House Republicans this morning continued to frame the debate over the Waxman-Markey bill as an attack on middle America by the elite coasts.

Thirteen GOP leaders and rural Republicans railed against the bill at a morning press conference, with a vote expected sometime this afternoon.

"This is an assult on rural America and the poor in our country," said Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.). "We're voting no, and we're asking all our rural colleagues throughout -- especially the Midwest, from Pennsylvania to Wyoming -- to think about their constituents."

"Heartland Democrats are going to have a choice to make: Do they stand with middle class families and small businesses in their districts, or do they stand with Speaker Pelosi, Al Gore and the left wing special interests," said Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio). "There's a big difference between the heartland and San Francisco when it comes to Speaker Pelosi's national energy tax."

"This bill will hit middle-America family farmers the hardest," said Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kans.).