Weird Day In Congress

[UNTflyer]

This is from the Politico Blog:

<h1 class="section_best_breaking">House Dems turn out the lights but GOP keeps talking</h1> Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and the Democrats adjourned the House, turned off the lights and killed the microphones, but Republicans are still on the floor talking gas prices.

Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and other GOP leaders opposed the motion to adjourn the House, arguing that Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote allowing offshore drilling is hurting the American economy. They have refused to leave the floor after the adjournment motion passed at 11:23 a.m., and they are busy bashing Pelosi and her fellow Democrats for leaving town for the August recess.

At one point, the lights went off in the House and the microphones were turned off in the chamber, meaning Republicans were talking in the dark. But as Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz..) was speaking, the lights went back on and the microphones were turned on shortly afterward.

But C-SPAN, which has no control over the cameras in the chamber, has stopped broadcasting the House floor, meaning no one was witnessing this except the assembled Republicans, their aides, and one Democrat, Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich (D-Ohio), who has now left.

Only about a half-dozen Republicans were on the floor when this began, but the crowd has grown to about 20, according to Patrick O'Connor.

See Also: More Updates

• GOP talkathon Part II: Dems turn out the lights but GOP won't go home
• GOP talkathon Part III: No shirt? no tie? No problem
• GOP talkathon Part IV: Come on down

"This is the people's House," said Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.). "This is not Pelosi's politiburo."

Democratic aides were furious at the GOP stunt, and reporters were kicked out of the Speaker's Lobby, the space next to the House floor where they normally interview lawmakers.

"You're not covering this, are you?" complained 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.

Update 2: This message was sent out by Blunt's office:

"Although this Democrat majority just adjourned for the Democrat 5-week vacation, House Republicans are continuing to fight on the House floor. Although the lights, mics and C-SPAN cameras have been turned off, House Republicans are on the floor speaking to the taxpayers in the gallery who, not surprisingly, agree with Republican energy proposals.

"All Republicans who are in town are encouraged to come to the House floor."

Update 3: Democrats just turned out the lights again. Republicans cheered.

Update 4: Republican leaders just sent out a notice looking for a bullhorn, and leadership aides are trying to corral all the members who are still in town to come speak on the floor and sustain this one-sided debate.

Also, Republicans can thank Shadegg for turning on the microphones the first time. Apparently, the fiesty Arizona conservative started typing random codes into the chamber's public address system and accidentally typed the correct code, allowing Republicans brief access to the microphone before it was turned off again.

"I love this," Shadegg told reporters up in the press gallery afterward. "Congress can be so boring. ... This is a kick."

» Continue reading House Dems turn out the lights but GOP keeps talking div#summary{display: none;} Update 5: The scene on the floor is kind of crazy. Normally, members are not allowed to speak directly to the visitor galleries, and visitors are prohibited from cheering. But in this case, the members are walking up and down on the floor during their speeches, standing on chairs. The visitors are cheering loudly. Some members even brought in visitors, who are now sitting on the House floor in the seats normally filled by lawmakers, cheering and clapping. Very funny.

Democrats faced a choice here: Should they leave the cameras on and let Republicans rip Pelosi & Co. on C-SPAN, or should they leave the cameras off and let the Republicans have their "tantrum," as one Democratic aide characterized it, with the cameras off? So the cameras are off, but Republicans, and the crowd, are clearly enjoying the scene.

Update 6: Republicans are literally hugging each other on the House floor. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-Ill.), not normally known as a distinguished orator, just gave a rousing speech, accusing Democrats of stifling dissent. He referenced President John Quincy Adams, who returned as a House member after being defeated in his presidential reelection bid. Waving his arms and yelling, Manzullo brought the crowd (including a lot of staffers shipped in by GOP leaders to fill up the place), and he left the floor to hugs from his colleagues. You don't see that up here every day.

Update 7: Rep Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) just pretended to be a Democrat. He stood on the other side of the chamber and listed all of the GOP bills that the Dems killed.

He then said, "I am a Democrat, and here is my energy plan" and he held up a picture of an old VW Bug with a sail attached to it. He paraded around the House floor with the sign while the crowd cheered.

Update 8: It's over.

Right at the stroke of five Georgia Rep. Tom Price announced that House Republicans were ending their impromptu protest on the floor of the chamber, ending a five-plus hour rebellion with a round of "God Bless America."

The assembled tourists, aides and members in the chamber gave Price and his compatriots a standing ovation. They left the chamber to shouts of "USA! USA! USA!"

[CMJ]

Holy shit, that's AWESOME. And I don't even give a rip about the protest.

[UNTflyer]

Holy shit, that's AWESOME. And I don't even give a rip about the protest.

It is unacceptable that Congress flies home on a 5-week vacation (on OUR tax dollars, BTW) without addressing the drilling question. They avoided the vote because it's an election year.

[emmitt01]

Cute stunt.

[UNTflyer]

Cute stunt.

At least when Republicans pull a stunt, it's centered around doing their job. Unlike Democrats, who protest by walking out. But then, isn't it just like a Democrat to try and avoid doing any work?

I kid, I kid!!

[drex]

Here's a tip for you youngsters out there...if you run for Congress, just pledge to introduce no new legislation and that you will only stay for two terms. You should win in a landslide.

[yyz28]

Friday was pure greatness.

They are still in the chamber as of this morning debating the issue and pushing the President to call a special session.

The Dems are pretty transparent on this one. 75% of the country wants more drilling, and they are trying to avoid the issue in an election year because they are on the wrong side of the issue.

...and here's Obama with his "Windfall Profits Tax" to pay for rebates. How does that create more fuel? How does that lower the price? IT DOESN'T!!!!

Windfall Profits: Profits that are unexpected, unearned, or sudden gain. - Webster's

Let's Do the math.

Exxon-Mobil, Q2 Revenue/Profits:

$138 Billion in Revenue

$11.68 Billion on Profits

$32.36 billion paid in Taxes

That's 8.4% Profit for the company and investors who take the risk and produce the product.

That's 23.4% Profit for the Governments who have done nothing to produce any product.

Now, WHO is making the windfall profits?

Directly from Barack's Website "As president, Obama will enact a tax fairness agenda that provides 150 million workers a “Making Work Pay” tax credit of $500 per person or $1,000 per working family... ...Barack Obama supports imposing a windfall profits penalty on oil selling at or over $80 per barrel. Revenue from the proposal will be invested in a number of measures to reduce the burden of rising prices on families."

150 Million People * $500 per person tax credit = $75,000,000,000. Barack has said in several speeches that he intends to pay for these tax rebates using a windfall profits tax on the oil industry. Now, does anyone ACTUALLY BELIEVE that this increased COST to the Oil companies isn't going to get passed onto the consumer? All a higher tax on oil is going to do is...

RAISE THE RETAIL COST OF OIL!!!!!

Folks, 8% profit just simply isn't that impressive. If you invest $100 in a business venture and get $108 a year later would you feel like you made a huge profit? Let's say you've got a small business and you keep he profit as your income. Your revenue is $500,000! Not bad right? No, not terrible, but you're take home (before Uncle Sam gets his 25%) is $40,000. Better than a sharp stick in the eye, but not particularly impressive.

These same Governments who are beating on the PRODUCERS are confiscating 3 times the profits the shareholders are earning, and then demonizing them.

It is nice to see someone who has the balls to stand up for the 75% of us who think it's time to open up access to the supply in this country.

[Coffee and TV]

They avoided the vote because it's an election year.

Yet its ok for your party to politically grandstand during an election year, right?

[yyz28]

Yet its ok for your party to politically grandstand during an election year, right?

Clearly you miss the point...

...I don't think Flyer or I begrudge anyone doing what they think is politically expediant - but let's just be honest about what is going on.

Nancy is keeping the vote from happening because she knows a bunch of dems will jump ship and the issue will pass.

...the Republicans are finally growing a pair because they think they have an issue that can win them this election and maybe even stave off a bigger democratic majority in the congress.

EVERY POLITICAL PARTY is doing what they are doing on this issue for POLITICAL REASONS. It's sort of part of the Territory.

I promise not to make belive that the Republicans do EVERYTHING THEY DO because they think it is politically expediant if you promise to admit the same about the Democrats.

Fair?

[JesseMartin]

GQ had a VERY long article about oil, peak oil, availability, sustainability, etc. If anyone is interested I'll try to find a link. It was a good read, though again, quite long.