Senators come up short on Gonzales censure
WASHINGTON — Senators angry over the Justice Department’s firings of U.S. attorneys failed in an attempt last week to force a vote of no confidence in Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.
A procedural vote to limit debate and move forward with a resolution opposing Gonzales fell seven votes shy of the 60 needed.
The vote was 53-38, with six Republicans joining 47 Democrats in voting to advance the measure. Thirty-seven Republicans and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, an independent Democrat from Connecticut, voted to block the resolution.
Congress has no authority besides impeachment to force out a member of the president’s Cabinet, but Democrats pushed for the symbolic vote as another way to voice their dissatisfaction with Gonzales.
Democrats claim the Bush administration fired nine federal prosecutors last year for political reasons. They have criticized the attorney general for the way he handled the firings and for his inability to recall details about the removals.
Gonzales also was criticized for his role in the Bush administration’s program of warrantless domestic wiretapping.
President Bush continues to back Gonzales, a former White House counsel. Bush said the no-confidence resolution was political posturing.
Senate Republicans did not voice support for Gonzales, but objected to the no-confidence resolution because they said it infringed on the president’s executive branch powers.
Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., voted to move forward with the resolution. Sen. John Ensign, R-Nev., voted against it.
SENATE CRAFTS ENERGY BILL
Shaping of a comprehensive energy bill was slowed last week by partisan debate over requirements that utility companies use renewable fuel sources in electricity production.
The Senate spent most of the week crafting the broad legislation that would require greater use of biofuels, such as ethanol, and increase the miles-per-gallon fuel standard in automobiles.
Republicans opposed a move to force power companies to use renewable fuels as the source of at least 15 percent of their electricity by 2020. Sources like wind turbines, solar panels and geothermal energy account for just over 2 percent of the country’s electricity production now.
Supporters claimed the provision would decrease greenhouse gas emissions and spur development of other fuel sources.
The Senate in a 56-39 vote turned away an amendment from Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., that would allow companies to use nuclear energy and “clean” coal to meet the requirement. It upped the renewable fuels mandate to 20 percent by 2020 if the other power sources were included.
Critics said the Domenici amendment would enable states to ignore the requirements.
Lawmakers tabled that amendment, effectively killing it.
Reid voted to table the amendment. Ensign voted against tabling.
In addition, the Senate voted 53-42 against an amendment by Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., that would have encouraged construction of new domestic oil refineries.
The legislation would have eased permitting requirements for gasoline refineries and offered incentives for refining coal-to-liquid fuel and cellulosic ethanol.
Opponents said the measure offered a government handout to big oil companies.
Ensign voted for the amendment. Reid voted against it.
HOMELAND SECURITY SPENDING
The House adopted a $37.4 billion homeland security spending measure after days of gridlock over earmarks in appropriations bills.
Republicans blocked the bill for three days over what they saw as problems with how the Democratic majority would handle spending for local projects in broad appropriations measures.
Democrats had planned to include earmarks when bills are considered by House and Senate conference committees.
Republicans maintained they wouldn’t have the opportunity to review earmarks before they were placed in legislation. As a result, they planned to clog the House floor with more than 100 amendments and delay consideration of the homeland security bill.
The parties reached a compromise to disclose earmarks on nine of the 11 appropriations bills that will be considered this year.
With the compromise in place, the homeland security spending bill passed 268-150.
Reps. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev., voted for the bill.
Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., voted against it.
