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GOP Blocked From Getting Up-or-Down Vote on Senate Health Care Bill

The House Republican effort to force an up-or-down vote on the Senate health care bill failed on Thursday, but not before attracting support from a handful of Democrats.

Members voted 222-203 to pass a previous question on a rule that was unrelated to the health care reform bill — a move that effectively blocked the Republican resolution that would have forced the up-or-down vote on the Senate bill and stopped Democrats from deeming it as passed.

Had the previous question failed, the Republican resolution would have gotten a vote.

Many of the 28 Democrats who voted with Republicans are currently opposed to or undecided on the health care reform bill.

Democrats that voted with the GOP include: Reps. John Adler (N.J.), Michael Arcuri (N.Y.) Bobby Bright (Ala.), Bart Stupak (Mich.) Jim Cooper (Tenn.), Suzanne Kosmas (Fla.), Christopher Carney (Pa.), Jerry Costello (Ill.), Artur Davis (Ala.), Kathy Dahlkemper (Pa.), Walt Minnick (Idaho), Dan Boren (Okla.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.), Tim Holden (Pa.), Frank Kratovil (Md.), Gene Taylor (Miss.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Dan Lipinski (Ill.), Mike McIntyre (N.C.), Jerry McNerney (Calif.), Charlie Melancon (La.), Mike Michaud (Maine), Harry Teague (N.M.), Heath Shuler (N.C.), Tom Perriello (Va.), Glenn Nye (Va.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.) and Gabrielle Giffords (Ariz.).

Asked about the Republican resolution during an afternoon press conference before the vote, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said the measure was a “non-issue.”

She added that Democratic leaders have not decided what procedure they will employ to try to pass the bill on the floor.

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