House energy bill hits a snag

WASHINGTON -- The bitter standoff in Congress continued last week as the House passed a comprehensive energy bill only to see it blocked by the Senate.

Defying a veto threat by President Bush, the House voted 235-181 for the bill, which would have increased fuel efficiency for cars from 27.5 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

Advocates said it not only would increase fuel-efficiency standards for the first time in 30 years, but also would help the environment and boost national security by making the nation less dependent on foreign oil.

The average 35 miles per gallon would be a 40 percent increase over the current requirement. By that same 2020 deadline, 15 percent of the electricity generated by the nation's utilities would have to come from renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power.

But the Bush administration and other critics complained the bill would raise taxes by rolling back more than $13 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies.

Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., voted for the bill.

Reps. Dean Heller and Jon Porter, both R-Nev., voted against it.

The Senate voted 53-42 for the bill, but 60 votes were needed to cut off debate and move to final passage.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted for the energy bill.

Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., did not vote.

TAX RELIEF APPROVED

A bill to protect middle-class families from the alternative minimum tax for at least the next year passed the Senate by a vote of 88-5.

Designed to force the wealthy to pay at least some income taxes, the 1969 tax has spread to families with incomes as low as $50,000 because it was not indexed for inflation.

Democrats dropped a provision to pay for the bill by imposing $81 billion in new income taxes for hedge fund managers on Wall Street.

Republicans insisted on the alternative minimum tax change, saying tax relief for some should not be financed by taxing others.

Reid voted to fix the alternative minimum tax.

Ensign did not vote.

PERU TRADE PACT CLEARED

The Senate voted 77-18 for a free-trade agreement with Peru, granting duty-free treatment to 80 percent of U.S. exports including beef, cotton, wheat and soybeans.

Peru already has 98 percent duty-free access to the United States.

The Senate vote follows similar action in the House, which passed the measure on Nov. 8.

Ensign voted for the Peru trade pact.

Reid voted against it.

CHILD PROTECTION BILLS PASSED

The House voted overwhelmingly for two bills to crack down on the abuse of children.

A bill to renew funding for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children passed by a vote of 408-3.

The bill would raise the center's budget from $20 million to $50 million per year. The center helps find missing children and receives reports of child abuse and exploitation.

The other bill, which passed by a vote of 409-2, would raise penalties for Internet service providers which do not report child pornography found on their servers.

Berkley, Heller and Porter voted for both bills.