June 23, 2007

Senate drops tax package, boosts auto fuel rules.

The U.S. Senate passed an energy bill on Thursday that would raise the country's automobile fuel efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years.

But the Senate dropped $32 billion in clean-energy incentives after Republicans objected to about $29 billion in extra taxes on big U.S. oil companies.

Minutes before midnight, the Senate voted 65-27 to approve the Democratic rewrite of U.S. energy policy, which would mandate a four-fold use in ethanol in motor gasoline by 2022 and raise vehicle fuel-efficiency standards by 10 miles per gallon, or to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

H.R. 6 (CLEAN Energy Act of 2007)

Vote Summary

Question:
On Passage of the Bill (H.R. 6, As Amended)

Vote Number:
226 Vote Date: June 21, 2007, 11:25 PM

Required For Majority:
1/2 Vote Result: Bill Passed

Measure Number:
H.R. 6 (CLEAN Energy Act of 2007)

Measure Title:
An Act to move the United States toward greater energy independence and security, to increase the production of clean renewable fuels, to protect consumers from price gouging, to increase the energy efficiency of products, buildings, and vehicles, to promote research on and deploy greenhouse gas capture and storage options, and to improve the energy performance of the Federal Government, and for other purposes.

Vote Counts:
YEAs 65
NAYs 27
Not Voting 7
Source:

Read The Full Story: