House Republicans Still Protesting

At a press conference given by some House Republicans a short time ago, we were reminded (and I had totally forgotten about it) that it has been 5 weeks since Speaker Nancy Pelosi gaveled the House of Representatives to a close for their summer vacation without giving Republicans an "up or down vote" on their energy bill. Republican Congresspeople have been taking turns going back to Washington to demand Pelosi reconvene and allow a vote for the sake of the American people.

Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio reiterated that their bill will provide Americans a more diverse supply of oil, add revenue to government coffers and generate $300 billion toward working to renewable sources of energy. Congressman Mike Spence (R-IN) insisted, "bring Congress back into session!" and "Say yes to giving Americans more oil".

Congressman Thad McCotter of Michigan (via phone) joked "Democrats are back in their districts working on hybrid energy of hot air". What a card!

Back in early August Speaker Pelosi had this to say on ABC's This Week:

What we have now is a failed energy policy by Bush/Cheney two oil men in the White House. Four dollar a gallon gasoline at the pump and what they are saying is lets have more of the same. Let's have more of big oil making record profits, historic profits, you see the quarterly reports that just came out. Who want to be subsidized, they don't really want to compete and let them use those subsidies to drill oil in protected areas. Instead we are saying free the oil, use it don't lose it. There's 68 million acres in the lower 48 and 10 or 20 million acres in Alaska where they are permitted, where they could drill anytime. This is a diversionary tactic from a failed energy policy.

In the meantime, Pelosi and other Democrats have indicated they would allow a vote on a compromise bill that included some offshore drilling as long as certain other criteria are met - renewable standards, wind and solar and the contentious "use or lose it" where drillers would be forced to act on their existing leases.

Some bill is inevitable - the moratorium on offshore drilling expires at the end of September and requires Congressional approval for renewal. This being an election year does nothing to further Pelosi's desire to more nor lessen the Republican's desire for great theater over the issue.

The press conference today was total theater - the House reconvenes on September 8. I suppose it was easier to find something to slam Pelosi with while they have a national stage here at the convention rather than the original subject of the press conference we had been told would be "House Republicans Support McCain Record of Bipartisanship".

I think this group should visit the gift shop at street level and get a few of these: