By Coral Davenport and Aliya Sternstein, CQ Staff

Democrats and Republicans traded salvos over the blame for high gasoline prices Tuesday, but substantive progress on energy legislation eluded lawmakers as a bill to curb oil speculation stalled in the Senate.

“As it stands right now, we’ve got a standoff,” said John Thune , R-S.D.

Democratic leaders in both chambers are seeking to move bills this week that would address high energy prices, but fundamental differences between the parties over whether to open more areas for drilling have stymied progress, if not rhetoric.

Tuesday morning senators agreed, 94‑0, to bring debate to a close on a motion to consider a bill (S 3268) that would curb speculation in energy markets. But work ground to a halt afterward when it became clear that lawmakers could not agree on the nature and number of amendments that could be offered.

Republicans want an opportunity to offer more amendments to the bill, particularly amendments related to offshore drilling, than Democrats are willing to allow.

Majority Leader Harry Reid , D‑Nev., offered to allow one Republican and one Democratic drilling amendment, but Republicans rejected the plan. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky., said the GOP insists on “an open debate on this issue.”

Matt LeTourneau, spokesman for Pete V. Domenici , R-N.M., said it’s unlikely the GOP could support the speculation bill under conditions of just one amendment on each side, even if Republicans did get the chance to offer their drilling amendment.

“Asking us to accept a bill that we had no input on, with only one amendment — that would be really difficult for Republicans to support,” LeTourneau said.

“Without the removal of all the restraints” on energy production, “I don’t think we can have a deal,” Domenici said.

Republicans do not have a set list of amendments, according to McConnell aides. Their ideas include measures to find more fuel through drilling and offshore exploration as well as to promote conservation. One amendment would provide incentives to manufacture advanced-technology batteries for cars.

The Democrats’ amendment package, largely assembled by Jeff Bingaman , D-N.M., would also attempt to increase supply and decrease demand.

It would not touch the federal offshore drilling moratorium. Rather, it would accelerate leasing in the limited areas of the outer continental shelf where drilling is already allowed. On the demand side, it would work to install fuel economy devices in all vehicles, develop energy-saving batteries and improve building codes to reduce dependence on natural gas.

Domenici said he hasn’t closely examined Bingaman’s proposal yet, and he conceded that it has “some things that we might look at to get us to the negotiation table.” Domenici added that conservation may be the issue that ties both sides together.