AS WAR WITH IRAQ LOOMS, LITTLE HELP ON THE OIL FRONT

摘要

With President Bush ramping up the rhetoric on Iraq, you might expect Washington to be working overtime to reduce U. S. dependence on Middle East oil. After all, a war with Baghdad could disrupt international oil supplies and cause a price spike that would hammer corporate profits. But Congress is about to produce Energy Lite. As lawmakers put the finishing touches on a bipartisan energy plan, key elements of the President's agenda are missing, including building at least one power plant a week through 2020. The package, in the final stages of talks between the House and Senate, is likely to be a setback as well for Vice-President Dick Cheney, who oversaw the White House energy plan and is in court battling to keep secret the details of its development.