Nick Snow
Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, DC, Nov. 4 -- The US Senate approved budget legislation that includes language authorizing federal oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by a 52-47 vote Nov. 3.
Senators rejected an effort by ANWR leasing opponents to strip the provision from the bill. But they approved an amendment limiting sales of any oil produced there to domestic markets.
"We should have done this 10 years ago, but thank goodness we're doing it now," Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete V. Domenici said following the vote.
"Developing our arctic oil resources in an environmentally responsible fashion is the most proactive thing America has done in years to address our growing reliance on oil," he maintained.
Alaska's two senators were pleased. "Today's accomplishment is a big one for Alaska and a huge one for the country as we work to achieve three goals: economic security, energy security, and environmental security," said Republican Lisa Murkowski.
Ted Stevens, also a Republican, said that in 1980, Sens. Henry M. Jackson (D-Wash.) and Paul E. Tsongas (D-Mass.) promised him the coastal plain would remain open for oil and gas exploration as they managed the bill that withdrew from economic development more than 100 million acres of Alaska land to expand ANWR.
"The coastal plain is our country's single greatest prospect for future oil production. It holds between 5.7 billion and 16 billion bbl of oil. It will produce between 876,000 and 1.6 million b/d," Stevens said. "The tide of public opinion on this issue has begun to turn because Americans know that development in the coastal plain will help lower energy prices, reduce our dependence on unstable and unfriendly regimes, and grow our economy."
Two amendments
Earlier, senators defeated an amendment offered by Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) to remove ANWR leasing authorization from the budget bill by a 51-48 vote. It was her second attempt. After proponents inserted the language in the Senate's original budget bill last spring, effectively shutting off the possibility of a filibuster against it, she introduced a similar amendment that failed 51-49.
"This is about more than just protecting one of America's last pristine natural treasures," Cantwell said before the vote on her latest amendment. "Using back-door tactics to destroy America's last great wild frontier will not solve our nation's energy problems and will do nothing to lower skyrocketing gas prices."
But the Senate adopted an amendment offered by James M. Talent (R-Mo.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that bans exports of any oil produced in ANWR by a vote of 83-16.
"I oppose drilling for oil in the refuge, but if it's drilled at all, it should be used for its stated purpose—on the US market for US energy consumers," said Wyden. "It's a fraud on the American public to drill in a wildlife refuge and then sell the oil abroad to the highest bidder, and today's vote is the minimum the Senate should do."
Talent, who supported the ANWR leasing provision, said, "This is not something the oil companies are going to like, but it's too important to our energy security. It's a very important hedge against foreign boycotts or threats or oil blackmail that somebody may want to use against the United States."
The House is expected to vote on its budget bill next week. After it does, the two versions will need to be reconciled in a joint conference before a final budget is sent to the White House for President Bush's signature.
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