Bush close to Senate panel win for Alaska drilling - survey
Date: 31-Aug-01
Country: USA
Author: Tom Doggett
The Senate Energy Committee is on track to approve a broad energy bill next month that would include language opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to exploration. The issue is a cornerstone of the White House plan to boost domestic energy supplies, but one that is heavily opposed by green groups and moderate lawmakers.
A Reuters survey of the committee's 23 members this week showed the legislation would pass the panel by a one-vote majority, because of two Democrats who are expected to vote for drilling and one Republican who opposes it.
The committee is due to resume debate on the energy bill in the second week of September. Republican lawmakers are expected to offer language that would allow drilling in the refuge, an area that could hold up to 16 billion barrels of oil.
However, even if the president gets his way with the committee writing the bill, Arctic drilling still faces a tough fight in a vote of the full Senate.
The issue pits two powerful lobbying forces against each other - organized labor and environmental groups. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters back drilling because it would create thousands of new jobs, while green groups say drilling would jeopardize an area that is home to polar bears, caribou and other wildlife.
The Bush administration claims only 2,000 acres (810 hectares) of the refuge's 19 million acres (7.7 million hectares) would be directly affected by drilling equipment at any one time, though the White House wants to open a total of 1.5 million acres (607,500 hectares) to exploration.
TWO DEMOCRATS SET TO CROSS PARTY LINES
Ten of the committee's 12 Democrats, including committee chairman Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, said they oppose drilling in the Alaskan refuge.
Ten of the panel's 11 Republicans said they will vote for opening the wilderness.
Democrat Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, whose state is a major producer of oil and natural gas, has broken ranks with her party to support drilling. "She's come to the conclusion that it can be done - drilling in an environmentally safe way - and she's indicating that she will support it," said spokesman Rich Masters.
Landrieu decided to back drilling in the refuge after discussing the issue with her constituents during Congress' August recess, he said.
However, Landrieu's vote in favor of drilling would be offset by Oregon Republican Gordon Smith's opposition.
"He is not inclined to vote for it in this session of Congress," said Smith spokesman Joe Sheffo. Oregon voters tend to support pro-environmental issues.
Smith has not ruled out supporting drilling in the Arctic refuge in the future, but at the moment the senator believes the government should promote more alternative energy sources and energy conservation measures, Sheffo said.
Both Smith and Landrieu are up for re-election next year.
HAWAII SENATOR IS SWING VOTE
Likely victory for the Bush administration will hinge on Democratic Daniel Akaka of Hawaii who, according to his spokesman Paul Cardus, is officially "undecided" on the issue.
However, the senator has previously voted for drilling in the refuge and his decision this time around will be influenced by the support for drilling given by the Inupiat Eskimo people that live in the refuge and would benefit from the economic development of the area, Cardus said.
"It's traditionally their land," said Cardus, referring to the Inupiat Eskimos. "They support the economic development and exploration on it, and (Akaka) puts great credit in what they're advocating." Akaka has visited their village in the refuge.
To help secure a win in the Senate, Teamsters spokesman Bret Caldwell said the union was lobbying vigorously to open the refuge. He would not say which senators were targeted.
According to the Teamsters, their lobbying helped win over three dozen Democrats in the House of Representatives, which earlier this month passed energy legislation that would allow drilling in the refug