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Democrats' bill to cut oil consumption

WASHINGTON, May 18 (UPI) -- Democrats in the U.S. Senate have offered an energy bill they say will cut domestic oil use to 12 million barrels a day in 2020 from the current 20 million.

Claiming their bill will reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil more than that offered by Republicans, the Democrats said their plan will require expanding the use of alternative fuels for vehicles. The plan calls for more federally owned vehicles to use alternative fuels and setting up more service stations that sell them, The New York Times reports.

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The Democrats' plan will end oil industry subsidies but provide more of them to the renewable fuels industry. It will also help low-income Americans pay their energy bills.

"We need lower gas prices and energy independence," Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the minority leader, was quoted as saying. "Republican leaders have proposed the same old solution: drill, drill, drill. But drill, drill, drill is not going to deliver the results we need."

Responding, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., said: "This latest plan (of Democrats) is a sprinkling of good ideas, a heavy helping of bad ideas and distractions, and a pathetic absence of any effort to increasing American energy supply."

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