Updated at 7:03 p.m. ET

The Senate bill to repeal oil subsidies failed to advance on a 52-48 procedural vote.

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Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is lending a hand to Senate Democrats, urging his more than 1 million Twitter followers to call their senators to vote for a bill to repeal oil subsidies.

The Senate this evening will vote on the measure to repeal $2 billion a year in subsidies to the five biggest oil companies -- Shell Oil Co., Exxon Mobile, ConocoPhillips, BP America and Chevron Corp. The legislation, which is backed by President Obama, is not expected to get the 60 votes needed for passage and is strongly opposed by Republicans.

"Big oil is making huge profits & getting billions in US taxpayer subsidies. End #oilsubsidies," tweeted DiCaprio, an environmentalist perhaps best known for his Academy Award-nominated roles in The Aviator and Blood Diamond.

Last week, the CEOs of the big oil companies testified at a Senate Finance Committee hearing that they need the federal tax breaks to keep gas prices from rising. Gas is more than $4 a gallon in parts of the country.

The oil company executives got a tongue-lashing from senators such as Democrat Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, who said the company leaders were "deeply, profoundly out of touch."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., blasted Democrats for staging a "dog and pony show" at the hearing. He said today the Democratic majority is playing a "blame game."

"Americans aren't interested in scapegoats," McConnell said. "They just want to pay less to fill up their cars."

A GOP bill to increase offshore oil drilling is slated to come up Wednesday and is also expected to not get enough votes for passage.

USA TODAY's David Jackson has more in The Oval about Obama's support for the Senate Democratic bill.

(Contributing: Associated Press)