"Congress on Tuesday passed a bill focused on improving energy efficiency in buildings and water heaters, a move celebrated by both parties for breaking longstanding partisan gridlock.

The bill, which President Obama is expected to sign into law this week, is a modest one. But its authors, Senator Rob Portman, Republican of Ohio, and Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Democrat of New Hampshire, who had worked together for years on more ambitious energy-saving legislation, called it a significant victory.

'On the bill’s merits — creating jobs, saving consumers money and reducing pollution — it was never a hard sell,' Ms. Shaheen said. 'The tough part was convincing Washington to not play politics with a good idea.'"

Coral Davenport reports for the New York Times April 21, 2015. [2]