After sending the above letter to Speaker Pelosi, Republican Leader, my Congressman and a Great American -- John Boehner -- had this to say:“With American families and small businesses facing record high gasoline prices, Congress has adjourned to leave Washington for a five-week break. The message this sends to the American people is bad enough; its ramifications, however, are far worse. You have the power to call Congress back into session at any moment to deal with issues of urgent national importance,” the letter from GOP leaders to Speaker Pelosi states. “No one can argue that the issue of high energy costs and their impact on American families does not rise to this level. That is why we write today to request that you call Congress back into an emergency session this month and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act (H.R. 6566). Such an action will ensure our nation’s energy crisis receives the attention – and action – it deserves.”So what happened next? The House Republicans staged a revolt on the floor of the US House of Representatives... For that story, we go to The Politico:
“It is well past time for Congress to lift the ban on environmentally-safe exploration for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf and act on other critical reforms to increase production of American energy and lower the price of gasoline,” says the letter. “We should not wait until September to do so, and frankly, we should not wait another day to do so. Congress should not take the next five weeks off while the American people suffer at the pump. We respectfully request that you schedule a vote on the comprehensive American Energy Act during an emergency legislative session this month.”
In a dramatic revolt against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) refusal to allow Congress to vote on legislation to increase American-made energy and lower gas prices, House Republicans today refused to leave the House floor after Speaker Pelosi adjourned the House for the five-week August break, staying in the chamber to speak directly to Americans watching the historic event unfold above the floor in the House gallery. Even after lights, cameras, and microphones in the chamber were turned off, House Republicans were undeterred, continuing to make speech after speech demanding that Speaker Pelosi listen to the calls of the American people – including those coming from whistling, applauding, and cheering Americans sitting in the gallery – for more environmentally-responsible drilling for oil and gas here at home to reduce the price at the pump. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) defied the Democratic majority by providing live updates on the protest via Twitter directly from the House floor.CQ Politics has more...including this quote from Rep. Adam Putnam:
Members participating in the spontaneous uprising included Reps. Roy Blunt, John Boehner, Michael Burgess, John Campbell, Eric Cantor, Shelly Moore Capito, John Carter, Mike Conaway, John Culberson, Charlie Dent, Jeff Fortenberry, Virginia Foxx, Louie Gohmert, Pete Hoekstra, Duncan Hunter, Thaddeus McCotter, Mike Pence, Tom Price, Ted Poe, Adam Putnam, Bill Sali, John Shadegg, John Shimkus, Tim Walberg, and Lynn Westmoreland.
“This band of brothers here is staying late to make a point to the American people: We want to work.”8/2/08 UPDATE: We have some video from yesterday's session:
And here is some FOX News Channel coverage:
