The US Senate on Wednesday agreed to remove a provision from a defense bill that would have barred the US military from purchasing large amounts of biofuels.
The provision, passed by a vote of 62-37, removes an amendment included in the National Defense Authorization Act by the Senate Armed Services Committee in May. That amendment blocked the Pentagon from buying alternative fuels that are more expensive than petroleum-based fossil fuels, including jet fuel and diesel.
Senator Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat who introduced the provision which passed Wednesday, said military investment in biofuels was necessary to reduce reliance on foreign oil.
"Energy security and national security are inseparable, and our military is taking a necessary leadership role in developing and employing new technologies," Udall said in a statement.
In a floor speech Wednesday, he said funding for energy development has made the US safer.
The original amendment blocking the Pentagon from spending on biofuels was originally introduced by Senators Jame Inhofe, an Oklahoma Republican, and John McCain, an Arizona Republican.
In a floor speech Wednesday, Inhofe compared investment in biofuels to "experimenting in green energy."
Nine Republicans voted for Udall's amendment Wednesday while two Democrats voted against it. Those two Democrats, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jim Webb of Virginia, had voted for the original amendment when it was approved by committee in May.
