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17 Democrats Side with GOP on Adjournment Resolution

House Democratic leaders on Wednesday narrowly averted having to go into a pro forma session for the August recess.

Republicans were able to corral 17 Democrats into voting with them against a resolution to adjourn for the August recess. The final vote was 213-212.

The GOP-orchestrated move was in protest of Democratic leaders not bringing a Republican energy package to the floor before lawmakers head back to their districts for five weeks.

Democrats who voted with Republicans included members of a bipartisan energy working group that favors offshore drilling in the mix of solutions to bring down gas costs.

The 17 Democrats were Reps. Jason Altmire (Pa.), Michael Arcuri (N.Y.), Leonard Boswell (Iowa), Bruce Braley (Iowa), Christopher Carney (Pa.), Travis Childers (Miss.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Brad Ellsworth (Ind.), Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (S.D.), Nick Lampson (Texas), Dave Loebsack (Iowa), Jim Marshall (Ga.), Harry Mitchell (Ariz.), Patrick Murphy (Pa.), Joe Sestak (Pa.) and Tom Udall (N.M.).

House Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam (Fla.) said Democrats who voted to adjourn “should be held in contempt for voting to skip town without dealing with America’s energy crisis.”

Instead, Putnam said, they should “put their boarding passes back in their pockets and get to work” by taking up the GOP energy package that includes, among other provisions, offshore and Arctic drilling in the mix of solutions to growing gas costs.

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