SENATE GOP SIGNALS DEATH OF CLEAR SKIES AFTER COMMITTEE DEADLOCK

U.S. Senate Republicans say Clear Skies legislation is dead for this year, after the environment committee deadlocked in a 9-9 vote on the bill. The committee's seven Democrats were joined by Sens. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) and James Jeffords (I-VT) in rejecting the bill, which the president has touted as an effective plan for reducing power plant emissions. Republicans wasted no time in blaming Democrats for the failure of the bill. Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH), who led the committee's negotiations before...