Bush pushes Congress to pass U.S. energy bill

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Bush pushes Congress to pass U.S. energy bill
Reuters, 10.03.03, 4:55 PM ET

By Tom Doggett

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush on Friday expressed frustration at Congress' delay in acting on a broad energy bill, saying the legislation must be passed to help the U.S. economy and national security.

Senate and House of Representatives negotiators have been working on a combined version of energy legislation passed by both chambers earlier this year. Republican leaders this week postponed until mid-October a planned vote by the negotiators on a draft bill, which includes oil drilling in an Alaskan wildlife refuge.

"For the sake of national security and for the sake of economic security, they need to get a (energy) bill to my desk soon," Bush said at a campaign fundraiser in Milwaukee.

Congressional negotiators say at issue are disputes over subsidies to build an Alaskan natural gas pipeline, upgrading the U.S. electric grid, and increasing the use of ethanol-blended gasoline while providing lawsuit relief to producers of the competing MTBE gasoline additive.

more: http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/newswire/2003/10/03/rtr1099671.html