Senate Vote Blocked on Alaska Oil Drilling Bill

A sharply divided Senate failed to adopt legislation to open an Alaskan wildlife refuge to oil drilling, a key part of the Bush administration's plan to boost domestic energy supplies.

Republicans failed to get their energy language attached to an unrelated bill for railroad retirement benefits.

The failure to adopt the energy language was a setback for the Bush administration, which wants to give energy firms access to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to boost domestic oil supplies and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.