Following President Barack Obama's announcement that he would seek a quick vote on health care, U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal has announced that he will postpone his resignation until later in March.

Deal had announced he would resign to concentrate on his bid for governor in Georgia.

"Just two days after I announced my intentions to leave Congress, the majority party stepped up the schedule for the proposed health care bill," Deal said. "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."

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) applauded Deal's decision.

"Although Georgia’s Republican leaders had asked him to focus exclusively on his gubernatorial campaign, Congressman Deal is putting Georgians – and all Americans first – by seeing this debate through until the end and helping to stop a government takeover of our nation’s health care system," Gingrey said in a statement.