House Chamber, Washington, D.C.

March 16, 2010

 M. Speaker:

            I held two town hall meetings in my district on Saturday, and at both events my constituents raised this issue: how can Congress impose the most sweeping intrusion into personal health care decisions in the history of our country without a direct vote on the bill?

My constituents have read the Constitution, including the provision that requires both houses to vote on a bill before it can become a law.

M. Speaker, if the Democrat majority attempts to impose this law without a direct vote, two things will be obvious to every American.

First, that the Democrats are ashamed to cast the very “up-or-down” vote on the health care takeover that the President promised as recently as yesterday.

And far more disturbing, that the Congress has now placed itself above the Constitution.

M. Speaker, Ten generations of Americans have defended that Constitution.  Don’t think for a moment that this generation will do any less.

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