Wednesday, June 15, 2005

5:57 Continued Debate on Cantwell Amendment Debate continued this afternoon on the Cantwell Amendment. Senator Cantwell’s proposed amendment to the Energy Bill outlines a plan to reduce the amount of foreign petroleum by 40 percent by the year 2025 and proposes a reduction in the total demand of petroleum over the next 20 years. The Senate will continue debate on the Energy Bill tomorrow. A vote on the Cantwell Amendment is likely in the morning. Off the floor tomorrow, both the House and the Senate appropriations committees continue to work on Fiscal Year 2006 appropriations bill, with the House debating the Labor-HHS-Education and the legislative branch bills while the Senate is working on the Homeland Security and energy and water bills. 5:57:15 PM

1:00 Senate Accepts Domenici's Amendment The Senate voted 70-26 to approve Senator Domenici’s modified amendment. Debate of the Energy Bill continues this afternoon on the Senate Floor. Senator Cantwell’s pending legislation will be under consideration when the Senate reconvenes at 2:15. 1:00:47 PM

10:56 Schumer Amendment Tabled Continuing debate on the Energy bill, the Senate voted 69-28 to table Senator Schumer’s second degree amendment to Senator Domenici’s amendment. Schumer’s amendment would have taken subtitle B out of the Domenici amendment. Subtitle B mandates the sale of 8 billion gallons of ethanol in the United States by 2012, as well as provides safe harbor for renewable fuels and bans MTBE use within four years.  10:57:02 AM