House Floor Revolt - Day 3

I was back on the floor of the house this morning for day 3 of the Republican revolt against Congress' inactivity on the high cost of energy.

Much of the message was the same as the day before as members of Congress not only discussed the need for energy solutions now, but also educated the new visitors to the House about the history that they were witnessing. While one of the speakers was giving the background as to how the protest started, I learned that over 100 Republican Congressmen had signed up to give "5 minute speeches" that are traditionally allowed before the close of recess only to have Speaker Pelosi shut of their microphones and gavel the House into recess before they could utter a word. Talk about suppressing free speech.

One thing that the Representatives did was provide more details about the specific plans that they had for solving the energy crisis. Before the microphones were cut off, the Republicans had intended to talk about HR 6566, the so-called "American Energy Act." Contrary to what is being said in the media by Speaker Pelosi and others, this bill could best be described as an "all of the above" solution. The bill includes provisions that would allow responsible drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and ANWR while also providing for the development of nuclear, wind, solar, and hydro-electric power. I think Rep. Louie Gohmert said it best when he told the crowd, "People who tell you that this is just about oil are either being ignorant or dishonest." Given Speaker Pelosi's record and the record of the do-nothing Democratic Congress, I think it could be a little of both.

The crowd was much more active today, partly because people are learning more and more about the issue as the days go on. At one point the speeches stopped for about 3 minutes as the entire room, responding to Rep. Gohmert's speech, erupted into a loud chant of "Vote! Vote! Vote!"

But, the day wasn't just about the issue at hand. The most heartwarming moment of the day was when an Army soldier, who had been on a tour, walked into the gallery and was immediately led down to the middle of the floor and given a standing ovation by all in attendance.

American democracy is definitely alive and well this week.