Boehner to Speaker Pelosi: “Every Member Should Stand Before the American People and Announce His or Her Vote”

Uploaded on February 19, 2010 by House GOP Leader © All rights reserved.

GOP Leader Calls for Special “Call of the Roll” to Require Members to Publicly Announce Health Care Vote on the House Floor. House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) today sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) requesting that the final health care votes be recorded by “call of the roll” so that every lawmaker is required to publicly announce their vote on the House floor.

“This weekend’s votes will be among the most consequential votes we will ever cast as Members of Congress,” Boehner says in the letter to Speaker Pelosi. “As such, it is my belief that every Member should stand before the American people and announce his or her vote as the final decision is made.”

According to the rules of the House of Representatives, “Unless the Speaker directs otherwise, the Clerk shall conduct a record vote or quorum call by electronic device. … The Speaker may direct the Clerk to conduct a record vote or quorum call by call of the roll. In such a case the Clerk shall call the names of Members, alphabetically by surname.”

The full text of Leader Boehner’s letter to Speaker Pelosi follows. The signed copy is available here in PDF format

March 19, 2010

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker
H232 Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Speaker Pelosi:

It appears the House of Representatives will proceed with plans to vote this weekend on President Obama’s health care legislation, despite the well-documented objections of the American people to both the contents of the bill and the manner in which the Democratic leadership hopes to pass it.

This weekend’s votes will be among the most consequential votes we will ever cast as Members of Congress. As such, it is my belief that every Member should stand before the American people and announce his or her vote as the final decision is made.

With this in mind, I request that you use your discretion under the Rules of the House of Representatives, Clause 2 and 3 of House Rule XX, to conduct the record vote by call of the roll for both adoption of the Senate health care bill (i.e. the Senate Amendment to H.R. 3590, as passed on Christmas Eve this past year) and for the rule making that bill in order.

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

John Boehner