Senate Fails to End Energy Bill Filibuster (Yay!)

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate on Friday refused to end debate on a broad energy bill with $23.5 billion in tax breaks, a setback for the Bush administration and a procedural move that puts final passage of the legislation in doubt.
The vote failed to end a Democratic-led filibuster of the bill, which offers an array of financial incentives for oil, natural gas, coal, electricity and nuclear power over the coming decade. The count was 57-40, not reaching the 60 votes needed to cut off debate on the bill.

The bill is not necessarily dead, but will likely be pulled from any more debate by Republican leaders who want to move forward with other spending bills and legislation before Congress adjourns for the Thanksgiving holiday. The energy bill may have to wait to be taken up again next year.

Immediately after the vote, Senate Republican leader Bill Frist said he would call one more vote to try to pass the bill before Congress adjourns.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=3872278

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Daschle should be slapped silly

For even thinking of supporting this CRAP bill.

Thank G-d that the filibuster exists!

Donate to my dog's fundraiser to ensure that no more crap like this happens!

Hawkeye-X

[salin]

2. Do we know who voted, how? They say they will try one more vote - we

need to keep the pressure on those who voted against cloture, those who didn't vote (57-40 means 3 didn't vote), and try to move some pro-cloture votes over (that is a very close vote.)

[Robbien]

3. No not yet, but will keep checking on it

Just got finished making calls to my senators letting them know that this news made my day.

[DUreader]

4. Do they need 60 or 61 votes?

need clarification

[ochazuke]

9. I think it's 60. Who are the three who didn't vote? [eom]

[DUreader]

5. Do they need 60 or 61 votes?

need clarification

[DUreader]

6. Do they need 60 or 61 votes?

need clarification

[underpants]

7. Do you think they've had time to read the 17,000 page bill?

Of course this should wait until next year. Not only is there far too much information to digest in the what week since it was proposed but it will effect this country and the world for the next 20-30 years.

This is typical (I called this as did others) Republican BS of trying to get it voted on before anyone and everyone knows what is in it. Remember how the second tax cut came out of the joint meetings?

[hobbes159]

8. Called my senators (Kennedy & Kerry) just now...

Both of them are opposing it, thank goodness.

The name of the bill needs to be changed, though. I think it was John McCain who suggested a good one, "The No Energy Lobbyist Left Behind Act of 2003"

[quispquake]

11. Unfortunately, Kerry didn't vote...

...and neither did Edwards...I know they want to be president, but they were put in to support their constituents...I find it very uncool that they didn't show up for this vote...

...they'd better show up for the Medicaid one!!!

pp23

[Snellius]

10. Here's the roll call votes:

Grouped By Vote Position

YEAs ---57
Alexander (R-TN)
Allard (R-CO)
Allen (R-VA)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bennett (R-UT)
Bond (R-MO)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Bunning (R-KY)
Burns (R-MT)
Campbell (R-CO)
Chambliss (R-GA)
Cochran (R-MS)
Coleman (R-MN)
Conrad (D-ND)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Craig (R-ID)
Crapo (R-ID)
Daschle (D-SD)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dole (R-NC)
Domenici (R-NM)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Ensign (R-NV)
Enzi (R-WY)
Fitzgerald (R-IL)
Graham (R-SC)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hutchison (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kyl (R-AZ)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
McConnell (R-KY)
Miller (D-GA)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nelson (D-NE)
Nickles (R-OK)
Pryor (D-AR)
Roberts (R-KS)
Santorum (R-PA)
Sessions (R-AL)
Shelby (R-AL)
Smith (R-OR)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Talent (R-MO)
Thomas (R-WY)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)

NAYs ---40
Akaka (D-HI)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Byrd (D-WV)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Collins (R-ME)
Corzine (D-NJ)
Dodd (D-CT)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (D-FL)
Gregg (R-NH)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
McCain (R-AZ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Snowe (R-ME)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Sununu (R-NH)
Wyden (D-OR)

Not Voting - 3
Edwards (D-NC)
Hollings (D-SC)
Kerry (D-MA)

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00456

[hippiechick]

12. Edwards and Kerry need to get their asses to DC

...and get ta' votin' on these matters !!

How can we believe they honestly want to be President & lead the country when they're even not taking their current positions seriously enough to show up ??


:hippie:

[salin]

13. Good for Senator Bayh!

Glad I made the calls - will call with appreciation now!

[Robbien]

14. Shame on Edwards and Kerry!

And props to Senator Schumer:

The bill's backers narrowly failed to win the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster led by Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., with six rebel Republicans providing the key votes.

[Rose Siding]

16. I think they both oppose it

but with NO votes to spare, we were left depending on those six repubs to do the right thing.

The dems in the corn states would have been royally screwed politically had they not voted yes. I can understand that- although there wouldn't have been enough protection for the small farmers- except in the case of Daschle, who is charged with leadership and must be more far sighted.

Does LA grow corn?

[ZenLefty]

15. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=233238&mesg_id=233238

ZenLefty
DU Moderator