Democrats and Republicans traded charges of obstructing debate as the US Senate began on July 22 to discuss Majority Leader Harry M. Reid’s (D-Nev.) bill to reform energy commodity markets.Democrats said that Republicans wanted to delay consideration of S. 3268 by weighing it down with amendments. Republicans responded that Democrats were not willing to consider more meaningful steps, such as opening more federal land to oil and gas leasing.The Senate agreed to invoke cloture and limit debate on the bill in a 94-0 vote before recessing for lunch. But the two parties clearly stayed sharply divided over how to address near-record crude oil and gasoline prices and their impact on consu...