11:00 AM CDT, June 13, 2010

As the BP oil spill disaster continues to pour oil into the Gulf of Mexico, Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Roland Burris showed real leadership on Tuesday by voting against a misguided bill that would have increased Illinois's dependence on oil by more than 17 million gallons in 2016 and cost consumers billions at the gas pump.

The U.S. Senate thankfully rejected the proposal, introduced by Alaska Senator Lisa Murkowski and strongly backed by Big Oil. If passed, the Murkowski resolution would have blocked a new rule that requires cars and light trucks to use less oil starting in 2012, as well as other common sense actions to reduce America's dependence on oil and other fossil fuels.

We don't need another bailout -- especially one for Big Oil right in the middle of the worst oil spill in American history.

Senators Durbin and Burris should be commended for their votes on Thursday. We urge them to lead the effort to pass a comprehensive climate bill that holds BP accountable for cleaning up the Gulf, provides real solutions to end our oil dependence, and jump-starts America's clean energy economy.

Sincerely,

-- Max Muller, Program Director, Environment Illinois, Chicago