HOUSE Republican Leader John Boehner

NH Union Leader: “Americans Get What Pelosi Doesn’t” [11:30]

An editorial in today’s New Hampshire Union Leader addressed Pelosi’s “can we drill your brain?” comments as well as Rep. Carol Shea-Porter’s support for adjourning Congress without an up-or-down vote on lower gas prices: 

“Americans get what Pelosi doesn’t. More than three times as many Americans support offshore drilling as approve of Congress right now.”  “Pelosi’s detached arrogance is shared by our own Rep. Carol Shea-Porter. In an interview with the Portsmouth Herald last week, Shea-Porter laughed when asked about Republicans protesting Congress for leaving town without voting on energy legislation. She thinks it’s funny that people are angry that Congress chose to go on vacation instead of act to lower high gas prices.”  “This is the arrogant, dismissive attitude personified by the current Democrat-controlled House. The people demand solutions; the Democrats mock them. Have you had enough yet?”

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8-28 GOP Uprising Live Blog [11:15]

Today is Day 20 of House Republicans’ historic energy protest in the U.S. Capitol.  The American people strongly support increased American energy production, and that’s exactly what House Republicans are offering with our “all of the above” plan to lower prices at the pump.  The House GOP’s American Energy Act (H.R. 6566) would lower gas prices by increasing production of American energy, promoting more conservation and efficiency, and encouraging the use of more alternative and renewable fuels.  But Speaker Pelosi still refuses to allow a straight up-or-down vote on the “all of the above” energy reforms.  GOP members participating in Day 20 of the protest include:

Rep. Paul Broun (R-GA)
Rep. Mike Ferguson (R-NJ)
Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Rep. John Linder (R-GA)
Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA)
Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX)

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8-27 GOP Uprising Live Blog [1:30]

House Republicans have wrapped up Day 19 of the GOP’s historic energy protest.  Following are a few more excerpts from our members today:

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA):

“Every day American family and businesses send $170 million to Hugo Chavez.  Day after day, 365 days a year.  The US is the only country not developing its own resources.  Somehow we have to send $170 million a day to Hugo Chavez.  Lord only knows what we send to the Saudis.”

“France uses 80 percent nuclear energy for their electricity.  Nuclear power is the safest, cleanest way to generate power.  Of all the technologies in the world for energy, this is one that was developed right here in America.  And it’s being used safely throughout the rest of the world.”

Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA): 

“In 150 years the world has used one trillion barrels of oil since oil was first drilled in Pennsylvania in the 1850s.  Under the Rocky Mountains, we have about two trillion barrels.  We can go after those reserves in an environmentally safe way.  We have the technology.” “When Speaker Pelosi took over she promised the most open Congress in history.  Never did we think we’d have the least productive and the most closed Congress in history.  Out of 300 bills, 105 are to rename post offices.  We have not dealt with the issues that are important.  We have not dealt with energy.  When Americans decide to act, they want action.  And poll after poll show intense support for using our own resources.”

Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL): 

“I flew on Southwest Airline today to get here today.  The other day they announced they were cutting back 600 flights a day.  Why?  Because of high fuel prices.  That means job losses for ticket takers, baggage people, stewardesses, and pilots.  All we’re saying is that’s not good.”

Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA): 

“I am from a regular family in York, Pennsylvania,…I paid off my last school loans as a member of Congress, and to think that I have the privilege to represent 700,000 of my fellow citizens goes to show that we truly are the land of opportunity, but to remain that land of opportunity we need to vote on a  comprehensive piece of energy legislation that will provide long term solutions instead of short term relief.”

Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI):  

“Americans deserve better than nothing out of Congress. They deserve to have their employees here working…these are the four things we want: Maximum American Energy production, responsible conservation, free market innovations, and a plan to transition off of fossil fuels…You cannot tax, regulate, and give money to pet projects, out of this energy crisis. We need more production. China and India are competing with us for limited, scarce resources while we sit on top of our own.”

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8-27 GOP Uprising Live Blog [12:05]

Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA): 

“We fought this fight all summer and come August 1 the House breaks for its traditional recess, the mics go dead, the cameras go off and the lights go down … This do nothing Congress leaves town with the lowest approval ratings in history, this shows that the Speaker of the House should have heeded our warnings to schedule a vote on the American Energy Act, an act which would have an immediate impact in lowering the price of gasoline.”

Rep. Ralph Regula (R-OH): 

“I’m retiring in November, I’m not here for any political gain, I’m here because I care about the future of our country…that future is based on energy and securing our supplies for the future.  The resources of the Outer Continental Shelf belong to you, the people of the United States, and for the past 27 years this body has denied you of what is yours.”

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) reading excerpts from constituent letters: 

“We have now cancelled our life insurance policies, and we have scaled back our car insurance…we now buy the essentials just to conserve money to cover the cost of energy” …  “It’s killing us financially, we won’t be able to have air conditioning because our energy bills are already over $300 a month.” “We’ve cancelled vacations and my husband works on his off days to pay for our energy costs…now he doesn’t get to spend much time with our family.” “…Madam Speaker, do you know what is unique about these letters?  Unfortunately nothing, every member of Congress is hearing the same concerns from their constituents all across the country.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX): 

“We’ve heard people say that this is a political stunt, well the lights are off, the cameras are off and the mics are off…this is the worst place in the world to hold a Political Stunt, but I see this as the Boston Tea Party, we had to make a stand where a stand needed to be made”.

“I lost almost 7,000 jobs in my district near Lufkin, Texas because a Canadian Natural Gas Company realized that it was cheaper to produce Natural Gas in Canada…I’m tired of losing jobs to other countries when we could develop our own resources here at home.”

Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA): 

“I was driving through the district the other day when my son said ‘look Dad gas is down to $3.37 per gallon’ like that was some sort of a good thing … Short term relief is not a long term solution, that’s what we’ve been fighting for the past few weeks, months and the last couple of years.  We’re here to stand for an ‘all of the above’ energy plan that will create relief in the long run”.

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8-27 GOP Uprising Live Blog [11:00]

House Republicans are here in Washington, D.C. for Day 19 of their historic energy protest.  Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats adjourned the House on August 1 for a five-week break after blocking a vote on the “all of the above” energy reforms the American people want.  GOP members participating in Day 19 of the protest include:

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY)
Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI)
Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA)
Rep. George Radanovich (R-CA)
Rep. Ralph Regula (R-OH)
Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)
Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL)
Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)

 

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8-26 GOP Uprising Live Blog [1:35]

House Republicans have wrapped up Day 18 of the GOP’s historic energy protest.  Following are a few more excerpts from our members today: 

Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI):

“There are those who say it is better to leave America’s natural resources underground, untouched than to help the working men and women of America who are struggling.  …We think certain people should be here doing the job they are paid to do, the job they were elected to do.”

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT): 

“We’ve got to work together to create real solutions to solve this problem.  The people didn’t send us here just to do something, they sent us here to create real solutions.  If I’m on the gurney going into the operating room I wouldn’t want to look up at the surgeon and the nurses and say ‘now work together, do something, I don’t care what you do in there, but work together’ …I want them to work together and get it right…  We need to work together and get it right to solve this problem.”

Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX): 

“There are some things we can’t control, but there are some things we can … We’ve tied our hands in this Congress.  You can’t look here, you can’t explore here… we are sending $700 billion a year overseas for energy, helping other countries create jobs.  All the while we continue to needlessly hamper our ability to create our own energy here at home and create our own jobs in this country.”

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8-26 GOP Uprising Live Blog [1:00]

Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH): 

“In my town they have seen a 30 percent increase in their operating budgets.  In addition to parts of Cincinnati I represent rural areas, and that means my constituents have to travel further to get places; these people have seen a 40 percent increase in their fuel costs….  Now they are forced to make tough choices for their families”.

Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY): 

“While gas prices have gone up we’ve done nothing.  For the last year and a half we’ve wanted to address this issue and the Speaker has said ‘no’.  Now the Speaker of the House represents about 700,000 people, just like I do and all of my colleagues do.  Why should her 700,000 constituents have any more right than mine in addressing the will of this bi-partisan group of members?”

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX):

“In June we saw numbers that showed a net loss of jobs in the US. In Texas we added 37,000 new jobs. Why is that?  We’re having a bit of an energy boom.  … If we don’t develop our own sources of energy, we suffer in the long run.  That’s $700 billion dollars a year to people who don’t like us.  Said another way, we’re funding both sides in the War on Terror…  The Democratic leadership has said “no dice. That is not consistent with the wishes of the special interests that put us here in 2006″ this is their reason to not allow a vote on increasing supply.

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8-26 GOP Uprising Live Blog [11:58]

Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX):

“We’re here because we’ve come to an easy conclusion, when Americans are struggling to pay for their summer vacations Congress shouldn’t be taking a five week vacation of their own.  We need American Energy, produced by Americans, for Americans, and that’s what the American Energy Act is all about.”

Rep. Tom Price (R-GA):  

“She’s turned the lights down, usually they are brighter when we’re in session.  She’s turned the cameras off, they are on when we’re in session.  She’s turned the mics off, they are on when we’re in session … but she will not silence us, we are still here to talk to the American people and ask for a vote on the American Energy Act.”

Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN): 

“People say this is a good political issue for Republicans … well we’ll have plenty of time for politics in November, but right now we need to call Congress back right now and solve this problem in a bipartisan way.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC): 

“The Democrat energy plan is to ‘drive small cars and wait for the wind’ … Well this reminds me of the people of France who were starving, and the Queen was told that the people had no bread, and her response was to say ‘let them eat cake’”

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8-26 GOP Uprising Live Blog [11:25]

House Republicans are here in Washington, D.C. for Day 18 of their historic energy protest.  On August 1, Speaker Pelosi and House Democrats adjourned Congress for a five-week break instead of allowing a vote on the “all of the above” energy reforms included in the American Energy Act (H.R. 6566).  House Republicans, both in Washington D.C. and around the country, are demanding a vote.  GOP members participating in Day 18 of the GOP’s historic gas price protest include:

• Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)
• Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX)
• Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC)
• Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX)
• Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX)
• Rep. Ron Lewis (R-KY)
• Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI)
• Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)
• Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)
• Rep. Jean Schmidt (R-OH)
• Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)

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8-25 GOP Uprising Live Blog [2:10]

House Republicans have wrapped up Day 17 of the GOP’s historic gas price protest.  Following are a few more comments from our members today: 

Rep. Thad McCotter (R-MI):

“Why do we need more domestic production?  Why do we need more conservation?  We do we need more free market innovation?  Because we need a commonsense transition to energy independence and energy security.  Some people want to go cold turkey on fossil fuel.  But we can’t do that without really hurting people.  If we get energy wrong, the next generation will face the same challenges our grandparents faced during the Great Depression.”

Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX): 

“The best friend OPEC has is anyone standing between us and using our own American resources.”

Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC):

“This is not a partisan issue.  We’ve invited our Democrat colleagues to participate.  All we’re saying is we’re troubled by high gas and home heating prices.  We want them to come down.  We have the resources to do that.”

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