Senate Kills Bid to Alter Air Bill Accord

The Senate, in its first major vote on a compromise clean air bill, rejected a proposal to tighten controls on toxic air pollution Thursday night after Senate leaders said it threatened their agreement with the White House.

The vote to kill the amendment was 65 to 33.

The amendment, one of a string expected to be brought to the floor aimed at tougher controls on air pollution, would have required additional controls on toxic emissions from automobiles.

The vote was seen as an indicator of the strength of support for a compromise worked out by Senate leaders and the Bush Administration to promote Senate approval of the first toughening of federal air pollution controls in 13 years.

Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg (D-N.J.) called his amendment necessary to protect citizens from cancer-causing chemicals.

But the measure, opposed by the Bush Administration because of its reported $1.5-billion price tag, was described by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) as a “deal breaker”--meaning its passage would cause a compromise agreement with the Bush Administration on clean air to fall apart.

Both Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell (D-Me.) and Minority Leader Bob Dole (R-Kan.) asked that the amendment be rejected.