----Original Message-----
From: Leslie Catherwood [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, March 16, 2006 1:42 PM
To: Arctic Lobbying Team
Subject: [ak_lobby] E&E News PM


Sent to ak_lobby & ak_comms:
 
  
Thursday, March 16, 2006
 1. ANWR: Cantwell drops Arctic amendment, leaving final passage as key
vote
Ben Geman, E&ENews PM senior reporter
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) has decided against going to the floor with
an amendment to remove Arctic National Wildlife oil drilling from the
budget process, a spokeswoman said, setting up the vote on the overall
budget as the key ANWR vote.
The amendment appeared headed toward a narrow defeat, so drilling
opponents are now focused on attempting to cast the vote on final passage
as a referendum on Arctic drilling.
Seven Senate GOP moderates oppose drilling, but last year they split on
supporting final passage of the budget blueprint after Cantwell's
amendment narrowly failed. "The strategy is to hope that by not
introducing the amendment people won't feel they have political cover,"
Cantwell spokeswoman Charla Neuman said. "So they will feel pressure to
vote against the budget as a whole."
Cantwell today said the recent Prudhoe Bay crude oil spill, which state
officials have estimated at over 200,000 gallons, provides further
evidence that ANWR should not be in the budget. "Clearly, we have work to
do when it comes to making sure oil exploration doesn't irreversible
damage our treasured public lands," Cantwell said in a prepared
statement.
Also in play in the waning hours of debate are plans to link Gulf Coast
restoration to Arctic National Wildlife Refuge development revenues. On
the Senate floor earlier today, Sens. Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and David
Vitter (R-La.) said one plan under consideration would steer revenues
from ANWR, offshore drilling and broadcast spectrum sales towards gulf
recovery efforts.
Sens. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) -- two leading
backers of ANWR development -- are discussing the idea of steering ANWR
receipts toward gulf protection and recovery with Landrieu, a Senate aide
confirmed. And Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) confirmed this afternoon he
plans to offer an amendment linking ANWR with Gulf Coast restoration on
the Senate floor.

----
Leslie Catherwood
Wildlife Refuge Program Associate
The Wilderness Society
202-454-2524
www.wilderness.org

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