Senate Vote Doesn't End Arctic Fight

The U.S. Senate's narrow vote today to leave approval for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in the larger Budget Resolution is a setback, but just the first round in a long fight, according to Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife.

"They may have cleared the first hurdle by the skin of their teeth, but this thing isn't over, not by a long shot," Schlickeisen said. "Every step they take from here on out will just get harder. And because drilling supporters had such a tough time with the first move, we're energized to fight that much harder to make sure that, at the end of the day, the American people get their way and the Arctic Refuge remains protected."
The Senate voted 49-51 on Senator Maria Cantwell's (D-Wash.) amendment to strip Arctic Refuge drilling from the budget resolution. With the Senate closely divided on such a high-profile issue, including it in the larger budget resolution could seriously damage the prospects of that bill as it passes through the Senate, the House-Senate conference and final passage in both chambers. Even then, this provision of the budget resolution will not go into effect unless it makes it into the final Budget Reconciliation bill later in the year, which must itself go through the same arduous process as the budget resolution itself. Congress hasn't managed to complete the budget process in the last two years; if that happens again, drilling backers will be back to square one.

"The Senate just decided to make its job on the budget a whole lot harder. This is a tough vote for us to swallow, but the American people have said all along that they're opposed to Arctic Refuge drilling, and Congress is about to find out just how angry they can get," Schlickeisen said. "Shoehorning a controversial measure like Arctic Refuge drilling into the budget where it doesn't belong was a parliamentary stunt to begin with, and it's one that could very well come back to haunt them."

Defenders of Wildlife

We lost today but we will keep fighting!

:)
Thanks!

pull a rip-off on the public.

Email them now.

I'm not sure it's worth the bother. Better would be to email your Senator who did vote for the Cantwell amendment, and congratulate them, and urge them to continue the fight, make sure that drilling in the wildlife refuge does not make it into reconciliation, not to worry about appearing obstructionist.

You have to turn the people of those states around, then the vote will follow.

Then they'd vote against you.

Why would you punish an entire state for the actions of their Senators. Somehow, that doesn't seem like a way to win hearts and minds.

Sorry, I just don't see the connection I guess between the votes of two Senators in Hawaii and the needs of the constiuents of an entire state that is normally PAINFULLY blue.

I thought we were supposed to buy blue. No?

Make sure the Senators know how you feel, but dang it, leave the fairly innocent, Dem voting population out of it. That's what I feel, anyway.

We need all the hope we can get.

--Peter

Despite the GOP controlling everything, it's not necessarily the case that they will pass a budget.

I was hoping that was the case.

you to post this right now and give some Hope !
Some might feel like giving up because it gets so overwhelming but it should make us stronger so we can fight on .

nt

Thank you for providing me with a bit of hope. This has been a terrible day, and I am heartened that this fight isn't over.

That and the fact that 6 Republicans voted with the Democrats on this one. As far as I know, this the first time that's happened since the new term started.

-wildflower

Who do these guys think they are? Environmental issues are one of the most core democratic values. These guys are environmental rapists who are only interested in one thing... MONEY.

Akaka
Inouye

I will never visit Hawaii again. We should boycott all products from Hawaii.

This is great in one way... I had lost interest in politics since B*sh re-stole the election. DU... I'M BACK! Time to put the gloves on... ROUND 2 is about to begin.

I have written Hillary, Gore, RFK JR, and I am about to write the two characters above. Don't let this die... FIGHT ON!

Akaka and Inouye have much better records, historically, apart from this issue.

I think Akaka's reasoning was that it was a deal with Frist -- he votes for ANWR drilling, and Frist votes for the Hawai'i Recognition bill (aka the "Akaka bill")...

this "Akaka bill" is a piece of work, by the way... totally shameless Realpolitik if you ask me...

hope it was worth it... the Uncle Tom...

as for Mary Landrieu I wasn't surprised. I mean, it's either her or a Repug but sheesh, some party discipline please??

As for Inouye I don't know much about him other than that he's a war hero and, now, a party traitor. Shame on the lot of them.

They know a significant majority of Americans oppose drilling in ANWR, so they had to cravenly sneak this plan through via the budget vote.

Hey, GOP, let ANWR stand alone. Do a straight up or down vote on drilling there. Then answer to the American people!

Since a majority of Americans oppose drilling in ANWR, this issue should come back to haunt the repubs in '06.

Right now we need to make sure that the majority of Americans are aware of what's going on. I think the spike in gas prices is being used as justification to do the drilling ("we need that oil").

rape. pillage. plunder.
gropenator. bush. halliburton.

After a few letters to senators and environmentalists. The RiverKeeper.org pointed me to this website to help out.

http://www.nrdc.org

Best,

Eric

Dear Senator :

I hate that you voted for the Alaskan drilling.

If you have not witnessed the Alaska Pipeline, let me just say this: the crude is propelled by jet engines. You know what a jet engine sounds like. That's what its like to be near the Alaska Pipeline. Now we have lots more of it.

Environmentalists stated: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0316-13.htm

1. more pipelines: "Environmentalists contended that while new technologies have reduced the drilling footprint, ANWR's coastal plain still would contain a spider web of pipelines that would disrupt calving caribou and disturb polar bears, musk oxen and the annual influx of millions of migratory birds....

2. no oil available from it for 10 years: We won't see this oil for 10 years. It will have minimal impact," argued Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash

You screwed up Senator.

I too was really unhappy to hear about the final tally. I think it was Barbara Boxer's e-mail that said this wasn't even about drilling in Alaska for the rethugs - it's about establishing a precedent by which they can go on to destroy everything. Maybe she didn't put it in those exact words, but those are the words I'm putting it in.

Found an e-mail from Kerry earlier too, which also said this isn't the end of the fight. So that's some encouragement, along with this post.

I'm especially interested in which Republicans voted to protect the refuge, and which slimey turncoat Dems voted against it. One of our Ohio Senators, Dewine, once had a fairly decent environmental record for a repub. Might he have had an attack of conscience? It would be nice to think we're not totally out in the cold....

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00052

To save you some time, yes, DeWine did vote with us:
Democrats FOR drilling: Akaka, Inouye, Landrieu
Republicans AGAINST drilling: Chafee, Coleman, Collins, DeWine, McCain, Smith, Snowe.

I was feeling somewhat too sick, tired, and lazy to go digging today. Info much appreciated....

These evil, greedy oil soaked cretins know no shame. It's getting impossible to remain friends with anyone who voted for bush the lesser everyday. There are a few lifelong friendships I'm ready to lay waste to. Anyone else feel this way? :shrug: