As lawmakers prepare to return for their return to Washington next week, House Republicans have a message for their town-mauled Democratic colleagues: August is over only on the calendar.

The end of the summer recess may mean an end to the beatings back home, but Republicans are vowing to keep the pressure up on health care reform straight into September.

If Democrats — particularly the moderate Blue Dogs — thought August was a bad dream, Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) said the GOP is “going to keep the nightmare going through the fall”...