[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 42 (Saturday, March 20, 2010)]
[House]
[Page H1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Mr. ROE of Tennessee asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ROE of Tennessee. Madam Speaker, I know that I am just a country 
doctor from Tennessee, but the fact that we can't have a true up-or-
down vote on one of the most important pieces of legislation this body 
will ever consider just flat out confounds me.
  I decided to do a little research on the issue, and just since the 
time I've been here, the House has recorded votes on whether to 
congratulate two college football teams, a college basketball team. 
There was a vote on a college quarterback. We've even held votes on 
honoring 10 colleges and universities and named 30 post offices. The 
House held a recorded vote on whether to pay tribute to Homeland 
Security Department employees, and just this week, we actually voted on 
whether or not to congratulate Vancouver on hosting the Winter 
Olympics. Heck, we've even asked Members of Congress to go on record 
about the 2,560th birthday of Confucius.
  We can vote on all of these matters, but we can't have a vote on 
health care. Madam Speaker, if anyone can explain this to me, my phone 
line is open.

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