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Energy bill conference committee chairman calls for ANWR oil development Committee to consider ANWR development provisions from House energy bill, ethanol subsidies from Senate bill Steve Sutherlin PNA Managing Editor
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil production is needed to secure the nation’s energy future, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin, R-La., told conferees at the energy bill conference committee meeting June 27 in Washington, D.C. Tauzin is the chairman of the House-Senate conference committee on H.R. 4.
“I hope that no one in this room is under the illusion that all of the conservation and environmental efforts in the world are going to secure our nation’s energy’s future,” Tauzin, said. “That is why the House bill, under the leadership of Chairman Jim Hansen and others, contains new production provisions, most notably in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.”
Murkowski calls for open minds on ANWR Sen. Frank Murkowski said the Senate must accept some elements of the House version of the energy bill, along with items from the Senate version.
“It would be a travesty if we took the position, as some have, that the Senate is going to oppose any provision that is not contained in the Senate bill,” Murkowski said. “We all must be open to negotiation because that is the role we play — to craft legislation drawing elements from both bills.” Needed 10 years ago Murkowski said Congress attempted to address energy in a comprehensive way 10 years ago.
“The fact that we are here today indicates we failed 10 years ago,” he said.
Most of the issues facing the country today are the same as the energy issues facing the country then, Murkowski said, adding that if the issues had been addressed then, the country would be much further on the road to solve its energy problems.
Murkowski said that during its discussions of the energy bill, the Senate never truly had the opportunity to vote on the ANWR provision. He said procedural measures thwarted the will of the majority of the Senate.
“Some have inaccurately stated that the Senate rejected the safe exploration of exploration in the Arctic Coast of Alaska,” Murkowski said. “Nothing could be further from the truth.
“Had this been a straight, up and down vote decided on the merits, instead of a 60 vote political trap, the outcome would have been very different from the outset,” he said. “If members do not believe we have the votes to pass this measure then why will they not allow a vote to occur?”
Young questions Senate ethanol measures Rep. Don Young said the ANWR development was as much on the table as Senate tax credits for ethanol additives in gasoline.
“You want ethanol? I want ANWR,” Young said.
The ethanol tax credits would come out of money for the Highway Trust Fund. Young oversees spending of the highway money as chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Young said taking the money out of the Highway Trust Fund is like “cutting an artery, drinking the blood and declaring that we’re making progress.” He said users of fossil fuels paid the cost of roads and that it was unfair for users of ethanol fuel to not pay similar fuel taxes, given that ethanol-burning vehicles also create wear and tear on the roadways.
Kerry says Senate will kill entire bill Young said conference committee members who are inclined to vote against ANWR drilling should go and see it “instead of sitting in a little castle and breathing that rarefied air.”
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said the Senate would likely kill the entire package if the committee put a provision in the bill to open ANWR to oil drilling.
“I say to my colleagues: If you want a bill, don’t bring it back to the United States Senate to re-decide what we’ve already decided,” Kerry said.
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