Senate abandons energy bill for 2003

December 15, 2003—In late November, the US Congress abandoned its attempt to pass energy legislation for 2003, falling two Senate votes short of sending a bill to President Bush.

Failure to get the votes was attributed to a portion of the bill that would have protected manufacturers of MTBE, a gasoline additive, from lawsuits related to drinking water contamination—a problem that has been linked to MTBE in more than two-dozen states.

Republican leaders have said they will make passing the $31 billion legislation a top priority in early 2004.