By Bill Raack, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Republican U.S. Senator Jim Talent of Missouri says opponents should end their filibuster of the energy bill and allow for a vote on the legislation.
A final vote on the bill, which some analysts say could cost $96 billion over ten years, was recently put off until Congress returns to Washington in January.
Talent says the legislation would benefit Missouri businesses because it encourages the development of the types of fuel being produced in the state.
"Bio-diesel, ethanol, things that help secure our independence from foreign oil and produce renewable sources of fuel. You know, when we can grow our own fuel, we have a real substantial measure of independence that right now we don't have," Talent said.
Critics say the bill includes too many tax breaks and subsidies to the oil, gas, coal and nuclear power industries and threatens the federal deficit.
Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois says the bill's problem is liability protections for the makers of the gasoline additive MTBE.
"Congressman Tom DeLay, the Republican leader in the House, has said that there'll be no energy bill if we don't absolve MTBE manufacturers from their legal liability for polluting water supplies," Durbin said. "If that's the case, then I think this bill's dead. But I hope that cooler minds prevail and I hope that next year we can pass a real energy bill."