Call Congress--Budget reconciliation this week! Phyllis Mains
Eager to leave DC early for their holiday recess, House and Senate leaders are hoping to pass a final budget reconciliation bill this week. While conferees from each chamber have been meeting to work out the differences between their two bills, it is still unclear whether or not the final bill will include Arctic Refuge drilling.
We must be prepared for whatever the final bill holds in store;
therefore, it is critical that we ramp up the number of phone calls,
emails and faxes to our members of Congress right now! We must let our
Senators and Representatives know we are counting on them to vote
against the final budget reconciliation bill if it includes Arctic Refuge
drilling provisions. Please take action now!
If your members have voted to
protect the Arctic Refuge in the past, please be sure to thank them for all
their hard work and encourage them to keep fighting for the Arctic
Refuge. Information on recent Arctic Refuge votes is included at the
end of this message. Please extend an
extra special thank you to your Representative if he or she is one
of the 28 moderate Republicans who have continued to
stand strong in opposition to Arctic Refuge drilling and encourage them to remain vigilant in this final
round. This list of moderate Republicans is also included at the end
of this message.
Take Action Now:
1. Start by Emailing your members – Click here or copy and paste the following website to send an email to your members: http://capwiz.com/awc/issues/alert/?alertid=7951076
2. Follow-up with a Call – Click here
or copy and paste the following website to find talking points and phone numbers
for your members' district offices: http://capwiz.com/awc/callalert/index.tt?alertid=8263526&type=CO
3. Get More Involved - Visit
www.alaskaaction.org to get the latest news on Arctic Refuge, participate in discussion
forums about Alaska conservation issues, and familiarize yourself with
our Alaska action toolbox. Our goal is to give you the tools you
need to effectively advocate for the protection of Alaska's wild places in
your own community.
4. Spread the Word -- Forward this alert to your family, friends and colleagues who may also care about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Encourage them to contact their members too!
Voting Records:
To see how your Senators voted earlier this month on
the Cantwell amendment to remove Arctic Refuge
drilling provisions from the Senate budget reconciliation bill go to
the following website: http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?
congress=109&session=1&vote=00288 A "YEAs" vote means your
Senators voted for the Cantwell amendment and in favor of protecting the Arctic
Refuge.
To see how your Representative voted earlier this spring on the Markey amendment to remove Arctic Refuge drilling provisions from the House energy bill go to the following website: http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll122.xml A "Ayes" vote means your Representative voted for the Markey amendment and in favor of protecting the Arctic Refuge.
List of 28 Moderate Republicans who signed the Bass and/or Bradley Letter asking House leadership to remove Arctic Refuge drilling from the House budget reconciliation bill:
| Simmons (CT02) | Gilchrest (MD01) | Bass (NH02) | Boehlert (NY24) |
| Shays (CT04) | Bartlett (MD06) | LoBiondo (NJ02) | Gerlach (PA06) |
| Johnson (CT05) | Ehlers (MI03) | Saxton (NJ03) | Fitzpatrick (PA08) |
| Castle (DE00) | Schwarz (MI07) | Smith (NJ04) | Inglis (SC04) |
| Leach (IA02) | Ramstad (MN03) | Ferguson (NJ07) | Reichert (WA08) |
| Kirk (IL10) | Kennedy (MN06) | Frelinghuysen (NJ11) | Petri (WI06) |
| Johnson (IL15) | Bradley (NH01) | Kelly (NY19) | Walsh (NY25) |
Best Regards,
Katie Little
Alaska
Coalition