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.
They are getting as good at this as the French.
Pay attention.....these have a cumulative effect. Everytime the GOP nuetralizes itself, President Bush loses a little more influence. The dems get a little more. And we sit around and say "The dems are screwing themselves!!!" No way, no how. They have us playing the stupid game.
Trent Lott is an idiot and if the rest of the GOP in the Senate go along with it, they are no better than he is.
The criminal democraps win another battle:(
And lose it you should....
Agreed! I am soooooooooooooooo disappointed in this (pom-pom) guy. It's time for some new leadership.
I read the other day that the Russians have the second largest oil reserve in the world. It seems to me that the most advantageous solution to our energy supply issue is to buy oil from the Russians instead of the Middle Eastern Nations. The Russians need financial aid and we need oil.
Our economy is in a slump. Many of our citizens are out of work. Why don't we help the Russians develop their oil reserves by sending companies like Haliburton and the many other oil exploration companies that helped the Middle Eastern Nations develop their oil reserves to Russia to help the Russians? By doing this we could put some of our folks back to work and release ourselves from dependance for the things we need on people who hate us. Let them keep their oil and see how well they survive without the bucks we pay them for it!
In the mean time we could start spending some of our money to develop ways of stopping the use of fossil fuel completely.
Yeah, I know, the Russians were our worst enemy until ten or so years ago. But then, so were the Japanese and Germans. After having spent some time out from under the comunist yoke, do you believe that the Russian people will fall for the comunist myth again? The citizens of Russia were our enemies only because their government wished it so.
Don't these people know that it is the age of terrorism and you cannot repent to evil doers? What the heck are those people made of?
Right now, gasoline prices haven't been this low in years. The public needs high energy prices, a real hit in the wallet, to get their attention focused on WHY we need to open up ANWR.
When "W" gives the state of the union address, you can bet your bottom dollar that he will explain this issue in depth in that clear and reasoned way he has about him, much like his historical September speech explaining the need to go after terrorists abroad. He's built up a trust with Americans that can be capitalized upon because Americans can believe THIS President.
When he hits all the high notes, and the cameras pan the congress, nobody is gonna want to be sitting on their hands like Hillary did.
Besides, if this doesn't work, just whip out the EO pen.....
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