Energy bill to debut, a shadow of itself | HoumaToday.com

WASHINGTON-- President Obama's attempt to use the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to help propel comprehensive energy legislation has failed, but the Senate plans to unveil a scaled-back measure as early as next week.

A month ago, Obama used his first Oval Office address to the nation to press for congressional action on energy and climate change legislation - the only major piece of his domestic agenda that has languished in Congress.

Yet on Tuesday, the topic didn't even come up when the president met with the Senate's Democratic leaders at the White House to discuss upcoming legislation. Instead, the meeting focused on financial regulation, aid for the unemployed and increasing loans to small businesses.
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Says Tony Kreindler of the Environmental Defense Fund: "If we don't get it done this year, we're not coming back to it for a long, long time."