Who's Really Hurting Us?

The last day that the house was in session proved to be an interesting one indeed. Democrats refused to bring to a vote an issue that will eventually help Americans with one of their number one concerns, fuel prices.

Democrats stalled a vote on offshore oil drilling and called for an end to the legislative session, leaving the problem of fuel costs hanging without a solution for the Summer recess. So much for the Democrats caring for the little people.

Republicans refused to leave the floor and continued debating even though the session was over and even after the lights were shut off. Eventually the mics and television cameras were all turned off but the Republicans kept on debating as a sign of protest. Sticking up for the little people.

“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.

An editorial in today’s New Hampshire Union leader says that recent polls show that more than 2/3 of Americans believe that we should be drilling for more oil, the editorial then goes on to ask why the Democrats won’t vote on an issue that so many Americans are in agreement on.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are desperate to avoid a vote on oil drilling before the November elections. They know they will lose such a vote, and they fear Republicans will get credit for taking action to lower oil and gas prices.

So to prevent that electoral nightmare, they simply refuse to allow a floor vote on offshore drilling

They are putting politics above the needs and will of the American people. They are so concerned that the Republicans will look like winners and that it will hurt their re-election chances that they would rather delay the vote and to hell with what the American people want. So they just ran and hid rather that facing the vote and the will of the people, to the chagrin of Republicans.

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

When Republicans finally stopped the protest five hours after the session ended they were met with cheers:

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!”