Defenders Applauds Senate Vote Against Energy Amendments
The amendments proposed by Senator Inhofe, and defeated by a unanimous vote, "did a real disservice to the many Senators who are trying to address our pressing needs in a climate of unity and bipartisanship," said Schlickeisen.
Senator Inhofe’s amendments would have attached hundreds of pages of complicated energy legislation, including billions of dollars in subsidies to the oil industry and a requirement to open the Arctic Refuge to energy exploitation, to the annual defense authorization bill.
"This is a time for unity and bipartisanship, not political opportunism," said Schlickeisen. "On this vote, the Senate said loud and clear that despoiling the Arctic Refuge has nothing whatever to do with addressing our immediate national security needs."
The Senate had hurried to complete work on the 2002 Defense Authorization, which includes several important measures to boost the country’s ability to resist terrorist threats. Senator Inhofe’s insistence upon his amendments derailed that legislation last week, forcing the Senate to invoke a procedure called cloture to end debate and move to consideration of the bill.
"Energy policy is extremely important, but the only thing we would get by rushing this energy bill in the wake of our tremendous national tragedy would be a truly awful, unbalanced law, passed essentially without debate or examination by the Senate. That may be what Senator Inhofe and his contributors from the oil and gas industries want, but it’s not what this country needs right now," said Schlickeisen.
###
Defenders of Wildlife is a leading non-profit conservation organization recognized as one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and its habitat. With more than 470,000 members and supporters, Defenders of Wildlife is an effective leader on endangered species issues.
Contact(s):
Cat Lazaroff, (202) 772-3270