DeLay blasts Democrats’ rookie mistakes

The ruckus on the House floor last night that caused over 100 Republican members to storm from the chamber was an example of in-over-its-head Democratic majority trying to manage the floor, former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas) said in an interview Friday afternoon.

“It is the continuing lack of understanding of how to run the House floor,” DeLay said. “Reopening a vote after it had been closed … it is a complete violation of House rules.”

{mosads}DeLay also charged that Rep. Michael McNulty (D-N.Y.), who was in the chair at the time of the dispute, had violated rules by recognizing Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) after the vote was closed.

“Hoyer was not on the prevailing side; it is a violation of House rules for the chair to recognize him,” DeLay argued. He made the statement on the assumption that Republicans had won the vote after McNulty gaveled.

DeLay added that the issue — giving Medicare and other government benefits to illegal immigrants — made the vote even more egregious.

“If it were my party I’d go back and make sure that the measure was passed and I’d revote the [measure] … go back to regular order,” DeLay said. “But they won’t do that.”

DeLay said the actions of the Democrats bore no resemblance to the decision of Republican leadership to hold open the 2003 Medicare vote for three hours.

“You may not agree with that, but it’s totally within House rules,” he said.

Meanwhile, Democrats said they are ready to move on.

“We’re looking forward now,” said Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). He said that in the next 24 hours, Pelosi wants to pass defense appropriations, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) fix, the energy bill and a bill to increase the amount of emergency money available to Minnesota in response to the interstate bridge collapse.

“Those are our four legislative priorities,” Elshami said.

Republicans held an emergency conference meeting Friday to formulate a position, as Boehner and Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) met with Hoyer and Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) to try to figure out how to proceed.

In a meeting with reporters afterward, Blunt said he and Boehner had agreed to allow a vote on the measure to strengthen FISA and a bill to give emergency aid to those affected by the Minnesota bridge collapse on Wednesday, but nothing else would be considered until the Agriculture bill was sent back to committee.

No consensus was reached in the meeting, according to Blunt.

“Mr. Clyburn and Mr. Hoyer are friends of mine, but I believe they are seriously wrong on this and I think they could have prevented this problem if they had followed the normal procedures of the House,” Blunt said.

Republican Study Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling (Texas) indicated that during a conference meeting there was a consensus that Democrats must use the gaveled tally, which the GOP contends is 215-213, before the House can move on.

“They are trampling on 200 years of House rules,” he said. “What the Democrats need to do is admit they made a mistake and actions ought to have consequences, and the consequences ought to be they need to go back and they need to protect the American people from having their taxpayer dollars give food stamps to illegal immigrants.”

Mike Soraghan contributed to this report.