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--> --> Gulf oil drilling delay rejected WASHINGTON (AP) - The Senate, in a signal of support for President Bush's energy development plans, rejected an attempt today to delay oil and gas drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The House already has voted to delay the lease sales off Florida and Alabama, so the conflict in the Interior Department's spending bill will have to be worked out between the two chambers. The Senate voted 67-33 against an amendment offered by Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., who called the leases "the camel's nose under the tent" for broader oil and gas development in the currently off-limits eastern Gulf. Last week, the Interior Department dramatically scaled back the lease sales, removing about three-fourths of the leases from auction so that drilling would be well beyond 100 miles of the Florida coast. Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush strongly protested the original proposal, which would have allowed drilling within 17 miles of the Florida Panhandle. The vote was the second Senate showdown in two days over energy development. On Wednesday, the Senate voted to block gas, coal and oil development in federal monument areas. The Gulf drilling had been characterized by the Republican leadership as essential to meet future energy needs. Senate Minority Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi called it a commonsense development of resources that would not harm the environment. The vote reinforces the bipartisan consensus over the compromise adopted by the Bush administration on the Gulf drilling plans, said Interior Secretary Gale Norton. She called it "a victory for all Americans who want to see environmentally responsible energy production." Eighteen Democrats joined all 49 Republicans in supporting the lease sales. Thirty-two Democrats and Sen. James Jeffords, an independent from Vermont, voted for a delay. "It's a crystal clear victory for the president's energy plan," said Jim Wilkinson, a White House spokesman. But Sen. John Breaux, D-La., who supports the lease sales, said the vote shouldn't be taken as "a trend in any direction" when it comes to broader energy legislation. "Whether it means we're going to have more aggressive energy development in other areas, I doubt it," said Breaux, who has been a strong advocate of broader oil and gas development. Email your... Technical questions & comments to: WebMaster Daily Tidings editorial comments & questions to: Editor Visit our other Oregon Newspapers... | Albany Democrat-Herald | Ashland Daily Tidings | Corvallis Gazette-Times | | Lebanon Express | Newport News-Times | Springfield News | Cottage Grove Sentinel | Ashland Daily Tidings 1661 Siskiyou Blvd. Ashland, OR 97520 Telephone 541-482-3456 © Copyright 2001 Lee Northwest Publishing