7 p.m. -- I left the Capitol just after 3 o'clock before things came to an end. I ended up doing a little sightseeing before eating dinner near the Hill. At dinner, I ran into a Republican congressman and we had about a 10-minute chat.

The congressman spoke off the record, so I won't reveal his name. He did stress that his office has received literally hundreds and hundreds of phone calls since the House Republicans started debating the energy crisis last week.

2:55 p.m. -- It's nearly 3 o'clock and the flow of folks into the House continues.

2:42 p.m. -- I just sat down with Matt at TheNextRight.com for an interview with Congressman Mark Kirk from Illinois.

Kirk says what's happening in Congress has strong support at the local level across the country. The self-described moderate says the energy crisis crosses party lines and political ideologies.

"This is just not the conservatives speaking," he said. "There is a consensus amongst Americans."

Kirk notes the vacationing Democrats are allowing tax credits for hybrid automobiles to expire at the same time as gas prices are at unaffordable levels for many Americans.

Allowing the tax credits to expire risks more thana 116,000 jobs, the Illinois congressman said.

Among the expiring tax credits:

* Production Tax Credit for renewable energy, which includes wind, solar, closed-loop biomass, open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas and trash conbustion facilities.

* Investment Tax Credit for solar energyu, fuel cell and microturbine property.

* Residential Energy Efficiency Property Credit.

* Energy Efficiency Improvement for Existing Homes Credit.

* Energy Efficient New Home Credit.

Energy Efficient Commercial Buildings Deduction.

* Clean Renewable Energy Bonds.

"The American people have made up their mind," Kirk said, noting that Speaker Pelosi is spending too much time away from Average Joes and Janes during her five-week vacation and doesn't understand what families across the country are going throug.

2:31 p.m. -- In a RightMichigan.com exclusive, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt responded to the news that Speaker Nancy Pelosi is in Ann Arbor for a book signing instead of listening to the concerns of the vast majority of Americans.

"America's energy problems should take precedence over the Speaker's book tour," Blunt said during a short interview after the press conference. "She's more interested in selling her book for $23.95 than listening to Americans."

2:23 p.m. -- Just returned from the afternoon Republican press conference which featured eight members, in addition to those on the House floor.

When it came to describing what's happening under Nancy Pelosi's leadership, Congressman Kevin McCarthy of California said: "She's attempting to shut down debate, but this is still the people's House."

McCarthy says he's ehard from hundreds of constituents - many of whom have sent him copies of their gas receipts. Those receipts will be delivered to Speaker Pelosi's office, he said.

Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas noted this isn't a "red problem" or a "blue problem" - it's an American problem.

While Democrats are vacationing, House Republians are spending their vacation in Washington to talk about the issue plaguing Americans, Congressman Lee Terry of Nebraska said.

2:03 p.m. -- Blunt is here! 2:01 p.m. -- I don't think one can overemphasize the number of people watching Republicans share their plan to solve America's energy crisis. While Nancy Pelosi is signing books in Ann Arbor today, Republican congressmen are here. 2 p.m. -- House Republicans will hold a press conference in about 20 minutes. Aides have also indicated a couple high-ranking Republicans will have blogger availability in a bit. So stayed to RightMichigan.com for the latest from the corridors of Congress and the floor of the House of Representatives.

1:30 p.m. -- Michigan is well represented in the Republican-led movement to tackle the energy crisis by calling the House back into session.

In an exclusive with RightMichigan.com, Congressman Thad McCotter called on Speaker Pelosi to come back to Washington.

?The battle for lower gas prices is joined,? he said. ?The House Republicans are defending America against Pelosi?s Politburo Palace Guard.?

Michigan?s Republican delegation is joining other GOP members in speaking out. McCotter joined Tim Walberg and Pete Hoekstra in taking the floor this week to work on a comprehensive energy plan ? a plan that Pelosi and House Democratic leadership refuses to consider, let alone debate.

Walberg told RightMichigan.com: ?It is unconscionable that Speaker Pelosi would choose vacation over having a debate on energy policy, especially when there are signs that members of Congress, on both sides of the aisle, are coming together to work on real energy solutions.?

As Republicans like Walberg have pointed out, this energy debate is also about national security.

?Congress needs to get serious on an "all of the above" energy plan that ends our dependence on Middle East oil,? he said.

12:56 p.m. -- It looks like the mainstream media is starting to picking up this morning's press conference.

Politico via CBS News covers what happened.

There's also live-blogging on the House Republican website - complete with photos on Flickr.

12:54 p.m. -- The stream of folks continues. There are hundreds of Average Joes and Janes flowing into the Capitol to hear from Republican congressmen. They want to know why the Democratic-controlled House won't come back into session to tackle this major issue.

12:43 p.m. -- A couple journalists are saying this story really has legs and won't go away until the Democrats come back to Washington, D.C., and tackle the energy crisis by approving so-called "drill here, drill now" legislation.

Though one pundit pointed out this is a no-win for Nancy Pelosi, who can't cave in now to Republicans.

12:38 p.m. -- Congressman Mike McCaul of Texas in the floor. "The radical left says there are so mant things we can't touch in this country."

12:02 p.m. -- As I blog from near the House of Representatives, working families continue to stroll through and make their way to the floor to hear from Republican congressmen committed to addressing the energy crisis plaguing America.

There's no official count, but a couple congressional aides estimated around 350 people on the floor - not including members, aides, interns and media.

This is really incredible. I've never seen anything like it before in life. Ordinary Americans coming to the halls of Congress instead of going to a museum or catching the other tourist sights in D.C.

Everyone is talking. They want to know when Nancy Pelosi and the House Democratic leadership will come to their senses and return to session.

12 p.m. -- As Blunt said in the press conference earlier, House Republican leaders sent a letter to members of the Democratic caucus this morning. Michigan?s Thad McCotter joined the leadership in sending the letter:

August 7, 2008

Dear Member of the Democratic Caucus:

The American people expect Congress to work toward solutions for their everyday problems. Right now, the biggest challenge facing most American families is the price of energy. But on August 1st Speaker Nancy Pelosi adjourned the House of Representatives for a five-week vacation, continuing to ignore this crisis. Americans rightly expect more from us as their elected representatives.

House Republicans have remained on the floor speaking directly to the chorus of Americans filling the House Visitors Gallery requesting that Speaker Pelosi reconvene the House and allow a vote on a comprehensive, common-sense approach to reducing the price of energy.

If you agree that Congress should not be taking a five-week vacation until we address the energy crisis, will you join us in publicly calling on Speaker Pelosi o reconvene the House and allow a vote on increasing American-made energy?

We, and the American people, anxiously await your reply.

Sincerely,

John Boehner Republican Leader

Roy Blunt Republican Whip

Adam Putnam Republican Conference Chair

Eric Cantor Chief Deputy Whip

Thaddeus McCotter Republican Policy Chair

Kay Granger Republican Conference Vice Chair

John Carter Republican Conference Secretary

Tom Cole Republican Congressional Committee Chair

David Dreier Ranking Member, Rules Committee

Blunt remarked: "Come back here and deal with the number one issue facing the country."

11:20 a.m. -- "The Democratic leadership is the very best friend OPEC has in the entire world," says Congressman Joe Barton.

11:17 a.m. -- Republicans are working towards solutions while Democrats are on vacation.

11:16 a.m. -- Working families are being ignored by Democrats, Blunt says.

11:15 a.m. -- Blunt is hitting Democrats and Pelosi hard for not allowing a vote on the energy crisis.

11:11 a.m. -- Republicans said even Paris Hilton has an energy plan to address this "major crisis." Why are Democrats going on vacation for five weeks instead of staying and debating this issue?

11:05 a.m. -- House GOP Whip Roy Blunt is talking to the media. He sent a letter to every Democratic member asking them to join this debate and urge the "preoccupied" Speaker to come back into session to help families deal with "the energy needs of the country."

Behind the makeshift podium and row of microphones is a graphic with quotes of Democratic members who have come out and said they support new drilling to help everyday Americans deal with soaring energy prices.

"Bring us back into session (Speaker Pelosi)," Congressman Barton told reporters.

10:57 a.m -- The presser is about to begin. There's about 40 members of the mainstream media along with me - representing RightMichigan.com.

10:45 a.m. -- Thanks to Congressman Tim Walberg of Tipton I'm at the Capitol in the cloak room for House members. There will be a press conference followed by Republicans members taking the floor and demanding the chamber come back into session.

It is really cool sitting in here. I'm going to the press conference right now.

10:13 a.m. -- Just taking a subway to Capitol Hill to go on the House floor and watch the Republicans raise the issue of the Democrats refusing to vote on drilling.

10 a.m. -- I went to a reception at the Heritage Foundation last night and found out that the country's top conservative think-tank is coming to Michigan at the end of September for a one-day seminar in Ann Arbor.