Posted on 12/03/2001 3:09:13 PM PST by GeneD
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) - Senate Republicans on Monday decided to fight another day for energy legislation that would open a portion of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration.
The full Senate voted 94-1 not to cut off debate on a Republican amendment to a railroad pensions bill. The GOP amendment contained much of a House-passed energy package and a six-month moratorium on human cloning.
Republicans would've needed 60 votes to end debate -- a tall order in the upper chamber, where Democrats hold a slight 50-49 advantage by virtue of Vermont Sen. James Jeffords' decision to bolt the GOP and become a Democratic-aligned independent earlier this year.
Republicans contend they have enough support in the Senate to prevail on the drilling issue in an up-or-down vote. In the end, almost all Republicans opted to join Democrats in voting down a motion to end debate, indicating they would instead look to bring the measure to the floor at a later date. Sen. George Allen, R-Va., was the only member to vote in favor of the motion.
The Senate later voted 81-15 to end debate on the railroad pensions bill. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., expressing frustration at Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle's refusal to bring energy legislation to the floor, proposed the amendment to Democratic legislation on railroad pensions. The energy portion of the amendment includes many elements of a bill that passed the House earlier this year, including the controversial ANWR provision.
ANWR drilling has split some Democrats thanks to an intense lobbying effort by some unions, which are traditional Democratic supporters. The Teamsters union has led the charge, arguing that drilling would create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
Environmental groups are vehemently opposed to drilling, contending it would destroy a pristine wilderness. Supporters say extraction could proceed with minimal disruption.
Daschle said the time wasn't right for a vote and has said he would bring a Democratic energy bill to the floor early next year. In addition to the railroad bill, the Senate must deal with defense appropriations, farm legislation, and other issues, including negotiations with the House toward an economic stimulus package.
Monday's developments make it unlikely that Republicans will be able to force an energy vote before Congress finishes business for the year.
Lott acknowledged earlier Monday that it would be difficult to come up with the 60 votes needed to clear the procedural hurdle.
Lott tied the energy proposal to a measure sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kans. that would ban human cloning.
Daschle on Sunday told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he's opposed to human cloning, but added that he wants to explore the issues surrounding the technology.
"Obviously, we're opposed to human cloning, but this opportunity to advance research in the effort to bring about cures for some of the most critical diseases in this country also deserves support, and we've got to find that balance," he said.
Advanced Cell Technology Inc. a closely held Massachusetts firm, announced last month that it had successfully produced a cloned human embryo. The company has said it wants to use the technology to produce embryos that it would use to harvest medically useful stem cells, not for creating cloned children.
William L. Watts is a reporter for CBS.MarketWatch.com.
Get rid of LOTT. SPECTER AND HATCH, see things change. These are the rats.
Madam Dole is actually more dangerous to America than Hillary...
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