I have been asked why I came back to DC. Well, the answer is that our families, neighbors, and businesses are struggling. Over the last month, the cost of gasoline has decreased slightly but if we don’t take action now, energy prices are going to skyrocket higher than we can imagine. This is only going to get worse in the coming winter months, especially for us in the Northeast, where home heating costs are also expected to soar. I am here in DC today because the Democrats inaction is unacceptable and unforgivable.

To read the text from the press conference click here 

To read the speech I gave on the House floor click here

9) No Member of Congress should be silenced on the floor, as has been the practice of Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives.  –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

8 There should be regular consultations among the elected leaders of parties to discuss scheduling, administration and operations of the House. –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

7) There will be Bipartisan Administration of the House. –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

6) Regular meetings between Chairs and Ranking Members of committees and staffs should be held.  –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

5) Bills should be developed following full hearings and open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees. Members should have at least 24 hours to examine a bill prior to consideration at the subcommittee level. –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

4) Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute. –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

3) Members should have at least 24 hours to examine bill and conference report text prior to floor consideration. Rules governing floor debate must be reported before 10 p.m. for a bill to be considered the following day. –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

2) House-Senate conference committees should hold regular meetings (at least weekly) of all conference committee Members. All duly-appointed conferees should be informed of the schedule of conference committee activities in a timely manner and given ample opportunity for input and debate as decisions are made toward final bill language.  –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

1) And maybe the biggest sham so far - The Suspension Calendar should be restricted to non-controversial legislation, with minority-authored legislation scheduled in relation to the party ratio in the House.  –Ignored my this Democrat Majority

9) No Member of Congress should be silenced on the floor, as has been the practice of Republican leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives.  –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

8 There should be regular consultations among the elected leaders of parties to discuss scheduling, administration and operations of the House. –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

7) There will be Bipartisan Administration of the House. –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

6) Regular meetings between Chairs and Ranking Members of committees and staffs should be held.  –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

5) Bills should be developed following full hearings and open subcommittee and committee markups, with appropriate referrals to other committees. Members should have at least 24 hours to examine a bill prior to consideration at the subcommittee level. –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

4) Bills should generally come to the floor under a procedure that allows open, full, and fair debate consisting of a full amendment process that grants the Minority the right to offer its alternatives, including a substitute. –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

3) Members should have at least 24 hours to examine bill and conference report text prior to floor consideration. Rules governing floor debate must be reported before 10 p.m. for a bill to be considered the following day. –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

2) House-Senate conference committees should hold regular meetings (at least weekly) of all conference committee Members. All duly-appointed conferees should be informed of the schedule of conference committee activities in a timely manner and given ample opportunity for input and debate as decisions are made toward final bill language.  –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

1) And maybe the biggest sham so far - The Suspension Calendar should be restricted to non-controversial legislation, with minority-authored legislation scheduled in relation to the party ratio in the House.  –Ignored by this Democrat Majority

Rep. Steve Israel visits the King Kullen supermarket in Commack, NY, to talk to Long Islanders about how the "Middle Class Squeeze" is impacting their lives.

Author: RepSteveIsrael
Keywords: commentary analysis news political commercial steve israel
Added: August 19, 2008

Today, in our press conference and when speaking on the floor we asked the Speaker to keep her word and allow a vote on drilling offshore. But even if she allows a vote, why is she waiting for another four weeks to tackle this issue? House Republicans are here and have been here since August 1^st. We asked her to cancel her book tour and call Congress back into session.

On another note, I hope you all got to see this morning’s Washington Post editorial “Snake Oil.” The editorial calls for “Long-Term, Comprehensive Plan” to solve our Nation’s energy crisis and debunks three ‘truths’ Click here to read it  

“With the roaring economies of China and India gobbling up oil in the two countries’ latter-day industrial revolutions, the United States can no longer afford to turn its back on finding all the sources of fuel necessary to maintain its economy and its standard of living. What’s required is a long-term, comprehensive plan that includes wind, solar, geothermal, biofuels and nuclear — and that acknowledges that oil and gas will be instrumental to the U.S. economy for many years to come.”

Today, I am proudly standing with my Republican colleagues, staffers, and tourists visiting the Capitol to demand action on the ‘all of the above’ energy plan that I support. I will stand with every American who expects more out of Congress and demands action now. And although the microphones and camera are turned off, our message will be heard and we will not rest until Speaker Pelosi has allowed an up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act. To read my floor speech click here  

Rep. Steve Israel speaks at a press conference with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) and Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel (IL). Following the jobs report showing another month of losses, the Congressmen speak about the need for a middle class recovery plan.

Author: RepSteveIsrael
Keywords: news congress politics
Added: August 8, 2008

Rep. Steve Israel speaks at a press conference with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (MD) and Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel (IL). Following the jobs report showing another month of losses, the Congressmen speak about the need for a middle class recovery plan.

Author: RepSteveIsrael
Keywords: news congress politics
Added: August 8, 2008

You might be interested to read some of the legislation Democrats have chosen to bring to the floor instead of energy legislation:

The Democrat leadership has prevented the full House from even considering a Republican bill ending the prohibition on oil shale leasing on federal lands (H.R. 6211, et al.), BUT…

The Democrat leadership brought to the House floor a bill prohibiting the sale of wild, free-roaming horses and burros (H.R. 249).

The Democrat leadership has prevented the full House from even considering a Republican bill ending the moratorium on oil and gas leasing on most of the Outer Continental Shelf (H.R. 6302 et al.), BUT…

The Democrat leadership brought to the House floor a bill preventing monkey bites by banning the sale of non-human primates (H.R. 2964).

The Democrat leadership has prevented the full House from even considering a Republican bill opening a small area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to energy development (H.R. 3089 et al.), BUT…

The Democrat leadership brought to the House floor a resolution honoring the ideals of the International Year of Sanitation (H.Con.Res. 318).

The Democrat leadership has prevented the full House from even considering a Republican bill ending the prohibition on the government procuring fuels from unconventional sources (H.R. 5656 et al.), BUT…

The Democrat leadership brought to the House floor a bill creating a Native Hawaiian tribe where one does not exist (H.R. 505).

And the list goes on…

It’s clear that Democrats have priorities, but none of them involves an increase in American energy supply to help lower gasoline prices.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called for decisive action to improve deteriorating infrastructure in New York and across the nation. In a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the nomination of Thomas J. Madison, Jr., to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation, Senator Clinton urged greater investments in crumbling roads, railways, mass transit systems, bridges, tunnels, and other key parts of the transportation network. She also reiterated the need to resolve Shared Border Management at the Peace Bridge site and expressed her desire to work with Mr. Madison to move that process forward.

Author: NYsenator
Keywords: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton New York infrastructure highway peace bridge road Madison border invest
Added: July 31, 2008

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today called for decisive action to improve deteriorating infrastructure in New York and across the nation. In a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee hearing on the nomination of Thomas J. Madison, Jr., to be Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation, Senator Clinton urged greater investments in crumbling roads, railways, mass transit systems, bridges, tunnels, and other key parts of the transportation network. She also reiterated the need to resolve Shared Border Management at the Peace Bridge site and expressed her desire to work with Mr. Madison to move that process forward.

Author: NYsenator
Keywords: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton New York infrastructure highway peace bridge road Madison border invest
Added: July 31, 2008

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today urged the Senate to support her legislation to preserve and promote historic sites in New York, including landmarks of the women's suffrage movement across the state as well as the home of President Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook. In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator Clinton underscored the importance of the National Women's Rights History Project Act and the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Boundary Revision Act as historical sites and as economic drivers in their communities through heritage tourism. For more information visit: www.clinton.senate.gov.

Author: NYsenator
Keywords: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton New York women tourism history van buren seneca suffrage preservation heritage
Added: July 31, 2008

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton today urged the Senate to support her legislation to preserve and promote historic sites in New York, including landmarks of the women's suffrage movement across the state as well as the home of President Martin Van Buren in Kinderhook. In testimony before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks, Senator Clinton underscored the importance of the National Women's Rights History Project Act and the Martin Van Buren National Historic Site Boundary Revision Act as historical sites and as economic drivers in their communities through heritage tourism. For more information visit: www.clinton.senate.gov.

Author: NYsenator
Keywords: Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton New York women tourism history van buren seneca suffrage preservation heritage
Added: July 31, 2008

MEGYN KELLY:  Here’s what the Speaker said.  I have it here so bear with me while I read it.  She said when pressed on what she’s not allowing this to go for a vote, “I am trying to save the planet.  I am trying to save the planet.  I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse,” meaning Republicans, “for their failed policy.”  Any response?

BOEHNER:  Megyn, for 25 years, Democrats have blocked more American-made oil and gas.  That is why we are in the predicament we are in.  That is why 70 percent of our energy comes from overseas.  And she has time to go out and promote her book tour and her new book, but she does not have time to schedule a vote on the floor of the House and let the American people have their will expressed.  I mean, we got elected to Congress to go there and represent our constituents.  They want us to vote on more American-made oil and gas.  We want to do that.  She, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama are standing in the way.

Congress only has four legislative days before the August District Work Period. The time for talk to long past and we need to act now on legislation that will lower the price at the pump. Democrats have four more legislative days to listen to the will of the American people and allow a vote on energy exploration, conservation and innovation and increasing American-made energy all to lower gas prices.