Protesters outside congressman's office

About two dozen members of the Colorado River Tea Party, an organization devoted to the opposition of wasteful government spending, gathered in front of Congressmen Raul Grijalva's office on 4th Avenue Thursday to protest his support for the health care bill.

The protesters were carrying colorful signs with anti-Obama slogans as they stood on the sidewalk in peaceful protest during their lunch hour.

Grijalva, D-Ariz., could not be reached for comment Thursday.

"As we speak, Congress is deeming their approval of health care which I guess is technically different from voting somehow, so when they come home and face the populous, the people who have to pay for all of these shenanigans, they can say they never voted for it," said Don Shooter, chairman of the Colorado River Tea Party.

Shooter said he believes many Americans are against the health bill.

"It just gets more and more bizarre. The American people don't want it by every measure, by every poll and by every standard of decency, and yet they cram it down our throats. Well, when they cram it down our throat, we are gonna cram something, you know where, in November."

Shooter presented a letter to the local office decrying Grijalva's stance at the beginning of the protest.

"Despite a full year of debate, town halls and grass-roots protesting, the Obama Administration is set to defy the will of the American people and ram health care reform through Congress using shady deals and parliamentary gimmickry," it read.

"We the people have been put on two weeks notice; the administration has called for a final vote March 18. Let's show them... that we reject it, that we are angry and that we are serious."  

Shooter said it is getting down to the 11th hour.

"That is what this is about. They are making their last-ditch effort and we are making our last-ditch effort in a reasonable and right way to represent the people, and to voice our displeasure. When the people wake up and find out what has really been happening ... it is going to get ugly."

As the protesters gathered, members of the Yuma Police Department arrived on scene.

"We were out here having a peaceful protest and somebody in the building called the cops on us," Shooter said.  "We have to stay on the sidewalk, which is fine. We want to obey the law. But I think it is kind of comical, I have my suspicions about who called.

"We are going to express our rights and go by the First Amendment right to peaceful assembly and protest. But I tell you what, one way or another we are going to be heard, and we will be heard real big time in November, trust me."

Shooter said he supports health care that is run by free enterprise.

"The American health care system is the best in the world. I don't think anyone would argue with that. All we would like to see is private enterprise solutions. I would start there. There is is a lot of free market, free enterprise solutions that are the American way, not the communist way, not the socialist European way."

Shooter said health care reform is one of the symptoms of what he believes is a broken government.

"It is not about health care. It is about control, and mark my words, that is what it is about. If you want to eat a fatty pie and be a fatty fatty, and drop dead of a heart attack, that is your choice.

"America used to be about freedom, and that is a big part of this. We just don't like the government to tell us when and how to burp, expel or sneeze."

Shooter said tea party members want less government.  

"It always grows. We need to bind it with the chains of the Constitution, but the whole crowd in Washington doesn't seem to know what the Constitution is, not only in health care, but in monetary policy."

Shooter said the tea party represents a broad cross-section of the American people.

"It is kind of like the American Revolution in a lot of ways. It is a very loose-knit group of people who love their country and are scared for their kids' future. We get a lot of support. For every person who is here, there are 100 who think just like them but couldn't get off on their lunch break."