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) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/