Video here ... Now twitter has been employed to relay national news as Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, and Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich are providing updates via Twitter.
When leaving appairently Pelosi had microphones and lights turned off.
Transcript on voting on an energy policy
What is on the floor is an energy policy -- Pelosi got a 213 to 212 vote to recess for five weeks without taking a vote on energy.
Patterico's Pontifications Says,
-
“You’re not covering this, are you?” complaing one senior Democratic aide. Another called the Republicans “morons” for staying on the floor.
Update - The Capitol Police are now trying to kick reporters out of the press gallery above the floor, meaning we can’t watch the Republicans anymore. But Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is now in the gallery talking to reporters, so the cops have held off for a minute. Clearly, Democrats don’t want Republicans getting any press for this episode. GOP leaders are trying to find other Republicans to rotate in for Blunt so reporters aren’t kicked out
-
What began as a small coalition of only about half a dozen congressmen soon grew to about twenty as Republicans who had already left returned to speak on this critical issue. Said Michigan Representative Mike Rogers upon his arrival back in the chamber, “I had gotten in my car to drive home and I realized I didn’t have enough money to pay for the first tank of gas.”
At the press 4:30 PM press conference
- Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-MO):
-
“We need to have more sources of energy, use energy more efficiently and invest in the future…we want to have that debate. For whatever reason, the Democrat leaders of this Congress are afraid of those ideas.”
- Republican Chief Deputy Whip Eric Cantor (R-VA):
- “This is about two things. One, gas prices are too high…secondly, this Democratic-controlled congress is not working. People see that it is not addressing the most important economic issue facing America…”
- Rep. Tom Price (R-GA):
- “What we did today was give voice to the American people on the biggest issue that they have at home today.”
- Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN):
-
“What you saw today, with absolutely no notice, was a spontaneous demonstration of the passion of this minority to stand up for working families, small business owners and family farmers and to fight for lower gasoline prices.”
- Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC):
- “We are not going to let Speaker Pelosi shut this House down and not let us give voice to what Americans are saying to us…we want action out of the Democrats who control this House.”
- Republican Policy Committee Chairman Thaddeus McCotter (R-MI):
-
“The Democratic Party says that they support the little person, the working people. They did not support them today as they adjourned to go on their five-week paid vacation. We work for the people of our districts, we do not get to vacation at their expense… If [Nancy Pelosi] continues to treat this as an issue between Democrats and Republicans, she’s going to injure the vast majority of working Americans.”
- Conference Secretary John Carter (R-TX):
-
“The American people heard that a group of people just got together to talk, and they started drifting in…their theme was ‘give us our country back’, and their whole purpose was…’let’s just have a vote, lets let the Congress function.’”
- Rep. John Shadegg (R-AZ):
-
“This is the equivalent of the Boston Tea Party over the energy issue. The reality is the Speaker is trying to repress not only the minority of the House but the majority of the nation.”
- Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-MI):
-
“I think what you saw today was the real difference between Speaker Pelosi’s House and the people’s House. Speaker Pelosi’s House was the one that said, ‘The lights are going out, the mics are going down, I’m going to kick the press out.’ The real House is the one that was there today…it’s clear that the American people reject Speaker Pelosi’s House, which is going on vacation for five weeks.”
- Rep. John Culberson (R-TX):
-
“By drilling here and drilling now and helping save the American economy that’ll then position us to move into solar, wind, alternative sources of energy, develop the Manhattan-style scale project that we need to invest in technology to get us to the next generation of energy.”
- Rep. Wally Herger (R-CA):
-
“I’ve had six tele-town hall meetings this summer, and the only issue that they want to talk about is rising gas prices. Is that what Nancy Pelosi meant when she said their was going to be change a year and a half ago?”
