Special Request - Thank Representative Jim Leach today! for standing against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Due to a "bash" from Rush Limbaugh over the weekend the moderate House Republicans are getting many calls from pro-drilling people mad at their stance to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. We need to generate a large number of thank you calls and emails to these members. Our success in doing so will have a direct bearing on how easy it is for them to hold firm. We need to also submit many Letter-to-the-Editor letters to our local papers expressing our gratitude for the Democrats and House Moderate Republicans who have stood strong against drilling so far. Votes on the final Budget Reconciliation Bill are expected this week. At the request of a bloc of moderate House Republicans the House Rules Committee has introduced language that would remove drilling from the final Bill - the procedural vote to actually remove the drilling language is still pending but this is expected to happen. What the moderate Republicans have done is amazing, they are standing up for the tens of thousands of people across this country - and future generations - for the wildlife and wilderness - the strong leadership they have shown for protecting our great Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain from drilling should be congratulated. Unfortunately: Pombo convened a meeting late Thursday with members who did not want drilling to be stripped from the bill and has since asked GOP leaders for assurances that the controversial oil-drilling provision will remain in the conference report whenever the legislation comes back to the House for a vote, said Brian Kennedy, a spokesman for the committee. The Senate included ANWR in its own version of the bill, which narrowly passed earlier this month. The language could be reinserted in the conference report before final floor votes. Please take a moment and make a call yourself - and ask many others to do the same. We need to thank Rep. Leach for his leadership now, and ask him to remain strong through the final process. Representative Jim Leach Amanda Allexon DC Environment - 202-225-6576 and Thank you very much, Lois Norrgard Regional Organizer Alaska Coalition 10368 Columbus Circle Bloomington MN 55420 ph/fx: 952.881-7282 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp