Quotes from the revolt

Here are some quotes from the People’s House today.  Follow it here.

Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA):

“If you keep up with the news you can see what Nancy Pelosi has been up to, she has been on a book tour promoting Know Your Power, a book she has written in the past three to four months.  I can’t imagine how someone in her position can find time to write and promote a book with as busy a schedule as she has here in Congress.  She must have missed a chapter in her book, the chapter about how someone with as much power as her should use her time wisely- like solving the energy issue instead of promoting a book.”

Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL):

“You know, can you imagine my surprise getting these messages on my Blackberry while I’m sitting in my living room with my family. They say my colleagues are making a stand in the House chamber. My wife and I read them, and thought ‘I need to get there’. So we packed up the car, and drove in around 3AM. Don’t you sense something here, a tipping point? Can’t you imagine if the Speaker, the Senate Majority Leader, and the President got together and said “We are going to get this done.” Can you imagine a new era for American jobs? People can look back at today and say, ‘this is the day we got it together.’ This is the great issue of our day, and if we convince the Speaker not to run around saying ‘I’m not listening, I’m not listening!’ then we can convene a debate and make this happen!”

Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN):

“What did the Democrats do while the Pelosi Premium went up? They declared National Passport Month, but wouldn’t have a vote on energy. In May we voted on ‘National Train Day’ but not energy! [Holds a gas can] This is a gas can. An empty gas can, as empty as the Democratic Party’s ideas on energy, on filling this can! They don’t know how to fill it. Their only idea is $5 gas. [Holds up a new helical light bulb] The Democrat energy plan is to outlaw incandescent light bulbs, but not vote on a comprehensive energy policy!”

Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA):

“Common sense is not very common in Washington, D.C… Why aren’t we using all the resources that we Americans can bring to the table?”

“We need to use our American ingenuity to solve these problems…We will get it done if there’s a vote on this floor.”

Rep. Mike Pence:

” We believe that Congress should reconvene because Americans will not take a vacation due to gasoline prices….Congress should not be out.”

“The American people want less talk and more action. They want Congress in session now.”

“..if we open the continental shelf and find more eco-friendly ways, then gas prices WILL go down.” *Standing Ovation*

“We want Speaker Pelosi to heed what the American public wishes, which is for Congress to reconvene.”

“Energy independence is the calling of our time!”

Rep. Steve King (R-IA)

“We produce more renewable energy in our district than in any of the 434 other districts. In our land, we know about energy. Not Pe-la-la-losi-land! Here, we know what we’re talking about.”

[Puts up a huge poster of Pelosi] : “This is her dilemma: ‘I am trying to save the planet, I am trying to save the planet!’ She wants the planet restored to some imagined state of being. She says she wants to save the planet but doesn’t show concern for the homo sapiens that live on it! She doesn’t want our standard of living to go up, she doesn’t want more energy. We might as well backtrack and start at the Garden of Eden.”

Rep. John Kline (R-MN):

“There’s a saying that everything has been said but not everyone has said it, now it’s my turn. The question is what has Congress has done about the price of gasoline. The answer: Congress has done nothing.”

Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK):

“The oil might not flow for a year or two, but the jobs will start immediately…Right now, this House is an obstacle, not a platform.”

Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL)

“Tell your congressman- we don’t want you back home. We want you in Washington. This could be America’s greatest hour. Insist that we come back to vote.”

By far one of the best quotes so far is this one from Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN):

“The American people won’t get a vacation from high gasoline prices, so why should Congress take a five week vacation?”

Democrat Energy Plan

Here’s the Democrat energy plan. (H/T – Wizbang)

Is your agreement with this plan the reason you voted to adjourn and followed Speaker Pelosi out of town on Friday instead of demanding a vote on this issue Congressman Kagen?

The revolt continues

Republicans may have finally found their issue.  Following the historic action on Friday, House Republicans decided to continue applying pressure on the Democrats who left town for the August recess without acting the American Energy Act.  The following memo went out over the weekend.

Yesterday we witnessed the power of American democracy in action. Dozens of House Republicans joined hundreds of American citizens on the House floor to protest Speaker Pelosi’s decision to send Congress home for the rest of the summer without a vote on the American Energy Act. In doing so, we sent a powerful message that Republicans are united with the American people.

We’re writing today for two reasons. One is to thank you for what you’ve done. The other is to ask that we keep it going.

It’s not a request we make lightly. But the American people are suffering. We have their attention, and they know we’re on their side. This is our moment to prove Republicans will not rest until their voices are heard. The consequences of continued congressional inaction on gas prices are unacceptable. We’ve called on the Speaker to call Congress back into an emergency session this month and schedule a vote on the American Energy Act. We must continue to make a stand until the Speaker complies.

We realize not everyone can be in Washington next week. But if you can be, we ask that you come to the Capitol, join our colleagues, and lend your voice, beginning this Monday at 10:00 am. A schedule will be assembled to keep the effort going for at least several hours each day.

…

If you can’t be in Washington, we ask that you contribute to the cause in other ways – such as spreading the word among your constituents, writing an op-ed for your local newspaper, or taking our “all of the above” energy message to your local airwaves.

The passion for freedom is a defining aspect of the American character. It thrives in the souls of our people. And when brought to bear on a common goal, it is a formidable force.

Republicans stand with the American people. We share their passion and determination for energy independence, and we’ve pledged to fight boldly until Congress heeds their will. Working together, we will show them we’re as good as our word.

The revolt continued today at 10:00 am EDT emboldened by Speaker Pelosi’s refusal to budge.

While the House GOP and hundreds of American citizens are making their voices heard in the House chamber, Speaker Pelosi is continuing her strident opposition to more production of American-made energy, even as families across America are being pummeled at the pump each and every day.  Appearing yesterday on ABC News’ This Week with George Stephanopoulos, Speaker Pelosi reaffirmed her plans to block a vote on more American energy at least five different times.  Take a look:

- “I’m just not going to be a party of it…”

- “This is a diversionary tactic from a failed energy policy…”

- “This is, again, a decoy, it’s not a solution…”

- “Well, I’m not just going to – I’m not going to [schedule a vote]…”

- “They’ll have to use their imagination as to how they can get a vote…”

While the Speaker shows just how out-of-touch she and her Democratic colleagues are by not allowing more environmentally-safe drilling for oil and gas – which a solid majority of Americans and a bipartisan majority in Congress supports, in spite of the Speaker’s efforts to squelch them – House Republicans and the American people are continuing to make their voices heard inside the House chamber. 

Michelle points out the need to “hit hard, hit fast, hit often” over the next five weeks.

It appears Republican leadership is planning to do just that now that it’s found it’s backbone on a key election issue.

The ongoing floor revolt is proof that neither House Republicans nor the American people will rest until Democratic leaders given them an up-or-down vote on more American energy and lower gas prices.  Throughout the August break, both on the House floor and across the country, Republicans will continue holding the Democratic Majority accountable for their refusal to listen to the American people struggling with high gas prices.  How much longer will Speaker Pelosi ignore the calls of the American families and small businesses before she stops blocking a real vote on more American energy? 

You can follow the action taking place, with no Democrats present, in the People’s House here.