Sen. Mark Begich said he will oppose legislation that would prohibit oil exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Senator Begich called it a "knee-jerk reaction," and is gearing up for what could be his first major battle in the Senate.
"I said I'd fight strong against my own party if they're wrong and in my view they are wrong on the issue of ANWR," Begich said. "I'll work very hard to educate them on what's important."
Governor Sarah Palin of Alaska wrote an open public letter this week commenting on the recent introduction of anti-ANWR legislation in Congress. The Governor has been a strong supporter of environmentally responsible development of ANWR’s 10-02 coastal plain area. The letter covered many aspects of the ANWR debate including the health of the Arctic caribou herd currently co-existing with industry, the federal revenues and nationwide jobs to be gained, and our oil imports from abroad.