The tea party protest on the East Front of the Capitol may have been smaller than Thursday’s event, but the attendees were no less adamant about their wish to see the Democratic health care reform bill fail in the House.

About a dozen Republican Members joined Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) at the Saturday afternoon protest where hundreds of people gathered for the second time this week to voice their opposition to the heath care reform bill being debated on the House floor.

House GOP members again pledged to the crowd that they would do everything in their power to bring down the bill that they believe to be a government takeover of the American health care system.

“We are going to force [Democrats] to see the whites of your eyes while you look through their pupils into their soul and tell them, ‘Don’t you take my liberty,’— King told listeners.

King told the crowd that after the rally they would be invited into the House gallery to watch Members debate the bill live.

Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), who shouted, “You lie!— at President Barack Obama during his address to a joint session of Congress earlier this year, received a hero’s welcome from the group, which chanted, “Way to go, Joe!— as he approached the podium.

As Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) rallied the crowd, Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.) approached the rally and stood on the side of the crowd watching silently.

“I’m amazed all these people came here to listen to her use such venom— to describe the health care reform bill, said Cohen when asked what he thought of the event.

After listening for about 10 minutes, Cohen turned to leave, saying, “I’ve had enough.—

At a press conference Saturday morning, the Republican message was the same: Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) told a more subdued group of reporters that Republicans would do anything in their power to stop the Democratic health care reform bill from passing the House.

“The American people do not want this,— Boehner said pointing to a chart crowded with different multicolored shapes that Republicans said represented the bureaucracy the Democratic health care reform bill would create. “We are going to do everything we can to make sure this doesn’t happen.—