Article I, section 5 of the United States Constitution states, ``the yeas and nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the Journal.'' This is to ensure that important pieces of legislation, like the one before us this week, are given a clear up-or-down vote. Yet here we stand today with the possibility that a massive, trillion-dollar government takeover of our health care system would actually not be voted on in this Chamber. Not only does this violate the spirit of fairness within the rules of the House and the confidence entrusted in us by our constituents, it potentially violates our Constitution. Legislative gymnastics should not be used to pass a bill of this magnitude that will impact the life of every American. Change is needed within our health care system. We can all agree on that. But in an effort to pass a health care bill--any bill--this congressional majority has lost their way.
Editor's note · Context
The speaker addresses concerns about the legislative process regarding health care reform.
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