WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate plans to hold a procedural vote next Wednesday to test whether there is enough support to pass legislation clamping down on offshore oil drilling procedures and expanding alternative energy, a Democratic aide said on Thursday.
If Democrats cannot get the necessary 60 out of 100 votes in favor of debating the legislation, they likely would put off further action until at least mid-September.
With 59 votes in the Senate, Democrats would need some Republican support in order to advance the energy legislation. Republicans have threatened to withhold their backing unless they are allowed to debate and vote on their alternative ideas.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid so far has refused to say whether he would allow any amendments, even from fellow Democrats, in the run-up to a six-week break scheduled to start on August 6.
The Senate Democrats' bill would lift all liability caps on oil companies for economic damages related to the BP Plc Gulf of Mexico oil spill and future disasters. The measure has drawn opposition from Republicans and some moderate Democrats, who are pressing for changes.
The House of Representatives is scheduled to debate similar oil spill legislation on Friday, before it leaves on a long summer break.
The Senate bill also would encourage the use of natural gas to fuel large trucks and help convert some of the U.S. automobile fleet to electric cars.
(Reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by Eric Walsh)
