WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked a Democratic initiative that would have taxed the windfall profits oil companies have enjoyed due to rising energy prices , with the minority leader calling the proposal a `` gimmick . '' Record energy prices have led to record profits for oil companies . The measure failed to achieve the 60 votes required by Senate rules to proceed . The vote was 51-43 . Six Republicans , including three seeking re-election in November , broke ranks to support the bill . Two Democrats -- Sen. Mary Landrieu of oil-producing state Louisiana and Majority Leader Harry Reid , who voted no to be able to bring the measure back to the floor under Senate rules -- voted against the measure . Along with placing a special tax of 25 percent on oil companies , the bill would have permitted lawsuits against the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries , the oil-producing cartel , and suspended deposits into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve . Profits from renewable energy sources would be excluded from the tax . `` We 're not afraid , on this side , to go after Big Oil when they are not doing the right thing , '' said Sen. Charles Schumer , D-New York . `` And we are not afraid to go after OPEC because they are a cartel that squeezes us . `` We 're not afraid to do some strong tough things that will -- some in the short run , some in the longer run -- that will bring down the price , the all too high price , of gasoline . '' Sen. Byron Dorgan , D-North Dakota , said the measure was needed to `` wring out '' speculators he blamed for driving the price of crude oil to more than $ 130 a barrel in recent weeks . But Senate Republicans insisted the new taxes ultimately would hurt consumers and cut American oil supply , saying Democrats simply were playing election-year politics . The bill is `` pure and simple a pathetic attempt to even call itself an energy plan , '' said Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison , R-Texas . Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said , `` Hitting the gas companies might make for good campaign literature or evening news clips , but it wo n't address the problem . This bill is n't a serious response to gas prices . It is just a gimmick . '' The Kentucky Republican added , `` They are hoping the idea of going after energy companies will create the illusion of action after a week in which they themselves fought for a bill that would make the problem worse . What a political charade . '' As the average cost of gas edged above $ 4 a gallon , high prices are definitely on the minds of voters . A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Tuesday shows 40 percent of respondents are more concerned about the cost of gasoline than long lines at the pump , which occurred during the energy crisis of the 1970s . But 55 percent of those surveyed are more worried about the long lines and rationing . The poll results reflect telephone interviews with 1,035 adults on Wednesday and Thursday . The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points . CNN 's Ted Barrett , Lisa Desjardins , Matt Smith , Virginia Nicolaidis and Scott J. Anderson contributed to this report .
Measure fails to get 60 votes needed to proceed . Bill would have added 25 percent supplemental tax on windfall profits . Democrats say legislation shows they are willing to take on Big Oil . Minority leader calls the bill `` a gimmick '' and `` political charade ''