Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) yesterday outlined a proposed $24.1 billion supplemental spending bill but acknowledged Republicans have the votes to lift offshore drilling bans if the measure is brought before his committee.

The partisan deadlock over energy policy may prevent the Senate from considering renewable energy tax credit extensions and other bills this week, but GOP lawmakers are preparing for an even higher-stakes fight in September. In a sign of the escalating battle over offshore oil and gas drilling, Republican senators say they will push to remove drilling bans through the expected continuing resolution (CR) to fund the government into next year.

The Senate Appropriations Committee pulled two spending bills off the markup calendar yesterday in a move Republicans say shows Democrats are running scared on energy. Chairman Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.) canceled markups of the Interior appropriations bill and a supplemental spending bill scheduled for today and tomorrow, citing the short congressional work period remaining before the August recess and the current Senate floor debate on oil price speculation.

Senate Republicans do not plan to miss any opportunities to push their energy agenda, as members of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee plan to push amendments to expand domestic energy production at markups later this week.

President Bush's international clean technology fund initiative would receive $200 million next year if it agrees to only finance zero-carbon emissions technology, under a bill the Senate Appropriations Committee approved yesterday.

The Senate Appropriations Committee cleared a spending blueprint yesterday that would chip away at some of the funding boosts for conservation that were included in the newly minted farm bill.