Major Fights on Senate Energy Bill Delayed

The Energy and Natural Resources Committee yesterday cleared in a largely bipartisan fashion the first major energy bill of the Democratic-controlled Senate, but only after a testy battle over coal-based transportation fuels highlighted the divisive nature of such debates.

After a 90-minute debate on the matter, the panel — in a 12-11 party-line vote — defeated the amendment from Sens. Craig Thomas (R-Wyo.) and Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) that would have established a coal program to mirror the existing federal mandate for biofuels.

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