Man pleads with Sen. Jeff Flake to vote against tax bill in viral videos

PHOENIX — A man pleaded with U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) on a flight from Washington, D.C. last week and asked him not to vote for the Senate tax reform bill.

In a series of videos posted to Twitter, Ady Barkan, a 33-year-old man who is currently battling ALS, asked Flake to vote against the bill and claimed that people with disabilities would suffer greatly if the bill passed.

“I walk with a cane. I have trouble breathing, and I can’t pick my baby up,” Barkan said in one of the videos, asking Flake what would he tell Barkan’s son if “you pass this bill and he cuts funding for disability and I can’t get a ventilator?”

Related: Senate OKs tax bill as Trump, GOP near big legislative win

In the videos, Flake said Barkan that tax reforms are needed in order to improve the economy, to which Barkan countered that the government’s nonpartisan estimates found that the plan will hurt revenue.

But Barkan ended the conversation with another plea: “You can save my life. Please remember this conversation.”

Grand finale @AdyBarkan tells @JeffFlake this is his chance to be the American hero and #killthebill the #GOPTaxScam and help him live and save millions of Americans. #flakesonaplane pic.twitter.com/BObnURTu5w

— Liz – We're doing it (@lizjaff) December 8, 2017

In a tweet, Flake said he “enjoyed the conversation.”

I enjoyed the conversation, Ady. We won’t always agree, by I admire your courage and knowledgeable advocacy. https://t.co/rtaKegXvCU

— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) December 8, 2017

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