Top congressional Republicans Thursday called for a special session of Congress to deal with the oil crisis plaguing the country.

President Bush called on Congress Wednesday to allow offshore oil drilling, saying the need to lower crude and gas prices made it urgent.

Lawmakers are debating legislation to allow drilling for oil along the U.S. coastline, particularly in Florida and California.

The Senate, which is set to begin summer recess after this week, has been gridlocked for days on various energy bills.

Congressional Republicans said they want an open debate and accuse Democrats of trying to limit amendments to avoid a vote on offshore drilling -- an assertion the Democrats deny.

Most Republicans want to lift a 1981 ban on offshore drilling, saying it will increase domestic oil supplies. But the Democratic leadership wants to keep the ban in place, arguing that more offshore drilling will have little effect on prices and could threaten the environment.

Republicans also want to legalize drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and allow the processing of oil shale on public lands in the West -- two actions Democrats also oppose. Oil shale is sedimentary rock with oil in it that has historically been considered too expensive to process. Several environmental risks are associated with extracting oil shale.

Rep. Mike Pence, R-Indiana, said it's not fair to Americans who "won't get a vacation from high gasoline prices so Congress shouldn't take a vacation until we vote to lessen our dependence on foreign oil."

Pence said that if House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn't keep the House in session to vote, he urged the president to call an immediate special session of Congress.

Meanwhile, some of the strongest condemnations of China are coming from Bush’s fellow Republicans, some of whom are holding nothing back ahead of the president’s historic trip.

“The People’s Republic of China is a police state and we should have no other view,” said Indiana Republican Rep. Mike Pence, calling the awarding of the Olympics to Beijing a “historic error.”

“Massively violated by the state, it is no wonder more women commit suicide in China than anywhere else in the world,” added Christopher H. Smith, R-N.J.

On the Senate side, China critic Sam Brownback, a Republican of Kansas, held a news conference Tuesday to accuse China of plans to spy on hotel guests’ Internet use.

“China is the greatest enabler of human rights abuses in the world,” he said. Brownback said foreign-owned hotels approached him with documents showing that Chinese officials forced them to install software to monitor the Internet use of journalists, athletes and other guests.

“We have heard already from the distinguished Ranking Member the arguments against having this hearing and I cannot add to those arguments. These types of hearings take us far down the road of the criminalization of American politics, and I regret that this esteemed committee is taking an issue as important as impeachment and using it to score partisan political points.

“Putting those objections aside, I see absolutely no credible basis for impeachment of President Bush.

But here in the cornfields of eastern Indiana, members of the Ford family and company executives have joined thousands of Ford enthusiasts to remember a better time and a stronger Ford. They have watched as hundreds of Tin Lizzies from 45 states and eight countries roll in for what promises to be the largest gathering of Flivvers in one place since the Highland Park factory closed in 1927. They are hoping to harness some of the passion these antique autos still inspire and make these hobbyists ambassadors for the Ford brand as it faces the toughest fight of its 105-year history.

"Henry Ford once said, 'History is more or less bunk.' But the history of this vehicle and the history of this great American is none of that," said Congressman Mike Pence, R-Ind., who helped open the festivities Monday night. "We celebrate not just a great American technological accomplishment, but we celebrate the values, the determination, the entrepreneurial spirit that made it possible."

"It was the right decision for CRH to keep paying these employees," Pence said. "It deployed 1,800 people into the community to help neighbors and not have to worry about where their next meal will come from."

Pence said the hospital deserves reimbursement, partly because CRH’s decision to pay employees has kept them from collecting unemployment payments.

He expects the federal government to decide within two weeks.

With Mr. Bush's belated decision yesterday, Congress's moratorium on offshore drilling is now the last major political barrier to increasing domestic oil-and-gas production. Yet Democratic leaders have refused to schedule even a single hearing on the topic.

Bush says offshore drilling could yield up to 18 billion barrels of oil over time, although it would take years for production to start. Bush also says offshore drilling would take pressure off prices over time. In addition, the president has proposed opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, lifting restrictions on oil shale leasing in the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and easing the regulatory process to expand oil refining capacity.

"All it takes is one appointment to the FCC of someone who would want to bring this back and there you go," said Matt Lloyd, spokesman for Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind., a former talk radio host who is leading the legislative crusade
against the return of the doctrine…

Still, Mr. Pence and some of his Republican colleagues think the Fairness Doctrine is enough of a threat to require pre-emptive action.

One year ago, Mr. Pence introduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act, which Mr. McCain co-sponsored, but Ms. Pelosi has declined to schedule a vote on the bill. Mr. Pence is currently gathering signatures for a discharge petition to force the bill onto the floor of the House.

When asked about claims that Democrats would not seek to reinstate the doctrine if they won the presidency in 2008, Mr. Lloyd, the Pence spokesman, said he did not buy them.

"You could count me, along with a number of other Republicans, skeptical," he said.

In particular, talk of increased "broadcast localism" has raised hackles. Some say such policies would have the same end as the Fairness Doctrine.

"Localism is a stealth Fairness Doctrine," Mr. Lloyd said.

Congressman Pence released the following statement today regarding the passing of former White House press secretary Tony Snow:

"Tony Snow's passing is a national loss. His intellect, his decency and his professionalism set a high standard for conservatives in public service and journalism. America will miss his voice and I will miss a friend."

In a clear sign that the movement is gaining steam, newspapers across the country are weighing in with editorials. Here are a few that ran within the past couple of days:

Rocky Mountain News

Here's hoping a handful of Democrats break ranks and put free speech above party loyalty. President Bush would surely sign Pence's bill. And Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee, is a sponsor of the Senate version.

Daily Herald (Utah)

But this isn't a complex issue that requires deep study. It's very simple and clear: Reviving the Fairness Doctrine would be a flagrant attempt to stifle free speech for the benefit of a political party that is not now, and may never be, very popular in broadcast programming.

Augusta Chronicle

Democratic nominee-to-be Barack Obama has said he "doesn't support" the Fairness Doctrine. But that's different from opposing it. It's possible the tepid "doesn't support it" could change or simply yield under pressure from his Democratic colleagues. And, as columnist and Phoenix radio talk show host Austin Hill notes, Obama once was a huge proponent of spending limits under public financing of presidential campaigns -- until he found he could raise a lot of money and spend it with no limits.

White House weighs in

In addition, the White House weighed in last week, with White House Press Secretary Dana Perino saying the President supports the Broadcaster Freedom Act and Congressman Pence’s efforts to bring it to the floor for a vote. Human Events has the story here.

Excerpt:

Perino did not rule out helping Pence round up the signatures he needs to get his measure out of committee. When I asked if the President or other Administration officials would help Pence in getting the required signatures on the discharge petition, she replied: “I’ll see if there’s anything [the] legislative affairs office [in the White House] is working on in that regard.”

Discharge Petition update

The discharge petition currently has 196 signatures. Only 22 more are needed to bring the Broadcaster Freedom Act to the floor for a vote. Click here for a list of signatures (note: some Members on this list may not be serving any longer, hence the different total).

Meetings with Israeli and Palestinian Prime Ministers
July 1, 2008
Jerusalem, Israel

After a month of weather-related disasters across my congressional district, it wasn't easy to board a plane to Israel for a long-planned series of diplomatic meetings, but the current negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority and the rising threat of Iran and its agents in Hamas and Hezbollah convinced me that I should go.

My duties as the Ranking Republican on the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs include regular briefings on the status of Israel and regional issues, but there is no substitute for a firsthand look.

Despite an ongoing crisis in Hamas-controlled Gaza, prisoner swaps with Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the nuclear ambitions of Iran, the peace process that began last fall at the Annapolis Conference has been the primary topic of our discussions.

The Annapolis Conference was preceded by seven bloody years and it was met with skepticism and concern by many of Israel's allies in Congress, me included. As much as I long for peace in the Holy Land, the history of negotiations has shown that as Israel has offered peace, past Palestinian leaders have responded only with unreasonable demands and violence.

The hope of the President and U.S. State Department has been that the new Palestinian leadership would be different. And, while you haven't heard much about the negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians, we were informed by both sides that negotiations are taking place.

Our delegation of five congressmen met with numerous officials, including Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority, Salam Fayyad.

While both officials seemed earnest in their desire to achieve some peaceful solution, I left our meetings doubtful that the time is right.

On the Israeli side, Prime Minister Olmert is a resilient and forceful public figure. As I saw during our meeting prior to the Annapolis Conference, this Israeli Prime Minister believes strongly in the Annapolis process and he makes his case with an upbeat determination. He repeated that same presentation during our one-hour meeting in the Israeli cabinet room.

And yet, the government of Prime Minister Olmert came to power under Ariel Sharon by promoting the now failed 2005 policy of disengagement from Gaza. His government is also beset by widely publicized allegations of corruption and public disapproval following the disappointing outcome for the Israeli military in Lebanon in 2006. These factors also represent significant hurdles to achieving an agreement that would be in the interest of the state of Israel.

On the Palestinian side, Prime Minister Salam Fayyad comes across as soft-spoken and professional. However, Hamas is still in complete control of Gaza and, as I stated to Prime Minister Fayyad, Palestinian education and culture continue to promote anti-Semitic attitudes. The dominance of Hamas and the culture of hatred toward Israel represent immense barriers to even a well-intentioned effort by the Palestinian Authority.

As we prepare to lift off in a helicopter in Tel Aviv for a strategic tour of the entire state of Israel, I am not without hope. I pray for the peace of Jerusalem and for all the people of this ancient land.

As I said in 2007, “Significant progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process cannot be made at bayside press briefings in American cities. The real progress has to come on the ground in Israel, in the Palestinian territories, and in the hearts and minds of Israelis and Palestinians.

“Real progress will not come from additional acts that exchange the tangible security of Israel for intangible promises of future Palestinian action. Only genuine, thorough and recurring antiterror, pro-democratic actions should yield peace and eventual Palestinian statehood.”

I remain convinced of two things. First, Israel is a small democracy and an ally of unique importance that must be defended. And second, any chance for a just and lasting peace must begin, first and foremost, with the interests of the Jewish state of Israel.

U.S. Rep. Mike Pence (IN-6)
Jerusalem, Israel