Senate votes to channel Deepwater Horizon fines to Gulf restoration fund

The Senate cleared an amendment on Thursday, 76-22, that would send 80 percent of penalties paid by BP and other parties responsible for the Deepwater Horizon spill to a special fund to "restore and revitalize" the Gulf of Mexico. 

That amendment, also called the RESTORE Act, would allow the money, which will be collected by the government for Clean Water Act violations, to be spent in five affected Gulf states.

On Thursday afternoon the Senate also passed an amendment, 82-16, that would compensate rural counties that suffer from a lack of revenue because of dormant federal lands. 

"This amendment provides a lifeline for rural Americans where the federal government owns much of the land," said Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), a sponsor of the amendment. 

The final vote of the day occurred on a Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) amendment to "authorize special measures against foreign jurisdictions, financial institutions, and others that significantly impede United States tax enforcement." That amendment cleared by unanimous consent.  

The Senate adjourned just before 6 p.m. Thursday and is set to return on Monday at 2 p.m. 

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