Rep. Dan Lungren objected to the "demonization" of those who disagree with the president on immigration.

The House Wednesday evening rejected three Democratic amendments to a bill that sets oil and gas production goals for the U.S. and requires increased offshore drilling as a way of getting there.

In successive votes that ended at about 6:30 p.m., the House rejected an amendment from Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) that would have made sure that offshore drilling does not conflict with naval military operations. Republicans said this language is redundant, and the amendment was defeated in a 193-228 vote.

Alaska Republican Don Young on Wednesday charged that members of the Massachusetts delegation never vote to produce domestic energy other than "green" energy, and said this position does nothing to help reduce energy costs for drivers in Massachusetts.

"In Massachusetts alone, not one time has any one of your members in the Congress ever voted to produce energy, other than wind power and solar power," Young said. "That doesn't drive your constituents' automobiles. That doesn't drive your trucks that deliver your products to the restaurants and the hospitals. That doesn't drive that train that people ride to try to get automobiles off the road. It doesn't drive the ships that bring the products to your shores.

Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) also criticized states that complain about high gas prices while producing no energy themselves.

The House on Wednesday afternoon approved a rule for considering, H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act.

The rule was approved in a 243-179 vote. Only 10 Democrats voted with Republicans.

With the 3:15 p.m. vote, the House moved to debate the bill and was expected to also consider a series of amendments to the bill.

In his 10-year fight for the DREAM Act, Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) is like the Biblical character Joshua who brought the walls of Jericho "tumblin' down," Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) said on Wednesday.

"I'm reminded of the story in the Bible of Joshua and Jericho," Whitehouse said after Durbin announced he would reintroduce the legislation, which provides a path to citizenship for some illegal immigrants if they attend college or join the military. Read more...

The House on Wednesday passed H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, which would restrict how long Department of the Interior could take to decide on Gulf drilling permits and codify certain safety requirements for drillers.

The bill was approved in a 263-163 vote after a debate in which several Democrats criticized the bill for failing to raise taxes on oil companies. In the end, 28 Democrats voted for the bill.

House Democrats on Wednesday continued what is likely to be an unsuccessful push to raise taxes on oil companies in the context of Republican bills aimed at making it easier for companies to drill for oil offshore of the United States.

The Democratic effort highlights what has been a running disconnect between the two parties since Republicans began calling up energy bills last week. Republicans argue that the three bills they are pursuing would help encourage drilling for oil and gas, which they say would signal the market in the short term that the U.S. is aggressively looking for its own energy supplies, and in turn help lower gasoline prices.

Senate Democratic leaders said Wednesday they will renew their effort to pass the DREAM Act, which would provide a path toward legal residency for some illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

The announcement was made from the Senate floor by the author of the legislation, Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and came on the heels of a speech made by President Obama in El Paso, Texas, on Tuesday in which he called for immigration reform and advocated for the act.