SENATE OVERWHELMINGLY DEFEATS EFFORT TO STRIP ENERGY TAX PACKAGE FROM JOBS BILL BY 13-85 VOTE

May 11, 2004
12:00 AM
Washington, D.C. – The Senate today defeated by an overwhelming vote an effort by Senator John McCain to strip the energy tax provisions from the FSC-ETI bill – the JOBS bill – currently under consideration by the Senate. Senate Energy & Natural Resources Chairman Pete V. Domenici worked closely with Majority Leader Frist and Finance Chairman Grassley to add the $14 billion energy tax package to the JOBS bill and get the bill passed through the Senate – a passage expected late Tuesday. The Senate today defeated, 13-85, an amendment that would have effectively stripped the Domenici energy tax package from the Foreign Sales Corporation/Extraterritorial Income Act, or JOBS Bill, (S.1637). Domenici first proposed adding the energy tax package to the JOBS bill in a meeting with Senators Frist and Grassley on March 31. He counted today’s vote as the first significant victory for gaining passage of the comprehensive national energy policy bill developed over the past 18 months. The overwhelming vote in favor for the energy tax policy successfully completes the first step of a strategy Domenici outlined in April for passing the comprehensive energy bill in two parts. Chairman Domenici’s statement: “Today, we will get the first half of the energy bill through the Senate. I will now turn my attention to getting the other half passed and enacted into law."