GOP declares House protest a success

House Republicans have declared victory with their energy protest even as Democrats saw a different outcome.

GOPers aired their grievances for a month this summer, including two uninterrupted weeks through two party political conventions, but their defiance will come to a halt when Congress reconvenes on Monday.

{mosads}But whether or not the GOP “speak in” on the House floor was, in fact, successful, remains to be seen.

Republicans claim they have made inroads with the American public that will pay dividends in November. And, in the short-term, GOPers claim success in changing the political landscape over the contentious issue of drilling for oil and natural gas in currently protected areas such as the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

“I think it has changed the terms of the debate,” Republican Conference Chairman Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Fla.) said. “The likelihood of having a vote is greater today that it was prior to us engaging in this month-long process.”

A total of 136 Republicans turned a spontaneous effort to give floor speeches on gas prices and energy after Congress adjourned for the August recess into a month-long “speak-in” on the House floor. Throughout the protest, Republicans repeatedly brought constituents down to the House floor in an effort to connect with them directly.

“People now better understand that House Republicans are still on offense on the energy issues,” Putnam said.

Democrats saw a different outcome.

"The only thing this Republican sideshow accomplished was to show the lengths to which the Conference will go to demonstrate their loyalty to Big Oil,” said Drew Hammill, a spokesman for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) “Americans want a comprehensive approach to lower prices, protect consumers, increase production and invest in renewables, and that approach will come to the floor this month."

The details of whatever energy package House Democrats will offer are still being worked out, aides said. But it is extremely unlikely that it will match up with the GOP energy package, which protesting Republicans were clamoring for Pelosi to allow a vote on.

How much drilling the Democratic package will allow – as well as how Republicans will react to that offering – is also uncertain. Also just as uncertain – and perhaps just as important to the final  
outcome – is whether Democrats plan to continue to rely solely on the suspension calendar to bring up energy measures.

Bills on the suspension calendar are not subject to votes on minority alternatives – which in the past months would have certainly included provisions to open up the OCS and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling – but they do require a two-thirds majority, which Democrats failed to garner all three times they have attempted the maneuver since June.

But Putnam said it was the protest and the continued GOP pressure that prompted Pelosi to, over the recess, drop her blanket objection to offshore drilling.

A Democratic leadership aide, though, contested that assertion.

The aide said that Pelosi’s movement on the drilling issue was designed to put her in line with her party nominee’s – Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) — and was also consistent with her previous support of a comprehensive energy package.