|
Senate passes overhaul of U.S. energy policyNo provision for drilling in Alaska wildlife refuge
CNN Washington Bureau WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Democratic-led Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday to overhaul U.S. energy policy, offering tax incentives for conservation and oil production, and requiring more ethanol in gasoline. Missing from the bill, which passed 88-11, is the centerpiece of President Bush's energy reform proposal -- oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Despite the lopsided vote, senators on both sides of the aisle said they were dissatisfied with the final measure and hoped to improve it during conference committee, where lawmakers will try to meld the two different versions of the legislation passed in the Senate and House. While calling the bill a good first step, Republicans said it does not do enough to increase domestic oil production, which they say is essential to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign imports. The House-passed energy bill proposes drilling on 2,000 acres in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and supporters vowed to fight to restore the provision. "We had to basically rewrite it in many respects, but we've made really good progress," said Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi. "We have a bill now that deserves to go to conference, where we believe additional improvements can be made." During six weeks of debate, Democrats argued for greater energy conservation and higher vehicle fuel efficiency standards. But heavy lobbying from the automobile industry defeated two proposals to boost efficiency. "Overall, this is a far more responsible, consumer-friendly energy policy than the one advanced by the [Bush] administration," said Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-South Dakota. "This bill recognizes that we can't be content to pursue an energy policy based upon the old philosophy of dig, drill and burn -- and begins the process of moving toward more innovative approaches to our energy future." In a victory for senators from agricultural states, the bill's provisions would triple the amount of corn-based ethanol in gasoline, which Bush supports. The ethanol provision was not passed by the House and is expected to be a key point of contention in negotiations. Democratic senators from New York and California who oppose increasing the amount of ethanol in gasoline argued that requiring higher levels would result in higher prices at the pump. The Senate bill also calls for:
Democrats opposed to the bill said it would not truly reform the nation's energy policy. "With all the rhetoric on America's dependence on foreign oil, we ought to be making a commitment to energy-efficient technologies, just as we made a commitment to land a man on the moon," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York. "And while it does little things here and there and nibbles at certain tax incentives for certain types of already developed alternatives, it doesn't do much to open a new world," he added. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
RELATED STORIES:
Senate rejects drilling for oil in Arctic
House OKs bill to drill in Arctic reserve Bush emphasizes production in national energy blueprint RELATED SITES: |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Back to the top |
© 2003 Cable News Network LP, LLLP.
A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. Contact us. |