Wenstrup shouted down by Obamacare supporter

A man unhappy with the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare shouted down Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Ohio Republican, at a Capitol Hill press conference Wednesday called to discuss a House resolution opposing physician-assisted suicide.

Mr. Wenstrup, a physician by trade, was telling a story about the first time he examined an AIDS patient at the height of the epidemic and what it taught him about human dignity.

“Probably the most memorable physical exam I ever gave,” Mr. Wenstrup said. “Because what I learned from him, the dignity of human life, has carried me throughout my career. He passed away the next day, and I still remember his name. And I think about on his last day of life, he made an impact on someone who was going to go out and take care of thousands of people over the next couple of decades. Everyone is important―”

“F―k you!” a young man in the audience shouted.

The protester, who said he suffered from a “serious chronic illness” and had been “at death’s door,” proceeded to speak for several minutes uninterrupted.

“You voted against Obamacare, you voted to repeal it,” he said. “You can’t stand up there and talk about patients and say you’re representing patients and their lives and the decisions they make when you have decided many times and voted many times to kill thousands of people more, millions of people more, than assisted suicide ever will.”

Mr. Wenstrup and event organizers tried to calm him down.

“A conversation can be had,” the congressman said. “That, my friend, is probably not the best way to go about it.”

“I don’t care,” the protester responded. “I don’t care what you think the best way to go about it is. I’m done with your best way. Every time you had a chance, that I can tell, you voted against patients. You have voted to condemn people to miserable, painful deaths.”

Mr. Wenstrup left the podium and implored his antagonist to “come talk with me.”

They went off to the side of the room and spoke for about 30 seconds, after which the young man left.

Mr. Wenstrup said he invited him to stop by his office to continue their conversation later.

The House introduced a bipartisan resolution on Tuesday maintaining that physician-assisted suicide “puts everyone, including those most vulnerable, at risk of deadly harm and undermines the integrity of the health care system.”