Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and 63 other House Democrats on Wednesday filed four amendments to legislation intended to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In an effort to highlight provisions of the health care law designed to support middle class Americans, the House members called for an up-or-down vote on several elements of the bill. Their amendments would preserve:

• The elimination of lifetime limits on care
• Coverage of individuals up to 26 on their parents' health care plans
• A ban on discrimination against those with preexisting conditions
• Free preventive care for seniors.

"It's time to get beyond the rhetoric of the election and recognize that repealing this law would hammer middle class families and bust the budget," Welch said.

"The American people deserve to see their representatives in the U.S. House vote up-or-down on critical protections for middle class families. I'm hopeful that the new leadership of the House honors their campaign promises and allow for a vote on each of these amendments."

Welch and his colleagues plan to petition the House Rules Committee on Thursday to accept their amendments.

Joining Rep. Welch in sponsoring the amendments are: Reps. Chris Van Hollen, Rosa DeLauro, Anna Eshoo, Jim McDermott, Lois Capps, Jan Schakowsky, Bruce Braley, Jesse Jackson Jr., Edward Markey, Gwen Moore, Sam Farr, Donna Edwards, Keith Ellison, Eliot Engel, Bennie Thompson, John Conyers, Jackie Speier, Alcee Hastings, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Michael Honda, Doris Matsui, Maurice Hinchey, Donna Christensen, Rick Larsen, James Langevin, Joe Courtney, Niki Tsongas, Sheila Jackson Lee , Paul Tonko, Hank Johnson, Raul Grijalva, Dennis Kucinich, Joseph Crowley, Mazie Hirono, Jerrold Nadler, Silvestre Reyes, Corrine Brown, Carolyn Maloney, José Serrano, John Olver, Chris Murphy, Betty Sutton, Rush Holt, Tim Walz, John Yarmuth, David Loebsack, Jim Moran, Kathy Castor, Bill Owens, Dennis Cardoza, Karen Bass, Pedro Pierluisi, Mike Doyle, Diana DeGette, Michael Capuano, David Price, Tammy Baldwin, Yvette Clark, Chellie Pingree, Ben Ray Lujan, Gary Ackerman, Luis V. Guitierrez, Loretta Sanchez, Danny Davis and Earl Blumenauer.