This morning the House of Representatives adjourned until September 8. In doing so, it adjourned before it considered any energy legislation to support offshore drilling and drilling in ANWR so that we could pay less at the pump.

The House Republicans were/are angry. Really angry. Because they think (rightfully, I believe) that most Americans support offshore drilling and want Congress to, y'know, just consider it. Maybe. Because that might be in their job description or something.

Instead, the Democrats in Congress successfully blocked attempts to consider energy legislation and bounced from the House ASAP. I like to think of it as cops busting a house party (parents and future employers: I only know about such things from movies). Except now the American people are the cops, the Republicans are the kids looking innocent in the front yard, and the Democrats are sprinting through the woods.

But thanks to the internet, Republicans are fighting back. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX) has been on Twitter, a micro-blogging site, since this morning. What he's reporting now (and it is reporting!) is that although the Democrats turned off the lights and left the building, the Republicans are still inside demanding a vote on energy.

It probably won't work but I love the spirit and I love the idea: "when they turn off the mike, we can still communicate." Who says the internet isn't the future of politics?

Apathy among young voters occurs for two reasons: (1) lack of engagment with the issues (e.g. "It won't affect me so I don't care") and/or (2) lack of engagement with the process (e.g. "I can't change it so I don't care"). Apathy among young voters about Republican ideology/politicking is a natural by-product (e.g. "Since I can't change it and it won't affect me, I don't want to spend time bucking popular culture.").

That's why I think the story of Sen. Tom Coburn "holding up" the Senate is so damn good. And, if you haven't heard it, read the lead-up here.

It affects you. Sen. Coburn is holding up is a group of 36 bills shoved together in a big package with a vague, nice name. He argues these bills up spending without cutting it elsewhere or--even worse--duplicate existing federal programs. In other words, they're a waste.

So that means even if you wouldn't notice the effect of these bills being signed into law, your bank account sure will. According to Washington Watch, the cost per family will be $64.66--and that's not even counting everything. So if you'd like to use $64.66 in other ways than, say, supporting the Senator Paul Simon Study Abroad Foundation, this bill affects you.

You can change it. Sure, calling your senators right now would be helpful in contributing to the growth of their spines. (If you'd like to, you can see votes here.) But that's not what I'm talking about.

Youth voters are disengaged with the political process because they don't think one person and one voice can make a difference. (Seriously. Ask an Econ major to do a cost-benefit analysis of voting.) Well, Sen. Coburn presents a great story of one person mucking up everything on principle. Even while taking hits from the media and both sides of the aisle.

It is cool. We like people who do things differently (just not too differently--cough, Britney). We like underdogs and drawing lines in the sand and lone cowboys and rangers and whatever the feminine version of those things is. Sen. Coburn's story delivers on all these counts things and, on top of that, unfolds at a quick enough pace (unlike many government processes) to make it entertaining to follow.

So thumbs up to Sen. Coburn. One small step for the Senate, one giant leap for the interest and attention of youth voters.

Once upon a time Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) opposed a number of bills because he thought (1) they duplicated an existing federal program and/or (2) they called for additional funding without cutting spending elsewhere. This made him noble.

Senate rules require unanimous agreement to consider legislation; when one senator objects, a supermajority of 60 must vote to push the bill onward. Sen. Coburn was the senator that objected to these bills. This made him both noble and crafty.

But Senate Majority Leader Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) finally had enough of Sen. Coburn this week. Sen. Reid pushed 36 bills with holds from Sen. Coburn together into S. 3249, the so-called "Coburn omnibus", now up for debate this weekend in a special Saturday session.

Washington Watch has assembled a wonderful guide to the measures in this omnibus. I'd encourage you to check it out and pick your favorite way that your tax dollars are being spent.

I like plans. I really like plans that promise to lower what I pay at the gas pump.

Because right now my (irrational) coping mechanism is to buy $20 of gas a time in DC and then wait until I'm in a cheaper place to fill up. Also, sometimes cry about the books, pet toys, and shoes I could have purchased were gas not $4+. I don't think I'm alone in this--except maybe for the pet toys part.

Anyway, fortunately for me and my four-footed friends, I was pleased to see House Republicans "unveil" their energy bill: the American Energy Act (H.R. 6656). The full text is forthcoming online, but the high points are outlined.

If you wouldn't let your parents decide who you date, and if you wouldn't want your high school guidance counselor to pick your career for you, then you might want to reconsider putting blind faith in your elected officials in DC. After all, the stakes are just a teensy bit high there too. The future of the country. And the world. And, you know, stuff like that.

So here's a pop quiz. Can you name your elected officials in DC? Not just the senators, but your representative too. Do you know your rep's name? Do you know your district? If you don't, find out: here for the Senate and here for the House. Then post it in the comments. It'll be an interesting lesson in geography.

Now I'm sure you're wondering: is this just a lesson in point-and-click or, for those of you who already knew (and probably rolled your eyes at me), a moment of self-congratulation? No. Knowing these names and their contact information matters. A heckuva lot.

Want to know an un-secret secret?