“I really do believe we’re at a moment in time where we have a bipartisan Congress that will lead us away from dependence of foreign oil,” Pence said to the crowd of approximately 50. “I believe (comprehensive energy reform) would pass, I’m not positive, but what’s the problem with letting elected officials exercise their judgment?”

Since Pence’s election into office this decade, he said two special sessions have been called. One concerned the 9/11 commission report, while the other provided immediate relief to victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“Do I think we’re at that level? Yes,” Pence said. “I think we’re in a new energy crisis, and the American people want Congress to get back to work and help solve this in a bipartisan way.”

House Republicans are gearing up to continue their revolt of Congress’ adjournment for at least the next two weeks – right up to the start of the Democratic Convention in Denver – according to a memo sent Wednesday to GOP
members from Minority Leader John Boehner.

“Republicans will not rest until we have an honest, up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act,” Boehner wrote in the memo written by Republican leaders. “To that end, we request that you contact the Whip’s Office and indicate any time you may have available to come to Capitol in the coming weeks. We specifically request that you indicate your availability for any days during the next two weeks, August 11th through 22nd, as soon as possible.”

“IT IS just simply wrong for Congress to take a five-week paid vacation when so many families…are struggling under the weight of $4-a-gallon gasoline.” With those words Mike Pence, a Republican congressman from Indiana, explained to a crowd of bewildered tourists, including a troop of Boy Scouts, why he was refusing to leave the floor of the House of Representatives when its summer break began on August 1st, even though the lights, microphones and television cameras had been switched off. Instead, he and a few dozen Republican colleagues have returned to the chamber repeatedly in recent days to demand that Congress reconvene and vote on a proposal to increase the scope for oil-drilling in America’s territorial waters.