“Sponsors of a measure to halt shipments of oil to the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve — offered as a way to help bring down record gasoline prices — say they are confident the bill will pass. The proposal was the lone measure endorsed in both Senate Republican and Democratic gasoline price plans. House and Senate plans set for a vote today would halt deliveries to the reserve until December unless oil falls to $75 a barrel for more than 90 days. ‘Everyone expects it to pass,’ said Bill Wicker, a spokesman for New Mexico Democrat Jeff Bingaman, speaking of Senate prospects. ‘Oil got up to $125 per barrel, and it no longer made sense,’ Wicker said of Republicans decision to support the measure.” (05/13/08)