Another extended vote in the House

The Republican controlled House of Representatives is building a track record for holding roll call votes open well past time has expired.

Friday afternoon, the House extended a vote scheduled for five minutes to 50 minutes on an energy bill so enough Republican arms could be twisted to vote in favor of it. Once again, their tactics worked as the bill narrowly passed 212-210.

Tempers flared on the House floor with Democrats crying foul and Republicans trying to drown them out with boos. Think Progress has details and the video here.

Another example of this is the Medicare prescription drug legislation in 2003 where the vote was held open for three hours and passed 220-215. Also, when the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) passed, the vote was kept open for almost two hours with the vote ending up 217-215.