It's been almost three weeks since the U.S.-Canadian report on last summer’s blackout was delivered. The first recommendation in that report is for Congress to pass non-controversial reliability language. Without delay, Sen. Maria Cantwell introduced S.2236, a stand-alone bill, and placed it on the Senate Calendar. Twenty-four senators from both parties have since joined her as co-sponsors. Today, Sen. Cantwell (again) sought consent to bring up and pass this bill. Today, Senate Republicans (again) objected. Clearly, a tri-partisan group of senators believes that it’s time for Congress to give Americans a more dependable electricity system by passing stand-alone reliability legislation. Sen. Bingaman doesn’t think that it is wise or responsible or even realistic to hold improvements to America’s power grid hostage to controversial energy provisions unrelated to reliability. Editorial boards across the country agree. From Miami to Memphis and Long Island to LA, newspapers are calling on Congress to pass reliability legislation separately from an energy bill.