Billings Republican lawmakers said Thursday that they will exert state rights if health insurance becomes mandatory under federal law.

"We will have the Freedom of Choice in Healthcare Act," said Rep. Cary Smith, "a constitutional amendment voiding the requirement to participate in the health care system."

Smith announced the measure at a noon rally on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn. A crowd of roughly 75 supporters applauded loudly. Some carried health care protest placards for the conservative group Americans For Prosperity. Two people held signs portraying President Barack Obama in whiteface. Others help up signs displaying giant red hands and the message "hands off my health care."

The lawmakers, including 2008 Republican gubernatorial candidate Roy Brown, said they wanted to outline their own health care plans and tell the public they are working to counter national health care reform plans made by Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate.

Congress is expected to vote Saturday on a broad health care bill that Democratic proponents say will rein in costs, give coverage to 36 million uninsured Americans and stop private insurance companies from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.

Weighing in at just more than $1 trillion, the bill proposes the biggest changes in U.S. health policy since the creation of Medicare for seniors 43 years ago. It would require Americans to buy health insurance and businesses to provide workers with coverage. Some lower-income Americans would receive subsidies for buying insurance.

Republicans say the measure exerts extreme government control over one of the nation's largest industries and endangers individual freedom.

"The bureaucrats of Washington, D.C., are trying to force us to accept a Washington takeover of one sixth of our economy," said Brown, a state senator. "The proposal coming out of Washington would have serious consequences for Montanans, including levying a tax on anyone who chooses not to buy one of their bureaucrat-approved insurance plans."

Brown said the proposal by U.S. House Democrats would put as many as 80,000 Montanans on Medicaid, which he called welfare. Those new enrollees would increase the state's burden of Medicaid costs, inevitably causing a state tax increase, Brown said.

Sen. Jeff Essman said Republicans in the state Legislature have been trying to lower health care costs the past few sessions, including a proposal to give tax credits to families and businesses to help with insurance costs.

Smith said Republicans would seek tax credits for out-of-pocket medical expenses and individual health insurance in 2011. The party will also support allowing people to buy insurance across state lines.

"We do not believe we have to mortgage our country's future to solve this problem," said Rep. Tom McGilvray. "Nor do we believe we need to resort to rationing, force, fines and taking away people's freedom of choice."