Pat Meehan was good to his word.
After riding the fence during the last rodeo otherwise known as the health-care debate in this country, Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford, eventually said he would have voted against it - had it actually gone to a vote.
He was spared that duty when President Donald Trump and House Speaker Paul Ryan were forced to pull the bill when it became apparent they did not have the votes in their own GOP caucus for passage.
Meehan had no such luck Thursday.
But he stood his ground.
He said he could not support this version of the American Health Care Act, and he voted against it.
He was joined by his compatriot from Chester County, Rep. Ryan Costello, R-6.
Both again noted they had issues with how the Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act would affect those with pre-existing conditions. In short, many could lose coverage or find it so expensive as to be the same thing.
This of course did not stop Democrats from holding both representatives' feet to the fire, saying they still contributed to the passage of the so-called American Health Care Act because of their votes in favor in moving it out of their respective committees and out to the floor for a full House vote.
Meehan explained that vote as simply a part of the legislative process to move the entire process forward.
You have to figure this is in part as case of a representative being just that - "representative" of the desires of those who live in their district.
Both Meehan and Costello got an earful from residents opposed to the repeal of Obamacare. Their offices were the site of weekly protests.
None of that stopped Republicans in D.C. from getting what they wanted - some kind of victory for President Trump.
The sight of Trump and his GOP henchmen celebrating on the White House lawn a "victory" that has the potential to hurt so many people was - in the infamous words of FBI Director James Comey - enough to make you "mildly nauseous."
Don't blame Meehan for that. Or Costello either.
They both indicated they could not support this bill.
And they didn't change their minds.
Good for them.
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