Saturday, November 22, 2003 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
Senate blocks sweeping energy bill
WASHINGTON — The Senate yesterday blocked passage of a sweeping energy bill, dealing a blow to one of President Bush's top legislative priorities.
The Republican leadership failed to halt a Democrat-led filibuster against the GOP-backed measure. Opponents said the legislation was filled with too many giveaways to industry and unfairly barred lawsuits against the makers of methyl tertiary-butyl ether, or MTBE, a gasoline additive that has polluted groundwater around the country.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said he would try again to obtain a final vote before Congress adjourns for the year in the next several days.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2001798472_energy220.html