03.16.06

Cantwell: Arctic Drilling Fight Is Far From Over

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Thursday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) called the fight to save the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil drilling far from over and vowed to use her seat on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to stop the shortsighted plan. Cantwell’s announcement comes after Senate passage of the Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2007, which includes provisions putting Arctic drilling on the fast track to final approval.

“The fight over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is far from over,” said Cantwell, Senate Democrats’ point person on energy issues. “Today, we almost stopped this manipulation of the budget process, and I will use every tool at my disposal to keep up the fight on the Senate floor and in the Energy Committee. We need real solutions to our energy needs, not a backward-looking band-aid approach that would destroy an unspoiled natural treasure for a small amount of oil. Drilling in the Arctic is the wrong choice. Americans demand real solutions and a serious national strategy to move us toward energy independence.”

The Senate Budget Committee included provisions in its version of the Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Resolution that direct the Senate Energy Committee to come up with legislation to produce $3 billion in new federal revenue. This, in effect, orders the committee to open the coastal plain of the Refuge to oil exploration and development. The budget passed by a narrow margin Thursday night, over Cantwell’s objections.

Earlier, Cantwell called on the Senate to defeat the pending Budget Resolution unless Republican leaders removed drilling language. Cantwell is also calling on the House of Representatives to defeat any House legislation to green-light Arctic drilling.

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