The US Senate voted not to take up a bill that would have reimposed a windfall profits tax on major oil companies as Democrats failed to achieve the three-fifths majority necessary to limit debate for a second time in less than a week.
The Senate rejected, by 51 to 43 votes, a cloture motion on S. 3044, which also would have made it possible for the Department of Justice to prosecute foreign oil producing nations for violating US antitrust laws.
Mary L. Landrieu (La.) was the single Democrat to cast a nay vote on cloture. Voting aye were Republicans Norm Coleman (Minn.), Susan F. Collins (Me.), Charles E. Grassley (Iowa), Gordon H. Smith (Ore.), Olympia J. Snowe (Me.), John W. Warner (Va.), and Independents Joseph I. Lieberman (Conn.) and Bernard Sanders (Vt.).
Debate firmly followed party lines as Democrats called for stronger government efforts to make major oil companies and foreign oil suppliers bear more of the burden of higher oil prices. Republicans said that the bill’s provisions were not realistic and would not lead to production of any more oil or gas.
The Senate also rejected a cloture motion to consider HR 6049, which was designed to extend financial incentives for alternative and renewable energy research and projects that are due to expire later this year, by 50 to 44 in a later vote.
