By Molly K. Hooper, CQ Staff

A small group of House Republicans returned to the darkened chamber Monday to resume their call for action on energy legislation, but the White House said it would not interrupt Congress’ vacation and order lawmakers to hold an official emergency session.

House GOP members began their protest midday Friday after Congress had shut down for the month. They have hammered away at Democratic leaders for failing to take up GOP energy legislation to expand drilling and prodded Speaker Nancy Pelosi , D-Calif., to call the House back into session.

“What you are about to witness is the beginning of a sustained effort to demand that Speaker Pelosi bring this Congress back to Washington, D.C., and give us an up or down vote on an energy bill that includes more access to American oil,’’ said Mike Pence , R-Ind., an organizer of the protest effort. He said Republicans would keep up the protest at least through the end of next week.

The Speaker and the president each have the power to order an emergency session. With Pelosi highly unlikely to make such a move, the House GOP was pinning its hopes on President Bush. In saying “no,” the White House put the blame on Pelosi.

“Obviously we fully understand the enthusiasm and frustration from Republican House members because of Speaker Pelosi’s unwillingness to have a vote,” spokesman Tony Fratto said. “The Democratic leader should not be blocking a vote. We don’t have any plans to call Congress back into session — we don’t think it would make any difference, if Democratic leaders are unwilling to bring up an up or down vote.”

On Sunday, Minority Leader John A. Boehner of Ohio and Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri wrote members of the GOP caucus, urging them to maintain the pressure on Democratic leaders. They issued a joint statement announcing the plan to continue to monopolize the idle floor.

“The consequences of continued congressional inaction on gas prices are unacceptable,” they said.

About 25 GOP members planned to take part Monday. Leaders were scheduled to return to Washington on a rotation during the week and were organizing members to take part next week as well.

Led by Pence and Lynn Westmoreland and Tom Price of Georgia, Friday’s GOP talk-a-thon started shortly before noon and stretched on for five hours and 45 minutes.

Republicans have proposed to end an offshore drilling ban and permit drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But Democrats have opposed those moves, arguing that tens of millions of acres of federal land and ocean floor are already available for drilling. Democrats have proposed that companies lose those leases unless the land becomes productive, under legislation nicknamed “use it or lose it.”

Lights in the chamber were dim, the microphones were off, and there were no cameras, except for those in lawmakers’ mobile phones. More reporters crowded into the press gallery than otherwise would have.

Still, the gathering looked more like a town hall meeting than an ordinary session of Congress. The Democratic half of the floor was empty until tourists dressed in T-shirts and shorts began filing into some of the vacant seats.