BET Wire: While Obama's Away, Republicans Have Their Say

Tea party holds "Audit the IRS" rally on Capitol Hill.

In Case You Missed It - Republicans leave President Obama scratching his head; Ben Carson kind of blames the spread of measles on immigrants; one lawmaker thinks it's OK if your food service worker doesn't wash his hands after a bathroom break — and more. — Joyce Jones (@BETpolitichick)

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In Case You Missed It - With President Obama out of the country, congressional Republicans are on a roll. The GOP-led House passed a restrictive abortion bill, worked overtime on measures to limit access to food stamps – and more. – Joyce Jones

Rep. Trent Franks (R-Arizona) - "The incidences of rape resulting in pregnancy are very low," said Rep. Trent Franks, against an abortion bill amendment calling for exceptions in the case of incest or rape.(Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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Anti-Choice - The House passed on June 18 the most restrictive abortion bill in a decade. It bans the procedure 20 weeks after conception, which is when, they say, a fetus can feel pain. (Photo: AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Food Stamp Diet Not So Bad? - Republican congressional staffer Danny Ferguson recently went on a food stamp diet "to personally experience the effects of the proposed cuts to food stamps." Ferguson claims he was able to buy a week's worth of groceries with a few bucks left over. As a result, "we have room to cut about 12 percent more" from the program he said.(Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

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Food Stamp Diet Not So Bad? - Republican congressional staffer Danny Ferguson recently went on a food stamp diet "to personally experience the effects of the proposed cuts to food stamps." Ferguson claims he was able to buy a week's worth of groceries with a few bucks left over. As a result, "we have room to cut about 12 percent more" from the program he said.(Photo: Tim Boyle/Getty Images)

Chopped - North Carolina ordered the suspension of November applications for welfare benefits until the federal shutdown is resolved. The state's welfare program, Work First, is funded entirely by the federal government and recipients must reapply each month, Reuters reports.(Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

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Hunger Games - While readying to vote on a farm bill, the House debated several measures that would cut or limit millions of Americans' access to food stamps. Amendments included calls for a food stamp registry, drug testing, a photo ID requirement, supervised job searches and more to be eligible for the program. The House rejected the bill on June 20 by 234-195. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

IRS Targets Tea Party Groups - In May, news broke that the Internal Revenue Service had targeted conservative organizations with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their names seeking tax-exempt status. Obama called the action "outrageous" and several agency officials were forced to step down.  (Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Steeped - Hundreds of conservatives and tea party patriots descended on the U.S. Capitol grounds on June 19 for an "Audit the IRS" protest rally. "IRS is our KGB" and "Waterboard the IRS" were among the featured slogans and the president was given a new moniker: Barack O'Nixon.(Photo: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

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Allen West\r - Rep. Allen West is the top choice of former White House contender Herman Cain, who said on the conservative Steve Gill Show that West would provide a big boost in Florida, a key swing state. Cain clearly has forgotten West’s verbal attacks on fellow Florida congresswoman and Democratic National Committee chairman Debbie Wasserman Schultz as well other fiery statements, which would send shivers up Romney’s risk-averse spine.\r \r(Photo: Ron Sachs / CNP/DPA /LANDOV)

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Maybe, Baby - Could former congressman turned pundit Allen West be considering a challenge to Sen. Marco Rubio? “If I see people that are not taking our country down the right path, if I see people that are not standing up for the right type of principles, and putting their own party politics before what is best for the United States of America,” he said on WMAL radio when asked the question. (Photo: Ron Sachs / CNP DPA /LANDOV)

Why He Switched - Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory in an interview with the Daily Caller explained why he changed political affiliations. Democrats, he told the conservative website, have ignored "issues dealing with minority employment particularly, the condition of the black family, education, all the things that really affect the black communities across this country." (Photo: Courtesy of Sen. Elbert Guilllory)

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Why He Switched - Louisiana state Sen. Elbert Guillory in an interview with the Daily Caller explained why he changed political affiliations. Democrats, he told the conservative website, have ignored "issues dealing with minority employment particularly, the condition of the black family, education, all the things that really affect the black communities across this country." (Photo: Courtesy of Sen. Elbert Guilllory)

Haters - Biden lashed out at states that are pushing stricter voting laws. "These guys never go away. Hatred never, never goes away," Biden said. "The zealotry of those who wish to limit the franchise cannot be smothered by reason," he said at a Black History Month event he hosted at his official residence.(Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

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This Isn't Over - "You will pay a price, a political price for not – for not getting engaged and dealing with gun safety," Vice President Joe Biden warned legislators. The vice president also said their vote on gun control measures, which will be revisited, could determine who votes for them at the polls. (Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Doomed? - Border security seems to be one of the major sticking points in congressional immigration proposals. Certain security must be implemented before granting legal status to anyone, says Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), or the Senate bill will be "dead on arrival in the House." (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

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Doomed? - Border security seems to be one of the major sticking points in congressional immigration proposals. Certain security must be implemented before granting legal status to anyone, says Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), or the Senate bill will be "dead on arrival in the House." (Photo: John Moore/Getty Images)

Somebody's Gotta Do It - House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has reluctantly appointed five members from her party to sit on the GOP-led Benghazi investigative panel. Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings will serve as ranking Democrat, a role he agreed to, he says, to "serve the truth" and prevent the tragedy from becoming politicized. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

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Cummings Fires Back - Rep. Elijah Cummings has released the full transcript of a congressional interview on the IRS scandal to "debunk conspiracy theories" being floated by Republican colleagues. "I got sort of tired of transcripts being leaked, parts of them by our chairman. …All I want to do is that the American people have the complete story,” said the House Oversight Committee's ranking Democrat. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Obama High or Low? - A Pew Research Center survey released June 19 found Obama's job approval rating holding steady at 49 percent, down slightly from 51 percent in May. But according to a CNN/ORC International poll released the day before, the president's approval rating is 45 percent, the lowest in 18 months. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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Obama High or Low? - A Pew Research Center survey released June 19 found Obama's job approval rating holding steady at 49 percent, down slightly from 51 percent in May. But according to a CNN/ORC International poll released the day before, the president's approval rating is 45 percent, the lowest in 18 months. (Photo: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)