House rejects Dem attempt to adjourn, avoid healthcare debate

The House on Tuesday afternoon turned away a Democratic attempt to adjourn in protest of today's pending debate on legislation to repeal the 2010 healthcare reform law.

Several Democrats spent the morning making brief speeches on the House floor condemning Republicans for calling up a healthcare repeal vote for the 31st time in the 112th Congress. Many argued in favor of passing legislation that would help job creation, although Republicans have said repeatedly that repealing the healthcare law would boost job creation because uncertainty about the law is weighing down economic growth.

Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) made a motion to adjourn the House "because we're not doing anything anyway." The House planned to spend all of Tuesday and part of Wednesday debating and voting on the Repeal of Obamacare Act, H.R. 6079.

But the House rejected that motion in a 75-318 vote that saw 91 Democrats join all voting Republicans in opposition, with the exception of Rep. Reid Ribble (R-Wis.), who voted "present." Those Democrats were likely voting just on the question of staying in session, as only a handful of Democrats are expected to support the GOP's repeal bill when the vote happens Wednesday.

With the motion to adjourn turned away, the House was expected to hold an hour of debate on the rule for the bill. After the rule is approved in a mid-afternoon vote, the House will embark on five hours of debate, followed by a vote Wednesday.

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