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For Immediate Release
Statement of Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife on Senate Arctic Drilling Cloture Vote
By defeating the Lott cloture motion earlier this evening, the Senate said loud and clear what Americans have told them for months: the U.S. Congress has more important things on its plate right now than throwing open the doors to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, one of this country’s last, best wild places.
Americans see through the opportunistic rhetoric of Big Oil’s backers, and know that it isn’t worth it to despoil this unique place for six months worth of oil that we won’t see a drop of for ten years.
This country deserves a full, reasoned debate on the future of energy policy, but the backers of arctic drilling prefer their chances with last-minute parliamentary shenanigans and pressure tactics in the closing days of the Congressional session.
Instead of adopting without real discussion the plan that came out of the House, the Senate should come back next year and work toward a balanced energy policy that emphasizes newer, cleaner technologies and conservation. That’s the only route this country has to true energy independence and security.
The drill-at-any-cost crowd in the Senate and elsewhere are desperate to keep the Big Oil and King Coal gravy train rolling just a few years longer, with its long record of massive political payoffs. Today, the Senate said no, and set the stage for a balanced, reasoned debate about the future of energy in this country, rejecting a last-ditch attempt to continue to hang onto yesterday’s technologies and profits.
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Defenders of Wildlife is a leading nonprofit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 480,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on environmental issues. For timely information on environmental issues, visit www.defenders.org and subscribe to DENLines, a free e-mail alert newsletter.
