"Even as gas prices continue to climb, President Obama's attempt to manipulate the free market and force consumers into purchasing electric vehicles like the G.M. Volt has failed," Representative Darrell Issa, Republican of California, said in a statement.
Conservative congressmen tried to defund Planned Parenthood last year and failed; Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, has started an inquiry charging that the group has used taxpayers' money on abortions, which would be illegal.
If the committee fails, Representative K. Michael Conaway, a Texas Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, told The Times, "most of us will move heaven and earth to find an alternative that prevents a sequester from happening".
A few days into the new year, as the Republican leadership was about to concede that its trainwreck strategy had failed... Representative Frank Riggs, a freshman Republican from California, stood up in a meeting with the leadership and said, "I am vehemently and steadfastly opposed to this defeatist strategy, which is going to blur the difference between the parties".
Talking about safe sex and condoms is a failed strategy, Representative Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania claims.
"The president's policies have failed," said Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas, the chairman of the House Republican Conference.
"The policy has failed," said Representative Donald M. Payne, Democrat of New Jersey and chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health.
Aged 48, his 24-year career in the Irish parliament began when he won a by-election caused by the death of his father, who was also a Fianna Fail representative.
"This vote, based on legislation I've introduced, will and must fail," said Representative Dave Camp, Republican of Michigan and chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
"We should be willing to take on some of the risks for the new energy economy, even if some of these start-ups fail," said Representative Diana DeGette of Colorado, the ranking Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that investigated Solyndra.
The initiative process was established more than 100 years ago to give the people a way to overrule their elected representatives when those representatives failed to heed the wishes of the public, because they allowed their personal preferences and prejudices to drive their decisions or because they were unduly influenced by special interests.
