UPDATE - Democrats vow to filibuster Alaska oil drilling
Date: 12-Apr-02
Country: USA
Author: Tom Doggett
Republican lawmakers are citing Iraq's decision on Monday to cut off oil exports for 30 days to protest the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as another reason why the United States must be able to tap ANWR's reserves and become less dependent on foreign crude.
Lieberman criticized Republicans for using the Middle East crisis to push their drilling agenda.
"The fact remains that drilling in the refuge would not produce a drop of oil for a decade, far beyond the time of the current crisis, and even then far too little to change the skewed foreign oil dependence equation," Lieberman told reporters.
Lieberman was joined by other lawmakers and environmental groups at a Capitol Hill news conference to protest drilling in the refuge.
"The Middle East crisis is far too complicated to be calmed by drilling in the Arctic, and the fact that we're hearing such a far-flung argument tells me that our opponents don't have the votes," Lieberman said.
Under the Senate's complicated rules, controversial measures like drilling in the ANWR need the support of 60 of the chamber's 100 lawmakers to end debate and permit a vote.
BACKING FOR MEASURE UNCERTAIN
A Reuters survey last month found only 40 senators would go on the record in favor of drilling in the refuge. Fifty lawmakers wanted to keep oil companies out of the area and 10 senators said they were undecided on the issue.
Republican Sen. Frank Murkowski of Alaska has said he will offer an amendment this week to the energy bill to open the refuge to exploration, though a vote on the measure is not expected until next week.
To win over some Democrats, Murkowski is considering whether to link his drilling proposal with a plan to provide relief to steelworkers.
Lieberman and most other Democrats say there is not enough oil in the refuge to significantly cut back on foreign crude imports, and therefore the area should be kept off-limits to drilling to protect ANWR's wildlife.
The Bush administration and most Republican lawmakers argue that the refuge's potential 10 billion barrels could replace the amount of oil the United States imports from Iraq for 35 years. Iraq is the No. 6 oil supplier to the U.S. market.
Murkowski claims when U.S. drivers pull up to the gasoline pump they are indirectly funding the suicide bombers in Israel. Iraqi President Saddam Hussein pays the family of each suicide bomber $25,000.
A coalition of Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Congress, on Tuesday urged the Senate to pass an energy bill that allows drilling in ANWR.
Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine said the fastest and cheapest way to reduce oil imports would be to raise the mileage requirements for cars and gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles.
However, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers already voted against modifying the energy bill to significantly boost vehicle fuel standards.