Sen. Charles Grassley (IA)   (202) 224-3744

The next big step in the complex process in the debate over the fate of the
Arctic National Wildlife and its threatened Coastal Plain is the process of
reconciling the House and Senate versions of the budget resolution.

A conference committee from both House and Senate will try to iron out the
differences between the versions of the Budget Resolution passed by both
Houses.  Though Senate conferees have been named the House wasn't expected
to name their conferees until this week and the conference committee will
then begin to meet. Their target is to pass a final budget resolution by
April 15th.

In any case, in preparation for the conference report, we ask you to get our
message to all legislators, but with SPECIAL URGENCY to the following 11
Senators:

All 7 Senate conferees:
4 Republicans:
Gregg( NH),
Allard (CO),
Domenici (NM),
Grassley (IA),

The three Democrats:
Conrad (ND),
Murray (WA)
Sarbanes (MD).

THE MESSAGE for ALL of these, and all legislators is simple:
Vote against  the final budget package if it includes Arctic
drilling .

 REASONS:  (pick one or two when placing your call:)
 * Some places are just too special to sacrifice for meager
 amounts of oil; the worldclass Arctic cloastal plain is one of the places
too special to sacrifice.
 *Drilling would have a negligible effect on our oil imports
 and not improve our national security.
 *Drilling would hide or obscure the need to need to increase
 our national security through a sensible, conservation-oreinted energy
policy.
 * We'd save more oil than the Arctic Refuge could possibly
 ever bring in by requiring cars to get a few miles more per
 gallon of gas, and requiring SUVs and light trucks to be as
 efficient as cars.
 *Whatever one thinks of drilling, it is a dishonest, sneaky
 ploy to put highly speculative revenues from it into the
 budget as a way to balance it.  Is is FISCALLY
 IRRESPONSIBLE, since these revenues do not exist and are
 unknown, if any.
 *Such a controversial, important environmental issue has
 nothing to do with the budget and deserves fair, open
 debate, not sneaked through Congress via the backdoor in the
 budget process.
 * The majority of Americans oppose drilling, according to
 the latest poll,  53 to 35 percent.  An even stronger
 majority,  72 to 18 percent, opposes sneaking it into the
 budget.

 IF you are not from the state of one of the 11 senators
 listed above, get this message to someone you know who IS!

 You can access all Congressional offices toll free by
 calling the Arctic hotline at 1-888-8WILDAK (1-888-894-5325.

  KEEP those phones ringing through next week!
  THANKS!

 Vicky Hoover, Sierra Club
 Staff, Alaska Task Force
 85 Second St., 2nd floor
 San Francisco, CA 94105-3459
 (415)977-5527
 fax:(415)977-5799
 [log in to unmask]

 ***********************
Many consider that, even apart from the Arctic provision that presumes
speculative drilliing revenues there are enough controversial elements in
the budget, with considerable differences between both Houses, that it may
be impossible for the committee to pass a final compromise Resolution.

(If they succeed and a budget resolution conference report comes back to
the House and Senate, we have a chance to vote it down! Please urge your
member of Congress and senators to vote against any budget conference
report that includes arctic drilling)

If the Budget resolution passes both Houses, there will still be other
opportunities for leaning on legislators.  A budget resolution is not the
same thing as a law.  It is a spending guide for the relevant
appropriations and authorizing committees.  The committees can do their
work without a budget resolution, as they have for the past several years;
they can act without this directive on where to make cuts, seek revenue or
draft authorizing language.

 There is no other place like the Arctic refuge. Every
 biologist who's seen it says it's a treasure. The vast
 majority of Americans understand its singularity and oppose
 drilling. Upward of 62 percent say it should remain intact.
 They agree with many Alaskans that its unique habitat and
 remote grandeur are worth the gious leaders to the side of
 the Gwich'in. Along with Canada's government, the faith
 community elevates human rights into the debate.
 Unfortunately, that too may be denied. With less-than-legal
 budget tactics, the Republican leadership hopes to overcome
 with brute force what reason and compassion denied it for 24
 years.  (Douglas Yates, Fairbanks)

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