President Bush has signed a massive energy bill, touting its passage as a success in helping to revamp the nation's energy strategy and promoting alternative and cleaner sources of energy. The measure, which passed the Senate and House, deals with a long list of issues, ranging from renewable energy and oil and gas production to energy efficiency and nuclear power.
In this most recent debate on Capitol Hill, congressional leaders were able to achieve bipartisan agreement on most major issues, which helped smooth final passage in the Senate by a vote of 74-26 and in the House by a 275-156 margin. Support for the package was guaranteed when Republican and Democratic leaders agreed to keep out controversial provisions like allowing drilling in Alaska and giving lawsuit protection to makers of the fuel additive MTBE.