Georgia Republican Cancels Retirement to Vote Against Health Care

Rep. Nathan Deal, the Georgia Republican who announced Monday that he would resign his House seat next week, has had a change of heart.

Deal had said he would leave Congress March 8 to focus fully on his campaign for the Republican nomination for Georgia governor in 2010.

After news spread this week that Deal's imminent departure would reduce the official majority count in the House from 217 to 216, and thus make Nancy Pelosi's job of passing health care reform that much easier, conservative blogs and Georgia talk radio lit up with criticism for the congressman.

"Apparently Rep. Nathan Deal, Republican of Georgia, thinks he can help his gubernatorial campaign by being known as, 'The House Republican who helped pass Obamacare,'" Jim Geraghty wrote at NationalReview.com.

Deal announced Thursday that he's sticking around, at least a little bit longer. He said the White House's accelerated schedule for passing health care in the House by March 18, as well as President Obama's health care speech Wednesday, convinced him to delay his departure for one more crucial vote.

"Having been deeply involved in all health care legislation for the past decade, I knew it was important to stay and vote down this bill," Deal said.

"Yesterday, as I listened to President Obama's aggressive push for a quick vote on 'Obamacare,' it was clear that I must stay in Congress and continue to fight against the most liberal health care agenda ever proposed."

With one more "no" vote in his caucus, House Minority Leader John Boehner said, "I'm pleased I can count on him now, just as I have during our years of service together in the House."

Deal's campaign said Deal will stay in Congress at least until late March.