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Providing coverage of Alaska and northern Canada's oil and gas industry
May 2006

Vol. 11, No. 22 Week of May 28, 2006

Strong push for ANWR in U.S. House

A bill that would allow limited oil drilling on the coastal plain of the 19 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge appeared to be headed for passage in the U.S. House of Representatives May 25.

Before debating House Resolution 5429, the American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act, House members voted 234-184 to approve H.R. 835, a procedural rule, during a final day of business before adjourning for the Memorial Day recess. The rule allowed one hour of debate on the underlying bill but prohibited amendments to the measure. H.R. 5429 would open 2,000 acres of ANWR to energy production.

House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif., introduced the legislation.

“There is no logical reason to oppose safe energy exploration and production on ANWR’s northern coastal plain,” Pombo said in a statement May 22. “It is not a silver bullet solution to America’s energy problems, but it represents one of the biggest pieces to the simple supply and demand equation that seems to have puzzled Washington liberals for more than a decade.”

Pombo also joined Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton, R-Texas, and other Republican leaders May 24 in making a plea to colleagues for support of the drilling measure.

Still, H.R. 5429 is viewed as being largely symbolic, since the House has approved ANWR drilling in past years, only to see it shot down in the U.S. Senate where supporters have repeatedly failed to muster 60 votes needed to break a Democratic filibuster.

The bill more accurately reflects the desire of House GOP leaders to take home legislation during the holiday that will show constituents they have taken decisive action to curb high gasoline prices, observers say.

—Rose Ragsdale






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