http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...842454412.html
for one, it wasn't a strict party vote, with some of each party crossing the line.
for another, it was doomed from the start and was strictly a political ploy to deflect attention from one crappy group to another.
and for a third, the subsidies would have gone to another corporate entity(ies) as you can see towards the end of the article. it certainly wouldn't benefit those of us paying all the money that the feds then redistribute to whichever hungry bird opens its mouth the widest:
'Democrats had proposed redirecting some of the $20 billion from the subsidies to renew a series of tax credits aimed at manufacturers of solar panels, wind turbines and electric cars. Those credits ran out at the end of last year, and the renewable-energy industry has been clamoring for Congress to restore them. The remaining $9 billion would have gone toward the budget deficit.'