Boehner is leading a group of Republicans to ANWR.

(CNN) – As congressional Republicans step up criticism of Democrats for not allowing votes on legislation that would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil exploration, House GOP Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, is expected to announce Thursday that he’s leading a group of 10 House Republican freshmen on a trip to ANWR next week, a senior Republican aide told CNN.

Calling the trip the "American Energy Tour," the Republican Members will stop first at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado on Friday, July 18. From there the group will travel to Alaska and visit Prudhoe Bay on Sunday, July 20th, and then embark on an aerial tour of the potential drilling area in ANWR. The group will also meet with local tribal leaders in the small community of Katovik, Alaska.

Nadeam Elshami, spokesman for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, said: "Depending on how long their weekend is, there are 68 million acres already leased to oil companies that could be drilled today and which Republicans can visit — and to lower gas prices now instead of ten years from now — they should join the Speaker in calling on the President to release some oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve."

The Republican aide said the purpose of the trip is to highlight the GOP’s comprehensive approach to help lower gas prices, calling it “the all of the above energy strategy."

“This is not just about drilling in ANWR. This is a roadmap to our energy future," the aide said. “We'll be looking at our immediate short term goal, and then the longer term, looking at renewable sources like solar and wind, research in every area, in the next generation of energy technology."

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Democrat Travis Childers, left, beat Republican Greg Davis in a special election Tuesday in Mississippi.

(CNN) — Democrat Travis Childers has defeated Republican Greg Davis in the special election for an open congressional seat in northern Mississippi, CNN projected Tuesday night, based on early returns.

Republicans have held the seat since 1994.

UPDATE: National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole said in a statement he is "disappointed" with the result.

"Republicans must undertake bold efforts to define a forward looking agenda that offers the kind of positive change voters are looking for," Cole also said. "This is something we can do in cooperation with our Presidential nominee, but time is short."

(Full Cole statement after the jump)

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President Bush says the proposal would undermine America's security.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The House of Representatives met in secret session Thursday night to debate revisions to federal surveillance laws, closing off the chamber for the first time since 1983 at the request of its Republican minority.

Rep. Roy Blunt, the House minority whip, asked for the closed session to use classified information to argue against a Democratic-backed overhaul of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

"I did have some information that I thought would help the debate, that rose to the secret level that all of the members otherwise would not hear," said Blunt, R-Missouri.

Full story

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House of Representatives agreed to go into a closed session Thursday night for the first time since 1983 to debate revisions to federal surveillance laws.

The session is not expected to take place until late Thursday, since police need to conduct a security sweep of the chamber before debate can begin.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The House Ethics Committee announced Thursday it would begin an investigation into whether Arizona Republican Rick Renzi violated House rules, following his indictment last week on 35 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, extortion, money laundering, and insurance fraud.

The government accuses Renzi of using his official position in Congress to enrich himself and a former business partner.

Ethics Committee Chairwoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-OH, and the Committee’s top Republican, Doc Hastings, R-WA, released the following joint statement:

Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard, D-Ca, will lead a subcommittee created for the investigation and will be joined by Ethics Committee members Rep Michael McCaul, R-Texas, Rep Steve Rothman, D-NJ, and Rep. Greg Walden, R-OR.

Rep. Renzi did not have an immediate comment on the Ethics Committee announcement.

His lawyers released a statement last week saying, “Congressman Renzi did nothing wrong. We will fight these charges until he is vindicated and his family’s name is restored.”

Renzi has insisted he will not resign from Congress.

Republican members of the House gathered outside after walking of the chamber in protest Thursday.

(CNN) — House Republicans staged a walkout Thursday afternoon to protest the Democratic leadership's decision to vote on a contempt motion citing White House Chief Of Staff Josh Bolten and former White House counsel Harriet Miers.

The two have refused to comply with subpoenas in an investigation into the firings of U.S. attorneys in 2006. The Republicans think the House should be focused on passing an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Florida, said Democrats are "more interested in a political witch hunt" than protecting the country.

The surveillance bill expires over the weekend. Republicans and Democrats in the House are hung up over a provision in the legislation that would grant telecommunication companies retroactive immunity for the help they provided to the Bush administration in investigating terrorism after the September 11 attacks.

–CNN's Brianna Keilar contributed to this report

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Moderate Republican Tom Davis, R-Va, announced Wednesday he will retire at the end of his current Congressional term. Davis is the 28th House Republican to retire or seek higher office this cycle.

"After much soul-searching and discussion with those closest to me, I have decided the time is right to take a sabbatical from public life," Davis said in a written statement. "I will serve out the remainder of my term, and plan to remain an active contributor to Republican causes, but will not run for office in 2008."

Davis is the top Republican on the House Oversight Committee, which is conducting several high profile investigations, including a probe on steroids in baseball. He also served as Chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee in 1998 and 2000.

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Doolittle announced Thursday he is not seeking another House term.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – Rep. John Doolittle, a California Republican under scrutiny for his ties to convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff, announced Thursday he would not seek re-election.

“I plan to complete my term and finish my congressional service at the conclusion of this Congress,” Doolittle said in a speech Thursday, the text of which was posted on his House Web site. “This circumstance reminds me of a passage in the 2nd letter of St. Paul to Timothy; ‘The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.’”

Doolittle was forced to relinquish his seat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee earlier this year after the FBI raided his Virginia home. He has denied any guilt in the Abramoff scandal.

A former Doolittle colleague, ex-Ohio GOP Rep. Bob Ney, pleaded guilty for taking bribes from Abramoff, and is now serving time in prison.

Doolittle is the 19th Republican to declare he is leaving the House at the close of 110th Congress. Three other GOP House members have resigned, or announced their intention to resign, their congressional seats: Illinois Rep. Dennis Hastert retired early, Rep. Bobby Jindal was elected governor of Louisiana, and Mississippi Rep. Roger Wicker was appointed to Sen. Trent Lott’s open seat.

– CNN Political Editor Mark Preston 

The House page program came under scrutiny after the Mark Foley scandal last year.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The inspector-general of the House of Representatives will investigate recent allegations of sexual misconduct among congressional pages, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the chamber announced.

Two pages — usually high school juniors who serve Congress as messengers — have been dismissed for allegedly having oral sex in public areas of their Capitol Hill dormitory.

"It wasn't kissing and hugging — let me put it that way," said Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Florida, last week. "It did go beyond that. There were not only a young male and female involved, but there were also observers and other page participants who were, let's say, enablers."

Full story

Rep. McCrery joins many fellow Republicans who have decided to leave Congress.

(CNN) — A top-ranking Republican on one of the most influential committees in Congress announced Friday that he plans to resign — opening up yet another G.O.P. seat in a year that has already seen 18 Republicans announce plans to leave the chamber.

Jim McCrery, of Louisiana, said at a news conference late Friday that he does not intend to seek re-election to the House next year. McCrery, currently serving his 10th full term, is the ranking Republican on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and was in line to chair the committee before Democrats took control in the 2006 elections.

"Congressman Jim McCrery has distinguished himself in Congress as a key player in the debate of some of the most pressing issues facing our country," said Tom Cole, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee. "He has been a champion for the American taxpayer and his work on issues like retirement security and health care has also earned him a great deal of respect from members of Congress on both sides of the aisle."

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The House page program came under scrutiny after the Mark Foley scandal last year.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A lawmaker who resigned from the board that oversees Capitol Hill pages said one parent suggested lax supervision led to "kids gone wild."

Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, R-Florida, Friday said she resigned because she was angered to learn that two pages had oral sex in public areas of the their Capitol Hill dorm. The pages were dismissed from the program, but Brown-Waite said the incident is an example of lax supervision of the teens.

"It wasn't kissing and hugging — let me put it that way," Brown-Waite said. "It did go beyond that, there were not only a young male and female involved, but there were also observers and other page participants who were, let's say, enablers."

"This had been going on for months," she said. "Almost all of the pages knew about it."

No members of Congress were involved, Brown-Waite said.

Full story

WASHINGTON (CNN) – New Jersey Rep. Mike Ferguson announced Monday he would not seek reelection in 2009, the 18th Republican this year to announce plans to either leave office during or retire at the close of the 110th Congress.

Ferguson, who was first elected in 2000, narrowly won re-election last year beating Democrat Linda Stender by a 49 percent to 48 percent margin.

Ferguson said he decided to leave Congress so that he could spend more time with his family.

“Being a representative in Congress is more meaningful than I had imagined, and I know that now is the right time to step away from public life to focus more on family life while our children are still young,” he said in a statement released by his congressional office.

– CNN Political Editor Mark Preston

WASHINGTON (CNN) – The decision of Rep. Jim Saxton, R-New Jersey, to retire at the end of the 110th Congress will mean that House Republicans will have at least 15 open seats to defend in 2008, compared to at least three for the Democrats.

Of the 15 House Republicans who will not run for re-election next year, 11 are retiring from elective politics entirely, while four are seeking higher office. On the Democratic side, two House members are running for Senate seats, while one has announced plans to retire at the end of this term.

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WASHINGTON (CNN) — Citing health reasons, Rep James Saxton, R-N.J., announced Friday he plans to retire at the end of his term.

Saxton is the 13th House Republican to announce retirement this year. Two other House GOP members, Rep. Heather Wilson, and Rep. Steve Pearce, both from New Mexico, announced plans recently to run for the seat of retiring GOP Sen. Pete Domenici, in their state.

"Although I had intended to run in 2008 and was planning a strong campaign, developments which occurred earlier this year regarding my health have prompted me to make this decision," Saxton said in a written statement. He has been treated for prostate cancer.

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Watch Dana Bash's report about a new $1 trillion tax bill proposed by Congressional Democrats.

WASHINGTON (CNN) – A leading Democrat calls it a matter of fairness and equity while a leading Republican calls it a political "gift." Watch Dana Bash's report about a new tax bill that is likely to cause a fight on Capitol Hill.

Related video: Watch Rep. Charlie Rangel discuss the tax bill on American Morning

Related: CNNMoney.com: Giant tax overhaul bill unveiled

Click here to see CNN's new political portal: CNNPolitics.com

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, became the first female Speaker of the House in January 2007 after Democrats won control of the House in the 2006 election.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider takes a look at the challenges the GOP may face in the House in the next Congressional election. Watch Schneider's report.

Would you pay additional taxes to fund the Iraq war? Watch Dana Bash's report.

WASHINGTON (CNN) — "If you don't like the cost, then shut down the war," is how Rep. David Obey, D-Wisconsin, justified his proposal to impose a surtax in order to fund U.S. military operations in Iraq.    CNN's Dana Bash has the story from Capitol Hill.

More: Top Democrats propose war surtax

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The House approved the GOP version of the FISA bill Saturday night by a vote of 227-183, with most Republicans and conservative Democrats supporting the measure.

The White-House backed legislation closes what the Bush administration has called critical gaps in U.S. intelligence capability.

Lawmakers have been scrambling to pass a bill acceptable to the White House before they leave for a month-long summer recess. President Bush had threatened to veto any bill that Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell said did not meet his needs.

The Senate approved the Republican-sponsored bill Friday night. Immediately after that vote, a Democratic-sponsored bill failed to reach the 60-vote majority.

Saturday night's vote followed fireworks in the House, where an angry group of Republicans accused House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of delaying a vote on the bill, the president's legislative priority.

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WASHINGTON (CNN)— House Republicans emerged from a private meeting on Saturday and expressed their continued frustration with the Democratic leadership by accusing the Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of stripping comments he made on the House floor from that chamber's official transcript.

On Friday evening Republican Leader John Boehner offered a resolution claiming that Rep John Murtha (D-PA) "brought dishonor and discredit to the United States House of Representatives by misusing the powers of the chair."

Hoyer then stood up and declared, "Enough is enough," to thunderous applauses by his fellow Democrats.

One day later, Hoyer's declaration is missing from the Congressional Record, the daily journal of floor debate and action.

"We may be very close to where we have to think about maybe the NFL rule where you have instant replay where you can go and see what really happened on the House floor," quipped Minority Whip Roy Blunt, armed with a dvd of the House floor debate in dispute and a copy of the official transcript. "The problem is we don't have a referee."

House members regularly change their floor statements by asking to "revise and extend" their remarks. A search of the House transcript found that single phrase was uttered at least six times by Democrats and Republicans on the House floor during Friday's session.

“The journal is correct,” said a Hoyer spokeswoman. “This seems to be another attempt by Republicans to divert attention from our accomplishments and their lack of substantive ideas."

Republicans interpret the power to self-edit floor remarks differently.

"The purpose of "revise and extend" is to clean up utterances and clean up language in a way so that future readers will understand. It is not to substantially revise the meaning and affect of your comments on the floor," said Republican Conference Chairman Adam Putnam.

–CNN Congressional Producer Evan Glass

WASHINGTON (CNN) — A day of frayed nerves and hard feelings in the House erupted into a shouting match Friday night, after the chamber's top Republican went to the floor with a resolution charging that Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., violated House ethics rules earlier in the day while presiding over a normally routine vote.

As the House clerk read the resolution from House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, accusing Murtha of bringing "dishonor and discredit" to the House by making remarks of a "partisan hue" while sitting in the speaker's chair, Democrats began to groan and boo.

Then, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., leapt to his feet, getting the attention of the lawmaker presiding over the session, Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif.

"Madame speaker, enough is enough," Hoyer thundered, as the chamber erupted. He immediately moved to table Boehner's motion, a parliamentary maneuver that normally cuts off debate and puts the matter to a vote.

Boehner objected, trying to raise a point of order with the chair. As Tauscher tried to ignore him and move forward with the vote on the motion, the Republican leader began shouting, "parliamentary inquiry, parliamentary inquiry" and slammed his palm on the lectern, as the din in the House grew ever louder.

Tauscher eventually agreed to hear Boehner out, at which point the Republican leader suggested that Hoyer, with his "enough is enough" comment, had already engaged in debate, which Boehner said meant his resolution about Murtha had to be debated.

Tauscher rebuffed Boehner and moved ahead with the vote on tabling the resolution, drawing more shouts from the Republican side of the House.

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