Democrats seek to kill oil drilling in budget bill

[Cocoa]

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=1729216

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senate Democrats will try to remove language from a pending budget bill that calls for the government to raise billions of dollars in leasing fees from oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Republican leaders, with White House support, are using the massive 2007 budget legislation to give oil companies access to the refuge, because budget bills can't be filibustered under Senate rules.

The legislation assumes about $6 billion in leasing fees and bonus bids would be paid by energy companies to drill in the refuge. The federal government could keep half the money to fund various programs and the other half would go Alaska.

Opening ANWR is a key part of the Bush administration's national energy policy. The White House says tapping the refuge's potential 16 billion barrels of crude would boost domestic petroleum supplies and help reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil imports.

Democrats John Kerry of Massachusetts and Maria Cantwell of Washington late on Wednesday were set to offer an amendment to strip the ANWR language from the budget bill. A vote on the amendment was expected later in the week.

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[sasha031]

1. I know

I hope everyome has called their Senators on this one

[OKNancy]

2. Good.

Democrats have consistently fought this. This is an example of one of the "good things" that has been done by the minority party.

[Cocoa]

3. since way back when Bush first got into office

I can't count how many times I thought this was lost. But it's not. :bounce:

[queenbdem87]

4. I'm stuck with

George Allen and John Warner...I don't think we can get much support from them.