The Democrats turned out the lights, shut down the cameras and headed home for the month, but some 50 Republicans insistent on enacting legislation to address skyrocketing oil prices remained on the House floor for more than five hours this afternoon, delivering rousing speeches met with cheers from the gallery and taking swipes at their rivals.

"This is the people's House," Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Mich., said, according to Politico. "This is not Pelosi's politburo."

The newssite said Democratic aides were furious at the GOP members' refusal to leave and kicked out reporters from the Speaker's Lobby, the space next to the House floor where lawmakers are interviewed.

"You're not covering this, are you?" a senior Democratic aide complained, Politico reported.

Another aide called the Republicans "morons" for staying on the floor.

The GOP members are angered by Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's moves to block voting on a plan that would allow drilling offshore and in Alaska in a bid to reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil. Republicans contend that with support from a substantial number of Democrats, they have more than enough votes.

Pretending to be a Democrat, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., stood on the other side of the chamber and listed all of the Republican bills killed by Democrats, Politico reported.

"I am a Democrat and here is my energy plan," he said, holding up a picture of an old VW Bug with a sail attached to it.

Nunes paraded the picture around the House floor to the cheers of the gallery crowd.

Employing the Internet to get the word out to voters, Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Mich., sent out a message from the floor via the Web service Twitter: "Call Speaker Pelosi at 202 225 0100. Demand vote on energy legislation."

Rep. John Culberson, R-Texas, also provided updates via Twitter.

The Republicans wrapped up their protest session at 5:05 p.m. by singing "God Bless America," said National Review writer Mark Hemingway.

The lawmakers, he said, left the chamber with the crowd chanting, "USA! USA!"

Politico said Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, and other GOP leaders opposed the motion to adjourn the House, at 11:23 a.m., arguing Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote allowing offshore drilling is hurting the American economy.

The newssite said that at one point, the chamber lights and microphones were turned off, but then returned while Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz. was speaking.

Apparently, Shadegg turned on the PA system by typing in random codes and accidentally typed the correct code, allowing brief access before it was turned off again.

"I love this," Shadegg later told reporters up in the press gallery. "Congress can be so boring. ...This is a kick."

C-SPAN, which has no control over House cameras, stopped broadcasting after the official adjournment.

Politico reported Republicans tried to prevent Capitol Police from removing reporters from the press gallery above the floor. The police were held off when they saw Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo., in the gallery talking to reporters, and Politico said GOP leaders tried to find other Republicans to rotate in for Blunt so reporters would not be kicked out.

Blunt's office sent out a message saying: "Although, this Democrat Majority just Adjourned for the Democrat 5-Week Vacation, House Republicans are continuing to fight on the House Floor. Although the lights, mics and C-SPAN cameras have been turned off, House Republicans are on the Floor speaking to the tax payers in the gallery who, not surprisingly, agree with Republican Energy proposals. All Republicans who are in town are encouraged to come to the House Floor."

Politico described the scene on the floor as "kind of crazy," noting members normally are not allowed to speak directly to the visitor gallery, and cheering from the gallery is not allowed.

But House members were walking up and down the floor to loud cheers, including standing ovations.

Rep. Don Manzullo, R-Ill., brought the crowd to its feet with a rousing speech that accused Democrats of stifling dissent, referencing President John Quincy Adams, who returned as a House member after his term in the White House.

The congressman left the floor to hugs from his colleagues, said Politico, noting, "You don't see that up here every day."

WND Editor Joseph Farah has organized a campaign to step up pressure on Congress to drop its moratorium on offshore drilling and reverse its decisions to ban exploration for oil in Alaska's ANWR reserves before adjournment at the end of September

Farah's goal is to force Congress to act in the next two months – before it adjourns for the year.

Farah's plan is simple: "I want to bring Congress to its knees," he says. "I want to melt down their phones. I want to flood their e-mail boxes. I want to hold them as political hostages. The ransom demand is to unleash the free market to begin exploring and pumping domestic crude oil and getting it to market as fast as possible. We've got two months days to make our voices heard. Let's make history by bringing this recalcitrant body of elitists into compliance with the will of the people and the rule of law."

After eagerly waiting for someone else to take the lead on demanding action of Congress, Farah came to the conclusion no one else was going to do it.

Farah says it's a national emergency and needs to be treated as such.

"I hope radio talk show hosts across the country will embrace this bipartisan, non-partisan movement," he says. "There is no question in my mind this is what the American people want. Now it's just time for them to impose their will on their elected representatives who, in their chauffeured limousines and taxpayer-supported travel, are hopelessly out of touch with their constituents, with people who are finding it difficult to make ends meet."

Farah says he is convinced Congress will act only if the people steamroll members into action. He points to the way the Dubai port deal and so-called "comprehensive immigration reform" were killed by popular uprisings in recent years.

"We can make this happen, again," he says. "But this time, we won't just be stopping something bad from happening. We will be doing something that is very good for the country – something that will improve the lives of all of us, something that will improve national security, something vital for the future of the nation."

Congress is set to adjourn at the end of September and will take most of August off for recess.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to push Congress into action in the next two months days," Farah says. "I know I can't do it by myself. But I know if the American people get mobilized nothing can stop them. You have to let members of Congress know you are serious. You have to persuade them and their staffs they are not returning to Washington next year if they fail to act in America's interest before they leave town."

Before then, you can reach members of the House and members of the U.S. Senate by calling 202-224-3121. The official House website contains web pages for all members and includes e-mail addresses for most. The official Senate website also contains web pages for all members and includes email address for some.

According to the House Republican Conference website, the following Republican lawmakers participated in the energy marathon: