GOP Pen and pad

House Republican leaders Rep. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Rep. Adam Putnum (R-Fla.) briefed reporters this afternoon at their weekly pen and pad briefing. Paramount to their discussion was the high cost of fuel which has dominated discussion on Capital Hill for the past few weeks.

Both Blunt and Putnam pointed to Rep. Gene Green (D-Tex.) as an example of Democrats not doing anything on high energy costs. Green today had said on the House floor “we need answers and not just slogans.” Blunt has told his members of the Republican Caucus that they should “talk about the issue of energy until they are blue in the face.”

Referring to the recent Medicare vote which passed the House, Blunt said “the Democrats did a great job where you had an active group of doctors and pharmacists.” But Blunt added that President Bush still has pull on Capital Hill. “I think on matters such as FISA and national security he still has got some pool,” said Blunt. Blunt, however, added that it is the threat of a presidential veto that has the strongest pull.

On the Supreme Courts decision today to overturn Washington D.C.’s hand gun ban the Minority Leader told reporters that there currently are no plans to do anything federally. Blunt added that he and Putnam would welcome any hearings on the issue of guns but joked “I doubt they’ll do that,” said Putnam.