Senator Domenici Up On ANWR

Washington, D.C. -- The Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici stated today he will be helping to support ANWR legislation in a budget resolution bill this year. The Chairman commented after testimony to the Committee by the Secretary of Interior Gale Norton on her department’s proposed fiscal 2007 budget. Both the Department of Interior and Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee are heavily in favor of oil and gas exploration in the 10-02 Area of ANWR.

Secretary Norton stated March 2nd before the Committee that she and her department support environmentally responsible development of the Coastal Plain of ANWR. This stance has been echoed by the President who has included ANWR lease revenues in his 2007 budget proposal to Congress.

Domenici’s comment about including ANWR in a budget resolution vehicle early this year solidifies the future debate on ANWR. It is expected Senators Stevens and Murkowski of Alaska will be the prime movers in the Senate for such a proposal. If a provision for ANWR exploration is included as a budget resolution measure it will not be subject to filibuster and thus only require a vote of 51 votes to win.

On the House side this week a group of 24 “moderate” republicans mostly from Northeast states have submitted a letter to Rep. Nussel who heads the House Budget Committee to not allow ANWR legislation to be introduced as a budget resolution. Last year a similar action occurred however ANWR legislation survived 2 votes each in the House and Senate to strike it from the budget resolution process.