GOP Renews Hope for Alaska Oil Drilling

[kskiska]

Blackout Boosts Energy Bill's Prospects, but Democrats Stand Firm on Keeping Refuge Off-Limits

Renewed interest in a major energy bill has raised Republicans' hopes for a cherished goal: drilling for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

But the Bush administration and congressional leaders face fierce resistance from Senate Democrats, raising serious doubts that a green light for drilling will be part of a final bill.

(snip)

"The Senate has made it very clear we're not going to support legislation that would call for opening of ANWR," said Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.). "That's something that would jeopardize passage of a final bill."

Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) said Republicans will have a hard time arguing that new drilling would do anything to address problems linked to the massive blackout that started Aug. 14. "The Republicans are saying to find the answer to the electricity crisis by going to the Arctic," Markey said. "The Democrats are saying to find the answer to the electricity crisis, go to Cleveland," near the spot where the problems began. "It's very difficult to argue it's related to the electricity crisis, because we don't use oil to generate electricity."

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44726-2003Aug25.html

[Flying_Pig]

1. The squeeze is on!!

With today's announcement that gasoline prices have hit an all time high (despite there being no shortage whatsoever), the "squeeze" is on. I wonder how high Bush will let prices go, in his effort to please his puppet masters. And now that I think about it, perhaps "The Blackout" *was* contrived, as some have alleged. All neat and tidy.... :mad:

[GreenGreenLimaBean]

12. Even if there is Oil in ANWR,

it'll take over 10 years to get any of it to market.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Wasn't there something about a month ago??

That the oil estimate in Alaska was less than expected?

[Hobarticus]

7. Last I heard...

...six months' at best, at current levels of consumption. Certainly worth trashing one of the last great wilderness areas of our nation, no?

[roguevalley]

3. God. Will they NEVER GO AWAY!?

*

[DisgustipatedinCA]

4. ANWR is just like tax cuts to the GOP

Got too much surplus in the budget after the Clinton presidency? Tax cuts are just what the doctor ordered.

Oops, looks like we're running the biggest deficit in history all of a sudden. Well, the surefire way to fix that is with tax cuts (don't ask how, just believe).

And so it goes with ANWR:

They need to drill in Alaska in order to become less dependent on foreign oil.

They need to drill in Alaska because they can't keep the lights on for 20 million people in the northeast.

Logical constructs aren't a real big priority for this administration.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

5. They are incredibly dumb to try to bring this to a vote in the Senate

If they do that and appear to have the votes, they will give John Kerry the opportunity to get a lot of attention by staging a filibuster...I figured they would hold off to avoid giving him the opportunity.

[MaineDem]

6. Even some Repug senators are against it

If I remember correctly, my two GOP Senators voted against it. I'm almost 100% sure Snowe did and I'm pretty sure Collins did as well.

Why don't these people ever learn? Why keep trying to hammer something through? Like the judicial nominations...don't they get it???

[NewJerseyDem]

9. A lot of republicans don't like it

Republicans who voted against ANWR drilling

Chafee
Coleman
Collins
DeWine
Fitzerald
McCain
Smith
Snowe

Democrats who voted for ANWR drilling

Akaka
Breaux
Inouye
Landrieu
Miller

[goobergunch]

10. Yeas 52 Nays 48...

but I bet some of those Repukes would be enticed to vote for a broad energy bill even with ANWR in it.

We HAVE to filibuster the conference report on H.R. 6 if ANWR drilling is in it. If we don't, I will hold every member of the Senate responsible for its passage.

[NewJerseyDem]

11. It probably won't be in the bill

Pete Domenici, Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, really wants this bill to pass. He didn't even include the ANWR provision in his bill because he was worried it would hurt the progress of the bill. I doubt that Domenici would let ANWR prevent passage of his Energy bill.

[CO Liberal]

8. There Gonna Use BOB HOPE As a Drilling Bit????

:-)

[maggrwaggr]

13. Good God they're like children!

who just won't take no for an answer and who keep throwing the same tantrum over and over and over .........

How many times can we keep slapping their hand?