In Brief: Senate Kills Ban on ATM Surcharges

The Senate overwhelmingly killed a proposal Thursday by Sen. Alfonse M. D'Amato to bar automated teller machine operators from charging extra fees to customers of other banks.

In a 72-to-26 vote, the Senate voted to table the surcharge ban, which the New York Republican offered as an amendment to the consumer bankruptcy reform bill. He vowed to renew the fight and predicted senators would reconsider their votes if the fees continue to mount.

"It is a lot of money that a lot of little people are paying that they shouldn't be," said Sen. D'Amato, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. "It is not the end .... We lost the battle but not the war."

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