House Republicans Thursday railed against the health reform bill being brought forward by Democrats, which is expected to be brought up for a vote on Saturday.
Republican Leader John Boehner of Ohio, speaking before a crowd of more than a thousand "tea party" anti-tax protesters on the steps of the Capitol, called the Democrats' bill the "greatest threat to freedom" he had seen in Congress.
"This weekend, the House of Representatives is likely to vote on Pelosi-care," Boehner said, adding that there are provisions in the measure that are "taking away your freedom to choose your doctor, the freedom to buy health insurance on your own."
He added, "It's going to lead to a government takeover of our health care system with tens of thousands of new bureaucrats right down the street making these decisions for you."
Boehner pledged that he would vote against the measure.
"I am going to stand with you and all freedom-loving Americans against this bill," he said. "Join us in saying no to a government takeover of health care. Join us in rejecting higher taxes and more deficits. Join us in defending our freedom."
House Republican Whip Eric Cantor, R-Va., pledged that the Democrats' bill would not get a single Republican vote.
Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., the chairman of the GOP conference, also sought to paint the Democrats' efforts as an assault on freedom.
"It's a freight train of runaway spending, bloated bureaucracy, mandates and higher taxes, and it must be opposed," Pence said. "If you cherish freedom, if you fear the crushing weight of big government and if you still believe that the strength of this nation is in the character and courage and ingenuity of the American people, this is the moment."
He added, "Let your voice be heard."
Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who is a doctor, employed medical terminology to decry the Democratic bill.
"As a physician I've read the majority of this bill and I've got a diagnosis," Price said. "It's legislative malpractice."
The rally was also attended by several conservative celebrities, including John Voight, who labeled the Democrats' efforts as part of a broader streak of socialism aimed at doing nothing more than increasing their own power.
Voight accused President Barack Obama in particular of "taking America apart piece by piece" and questioned whether "20 years of subconscious programming by Rev. [Jeremiah] Wright" had conditioned Obama to want to damn America, echoing controversial comments that Wright made that surfaced during Obama's presidential campaign.
White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs initially laughed off the rally but swiftly denounced the GOP opposition.
"I think anybody that watches is struck by the fact that there's a rally going on without a solution on their side," Gibbs said. "They've rolled out a piece of legislation … a series of old ideas that wouldn't cut the amount of money government spends on health care nearly to the degree that other bills would."
He added, "It fails to provide the necessary insurance protections that families and businesses need to assure them that if they get sick their coverage isn't going to be dropped … and it fails to cover virtually anybody in the country that already doesn't have health insurance."
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.