Ted Poe: “We're having the vote of the century on the Senate health care bill, but there's a sneaky snake oil gimmick afoot to…”

“We're having the vote of the century on the Senate health care bill, but there's a sneaky snake oil gimmick afoot to pass the bill without voting on it. First, we're passing bills without reading them, and now they want us to pass bills without actually voting on the bill. The trick is to deem the Senate bill passed without ever having a straight up-or-down vote. And it's a trick. When we vote on the rules for debate, they want to make that count as the vote on the health care bill instead of actually voting on the health care bill. Let's have an up-or-down vote on this bill and not hide behind some procedural mumbo jumbo. The Constitution says: "But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays." It doesn't say anything about "deeming" in the Constitution. To obtain votes for government-run health care, backroom secret deals are being made in the caverns of this building, and it's shameful. This is passing the government health care bill by any sneaking means necessary, including slaughtering the House rules. And that's just the way it is.”