The Maryland Democrat would not discuss details of the new energy legislation, but did say it would be brought up under regular order rather than suspending House rules, The Hill reported Tuesday.

Republicans, Hoyer said, "will have the opportunity to offer their alternative ... ."

The move is an about-face from the Democrats' pre-August recess strategy, in which they brought their energy bills for a vote under suspension of the rules, avoiding votes on Republican measures calling for offshore drilling. However, Democrats did not get the two-thirds majority necessary to pass the majority of their energy bills.

Democrats now are introducing their own proposal that would allow drilling off the coasts of several Gulf Coast states, the Washington political publication said. By doing so, Democrats said they think they can hold back the GOP energy bill, which calls for offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.