The Republican takeover of the out-of-session U.S. House will continue into the foreseeable future, said U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Phoenix) Wednesday.

"We're going to keep it going as long as we can," Shadegg told PolitickerAZ.com. Shadegg, the most senior Republican in Arizona's House delegation and a close ally of the GOP leadership, said the minority Republicans plan to continue to take to the floor of the House throughout the summer recess in protest of inaction on the expansion of domestic oil production, even though the House remains officially out of session and is not scheduled to resume legislative business until Sept. 5.

"The bottom line request of Republicans is that [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] allow the question of domestic oil production to be debated and voted upon," said Shadegg. "So far she has precluded a debate, and has certainly precluded a vote," he said.

Shadegg was one of several Republicans who stayed behind Friday after the House floor's lights were turned off and the public address system shut down to continue to press for attention on the domestic production front. He was the one who managed to turn the PA system back on by successfully guessing the code required to access its control.

"I just started punching in random three-digit combinations," said Shadegg, who said he "got lucky" when he typed the correct code. "I think it was 321," he said. "Not the most secure system." (He didn't know if the security code had been changed since his hacking job.)

Since then, Republican House members have been appearing in the chamber to make their objections to the speaker's agenda known.

While it is traditionally the prerogative of the minority party to criticize the majority for taking a summer "vacation" while important business is pending before Congress, the August break is in fact far from a holiday for legislators. Adjourning the House allows members to return to their districts for an extended period of campaigning, or, for incumbents in non-competitive districts, interaction with constituents.

Shadegg said that because of the necessity of members to go home for large blocks of time, there may only be "four or five" Republican representatives available to keep up the protest at any given time. Still, he said, "there is an ongoing effort to rotate people in here."

"This morning I ran into the member from Wyoming, and one from Connecticut, who weren't here yesterday," he said by way of example.

The ultimate goal of the Republican caucus, according to Shadegg, is to move toward compromise legislation that will address the country's energy needs through a number of avenues, including increased use of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power, new construction of nuclear power plants, and, of course, more domestic drilling.

On the oil end, the Republican push may be working. U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, recently indicated he would be willing to consider allowing for expanded petroleum exploration in the U.S. if it will help facilitate the passage of alternative and renewable fuel investment. Also, Politico.com reported Tuesday that Speaker Pelosi is privately allowing vulnerable Democratic representatives to take a more open approach to the subject of drilling if it will help their re-election chances.  

Still, Shadegg was ridiculed by Democrats for comments he made to Capitol Hill reporters on Tuesday, in which he claimed that a dip in gas prices may be due in some part to the Republicans' actions.

"The market is responding to the fact that we are here talking," he said, prompting a rapid response from the Arizona Democratic Party.

"Arizona families want real solutions to these problems, not a lot of hot air on the floor of the House of Representatives," said Emily DeRose, spokeswoman for the party. "It is beyond absurd for Shadegg to claim credit for the reduction in gas prices. Will Shadegg next claim his speeches are responsible for the sun rising?"

Nonetheless, Shadegg said more drilling is vital to the health of the U.S. economy and national security in the long term. He acknowledged that an uptick in the American made oil supply wouldn't likely result in a large decrease in gas prices, as the oil would go on the global market instead of being specifically earmarked for use in the U.S. and might be offset by other oil-producing nations decreasing their production proportionately, theoretically keeping prices steady. However, he said the benefits would include more American jobs and less money going to hostile entities.

"Some of the money we give to Saudi oil sheiks makes its way into the coffers of al Qaeda," he said, also stating his suspicion that Venezuelan oil money may be filtered to Hamas or Hezbollah.

Yet Shadegg was insistent that oil production was only part of what he advocated to solve the energy crisis, and emphasized his support for renewable energies. He primarily spoke about the solar and wind investment tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year, and are necessary to get projects like the planned Solana solar generating station built.

Calling Solana "critically important" to Arizona's future, Shadegg said he and his colleagues are "continuing to try to increase pressure and incentives to get ITC for solar and wind renewed. I focus a lot on Solana." That effort, he said, includes reaching out to Democrats, particularly those from other states with lots of open space and sunshine, such as Nevada and Texas. 

Shadegg said he is hopeful that a compromise on drilling, solar and other key energy issues will be resolved by year's end. "Oil and gas is the sticking point," he said. "There is agreement, in theory, on both sides of the aisle on the need for renewable energy."

Though he's been criticized by his Democratic opponent in the 3rd Congressional District, Bob Lord, for voting against an extension of renewable energy tax credits, such as the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, Shadegg extended a concrete olive branch to his Democratic colleague, U.S. Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-Tempe). 

When asked if he supported Mitchell's idea to attach a renewal of the tax credits to any possible new economic stimulus package, Shadegg said, "I'm happy to work with Harry to stick this on anything, anywhere at any time."