For Immediate Release: November 10, 2005
Contact: Annie Strickler, (202) 675-2384
            Dave Willett, (202) 675-6698

      Arctic Refuge, Coastal Drilling Stripped from House Budget Bill
   Move Highlights Growing Controversy; Showdown Expected in Conference

Washington, D.C. -- Late last night, the House Rules Committee removed the
controversial Arctic Refuge and offshore drilling provisions from the
budget reconciliation package. The House is expected to vote on a now
pared-down version of the bill today and then move to conference with the
Senate, which last week passed a budget that includes Arctic drilling but
omits coastal drilling.

The following is the statement of Carl Pope, Sierra Club Executive
Director:

"We are delighted that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and offshore
drilling provisions have been stripped from the House Reconciliation Bill.
This move clearly demonstrates that attempts to pass Arctic Refuge and
coastal drilling through the budget process are non-starters with the
American people and the House.

"We thank those members who have voiced their concern about using the
budget as a vehicle for these measures and look to them to stand by their
convictions every step of the way. We are wary that this victory could be
short-lived. Arctic drilling has long been a priority for the Bush
administration, and some in Congress are still intent on manipulating the
budget process to squeeze through their controversial agenda to auction off
the Arctic Refuge and America’s coasts to the oil and gas industry. The
pro-drilling leadership has made it clear that they will still try will
work to put Arctic and potentially coastal drilling back in the bill during
Conference.

"But the recent actions by leadership, under intense pressure from moderate
Republicans opposed to drilling, to strip these damaging provisions from
the bill we hope will serve as a warning that any budget that would open
the Arctic Refuge or America’s coasts to destructive drilling faces a
dead-end in the House.

"America deserves an honest dialogue about a real energy future, not bogus
policy crammed through in the federal budget. We cannot continue to repeat
the same mistakes of the past, nor can we drill our way to energy
independence. The knee-jerk reaction to put more oil rigs up in
hurricane-prone waters and industrialize the Arctic Refuge wouldn’t save
consumers money but would rob our children of their natural heritage.

"The removal of Arctic and coastal drilling by no means implies this bill
is good for America. Still plaguing the bill are draconian cuts to programs
for the most vulnerable in our country, provisions to allow mining and
other companies to privatize public lands, serious funding cuts for
important conservation programs, and a split in the 9th Circuit Court of
Appeals."

For more information, please visit http://www.sierraclub.org/arctic/. To
receive email updates on other Sierra Club happenings, subscribe to the
Sierra Club Insider at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider

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