Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Vote Expected in the Senate This Week

From the NM Wilderness Alliance:
Last week, the House and Senate budget committees split over whether or not to include proposals to allow drilling in America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to be included in the federal budget.  The Senate is poised to vote this week on whether or not to allow the drilling provision to stay in the budget.

Using the following Toll-Free Capitol Switchboard number (1-877-762-8762 toll free) you can connect to any of your Senators, or go to and click on your state to get the direct number for your Senator.

Latest Developments:
On the House side, the House budget resolution has no Arctic provision in it.  In fact, the House budget committee   explicitly stated that they did not want the budget process from being used to open the Artic Refuge to drilling.  "We have tried to keep the budget free of policy. Things like [drilling in the Arctic Refuge] immediately create a lightning rod," said Sean Spicer, spokesman for the committee chairman, Rep. Jim Nussle (R-IA).

Even though the entire Budget Committee is now on record saying that they oppose using the budget to advance Arctic drilling, the budget resolution is a non-binding document and is only a recommended blueprint.  Other committees with jurisdiction over specific parts of the budget may ignore the wishes of the budget committee and decide to include a drilling proposal anyway.

In the Senate, the Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) decided to include the controversial drilling provision in the Senate version.  Despite opposition from several Senators in his own party, Senator Gregg said he thought it was "reasonable" to assume that the drilling provision would remain in the budget.

During the budget committee meeting, Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI) offered an amendment to strip the Arctic drilling provision out of the budget resolution.  The amendment failed on a straight party-line 10-12 vote.

Next week, the Senate is scheduled to have a floor debate on the budget resolution.  Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) will go to the Senate floor with an amendment to remove the provision that allows drilling in America's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Ask your Senator to vote 'YES' on the Cantwell amendment to keep drilling in the Arctic Refuge out of the Senate Budget Bill!