{Kentucky}...Senator Rand Paul has dropped his “hold” on a bill to toughen federal safety regulation of oil and gas pipelines. Oil and gas pipeline industry officials and congressional aides said last month that Paul and his staff had explained privately that he was blocking efforts to pass the bill using unanimous consent procedures that avoid a lengthy debate because he is opposed in principle to its expansion of federal regulation. Paul agreed to drop his opposition to the measure after winning agreement from its sponsors to add an amendment to the bill to close a gap in regulations that allows older pipelines to escape safety testing requirements.
