TWICDEC7

A Senate amendment substituted the text of HR 6 with S 1419 and included other amendments with the overall goal of improving energy productivity by at least 2.5% by 2012.

Frequently reported elements of the bill include an overall improvement in auto mile-per-gallon consumption to 35 mpg by 2020 and the requirement that utility companies increase the amount of renewable energy sources in their energy portfolios to 15%. The bill, however, goes into great detail in regard to developing a system of renewable energies, from farm to pump, that appears to take into account challenges to consistent sources of biomass and how seasonal increases and decreases could impact fuel prices. The bill provides formulas that would tend to keep prices level throughout the year.

Both bills provide grants to build refineries for financing the establishment of refueling infrastructures in local communities.

The bill is virtually budget neutral through the mechanism of paying for renewable program increases and other bill provisions by reducing subsidies to oil companies.

The National Goals for energy savings in transportation are 20% by 2017, 35% by 2025 and 45% by 2030 to be reached through regulatory, funding and policy efforts.

The Senate took up HR 6 but the motion to invoke cloture and proceed to passage failed 53-42.

HR 6

Senate Amendments to HR 6

Senate Substitute S 1419

MERGER OF HOUSE, SENATE FARM BILLS STALLED

IN THE SENATE

(TheWeekInCongress.com December 6, 2007) The Senate may, on Friday December 7th, hold a cloture vote on agreeing to 20 amendments to the bill. The Senate originally planned on a cloture vote on the Harkin Amendment that would replace the House text with the Senate substitute language. Cloture on the Harkin amendment was not agreed to in November by a vote of 55 to 42.

House Bill HR 2419

Senate Substitute S 2302

HOUSE TAX BILL GUTTED IN THE SENATE

AMT Patch, Non-controversial Provisions Remain

(TheWeekInCongress.com December 6, 2007) On a Senate party-line vote of 46 to 48, the House tax bill, HR 3996, failed to gain the necessary votes to assure further consideration. Later in the day, the Senate agreed to consider removing all House text in the bill and replacing it with a 1 year patch to forestall imposition of the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) on a greater number of taxpayers.

The AMT is a 1969 tax law that required the wealthy to pay some taxes despite loopholes relieving them of the obligation. The requirement was not indexed for inflation and now impacts those whose wealth equals earnings in the late 1960s but is not significant income in the present.

Passage of the amendment assures the temporary fix of the AMT impact without controversial tax provisions that appear not to have support of the Senate Minority or the White House. The bill does allow for the child tax-credit and other generally accepted tax break extensions.

The substitute passed 88 to 5.

HR 3996

Bills Curtail Disaster Relief Fraud; Seek Child-porn Inet Traffic; Aim to Reduce World-wide Human Trafficking.

Disaster Fraud

Those committing fraud to gain disaster relief funds face higher penalties.

S 863

Internet Pornography

Internet providers are required to increase reporting on child pornography traffic.

HR 3791

Human Trafficking

US laws aimed at foreign-country efforts to curtail human trafficking. Grants would aid international law enforcement.

HR 3887

The House is adjourned until Tuesday, December 11th. The Senate will continue its work through Friday, December 7th. Senate floor action and votes will be updated here when the data is available.