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For Immediate Release
Congress Backroom Budget Deal Puts Arctic Refuge at Risk
Budget Scheme Secretly Paves Way for Oil Drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Statement of Rodger Schlickeisen, President, Defenders of Wildlife
WASHINGTON – "In the end, the most
telling thing is that the Republican leadership, with their backroom budget
scam, didn’t have the guts to come out and say they were opening the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. They know that broad majorities of the
American public disagree with them and their oil industry allies on plans to
open the biological heart of the Arctic Refuge to oil drills.
"Make no
mistake about it; a vote for this budget is a vote to open the Arctic Refuge to
oil drilling, and we fully intend to let people know how their senators and
representatives voted. This budget includes open-ended instructions that allow
the Republican leadership to fast-track Arctic Refuge drilling, avoiding the
normal legislative checks and balances. Though they stacked the deck, they
haven’t won yet and we intend to fight them every step of the
way."
Background: The budget conference report need not say the words
"Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" to result in Arctic Refuge drilling. In fact,
the report did not mention the Refuge by name but instead contains
reconciliation instructions to the House Resources and Senate Energy Committees,
requiring them to produce budget savings to the tune of $2.4 billion. While
savings of this magnitude would be very difficult for these Committees to find
by direct program cuts, the committees are allowed to change laws to generate
new revenue to fulfill this requirement. Reconciliation instructions therefore
give pro-drilling chairmen of these committees, Sen. Pete Domenici (R-NM) and
Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA), everything they need to circumvent Senate rules and
avoid a Senate filibuster over drilling the Arctic Refuge. These two chairmen
have made it clear that is exactly what they intend to do.
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Defenders of Wildlife is one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat, and was named as one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine. With nearly 1 million members, supporters and electronic advocates, Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife and habitat.
