Earlier today House Democrats abandoned their plan to use the ‘Slaughter Solution’ to force through their government takeover of health care. This is a victory for the American people and for our Constitution. This means that tomorrow (Sunday) there will be a straight up-or-down vote on the Senate-passed health care bill. I am echoing the call of House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) that Speaker Pelosi hold what’s known as a vote by a ‘call of the House.’ Under this type of vote, each Member is required to stand up and vote verbally, one by one. I spoke on the House floor today in support of this effort to ensure that all Members of Congress stand, as he said, “before God, their colleagues, and their constituents and take a stand on this bill.” The American people deserve to know how their members of Congress are voting on this disastrous legislation. You can view video of my speech here. The text can be found below. I believe you’re never beat until you quit, and I am continuing to work hard alongside my Republican colleagues to defeat this unprecedented government takeover of our health care system.

“Mr. Speaker, the message of the American people couldn’t be more clear: They want to fix the problems with our health care system, but they don’t want the Democrats’ government takeover of health care. It’s high time to stop the backroom deals and bring some transparency to this debate. On a bill that rewrites one-sixth of our economy, adds a trillion dollars to the federal budget, and affects every American’s health care, Members of Congress should stand up and be counted. I call on Speaker Pelosi to grant Republicans’ request for a call of the House, so Americans watching at home can see and hear how their representative is voting.”