Progress Illinois

Yesterday, the U.S. House passed the Democrat-sponsored Comprehensive Energy Security Act by a 236-189 margin.  The bill would release 70 billion barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, allow offshore drilling over 50 miles from the U.S. coast, roll back tax breaks for the five largest oil companies, provide tax credits for renewable energy development/conservation, and require utilities to generate 15 percent of their electricity from alternative sources.

All 11 Illinois Democrats voted in favor of the measure, as well as GOP Reps. Mark Kirk and Ray Lahood.  Meanwhile, the six remaining Illinois Republicans -- Peter Roskam, Judy Biggert, John Shimkus, Don Manzullo, Tim Johnson, and Jerry Weller -- opposed the bill.

Despite taking part in the GOP's "drilling is the only answer" antics in August, Roskam explained his nay vote this way: "Any bill that ignores nuclear, anti-idling conservation and basic research is no comprehensive energy bill." Biggert toed a similar line, emphasizing the bill's exclusion of nuclear power in a press release yesterday.  (Could we be witnessing the start of a "Nuke Baby Nuke" movement?)

Yet Rep. Shimkus' response really takes the cake. 

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In the Washington Post this morning, Dana Milbank highlights the GOP's ridiculous display on the U.S. House floor in recent days:

House Republicans can't seem to make up their minds.

Eighteen times over the past 90 days, the minority tried, unsuccessfully, to force the House to adjourn. Now the House has finally adjourned -- for a five-week recess, no less -- and Republicans are demanding that the chamber be called back into session.

On Friday and again yesterday, they opened the doors to the darkened House chamber and invited tourists wearing shorts and sandals to sit in the members' chairs. The microphones, lights and cameras were off. The speaker's chair was empty. But, hour after hour, the Republican lawmakers stood in the well and cursed the darkness.

So what were the Republican members cursing about? They complained that Speaker Nancy Pelosi refused to bring their pro-drilling energy legislation up for a vote before the August recess. The Republican ensemble included several congressmen from Illinois. For instance, 18th District Rep. Don Manzullo said on Friday: "Tell your congressman -- we don’t want you back home. We want you in Washington. This could be America’s greatest hour. Insist that we come back to vote.” Apparently, the opportunity to vote on legislation that would have no short-term affect on gas prices while padding the pockets of the oil industry qualifies as "America's greatest hour" in Manzullo's book.

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