SENATE PASSES H.R. 6 CONFERENCE REPORT 74-26
Bill now goes to President Bush for his signature
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today approved the H.R. 6 Conference Report by a vote of 74-26. Immediately prior to passage, the Senate voted 71-29 to waive a budget point of order raised by Sen. Feingold. .
The H.R. 6 Conference Report now goes to President Bush for his signature. The date for signing has not yet been announced.
“The Senate today has passed a bipartisan energy bill that will make a real difference to every American,” said Sen. Pete V. Domenici, Chairman of the Energy & Natural Resources Committee. I believe that five years from now, we will look back on an energy bill that will have stabilized energy prices, created hundreds of thousands of jobs, boosted our economy and protected our environment.
“I am proud to have helped write this bill. I’m proud of the open and bipartisan process we used to write it, debate it and conference it. I left the Budget Committee to take the helm of the Energy Committee because I welcomed the challenge of passing a comprehensive energy bill. This is one of the proudest days of my Senate career – one I will always remember.”
"I think in years to come we'll look back and see this piece of legislation as the birth of clean energy in this country," said U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. "We got there through the most open, fair process that I've ever witnessed in the 20 years I've been in Congress. Both the House and the Senate got the job done, and Sens. Domenici and Bingaman and their staffs should be commended. This is a very good bill and it was created in a way that should make the American people proud. It was Sen. Domenici's trust, knowledge and determination, in particular that made possible one of the great legislative achievements of the decade."
