Senator Murkowski Hails ANWR

Juneau – Senator Lisa Murkowski gave her annual address to the Alaska State Legislature yesterday vowing to continue the fight for ANWR. She remarked that despite last December’s difficulties with including ANWR in the Defense Appropriations Bill that the fight to keep ANWR legislation on the agenda in Congress was alive and well. Senator Murkowski stated, “As Senator (Ted) Stevens has said, it’s not over until we win”.

Opening the 10-02 Coastal Plain area of ANWR, which has been specifically set aside by Congress for oil and gas exploration, has been an issue supported by the Governor of Alaska, the entire Alaskan Congressional delegation and Alaska State Legislature collectively through all administrations for over 15 years.

Senator Murkowski worked with Senator Stevens and Congressman Don Young to keep ANWR at the fore-front of the national energy debate. Murkowski stated in her speech it was vital to keep fighting for ANWR while there is an administration supportive of the issue. Currently a majority of the Senate and House support opening ANWR as well as the Presidency and the Departments of Interior and Energy.

Efforts to open the 10-02 Area of ANWR have been continually thwarted by green group lobbying groups pressuring Congress members with disingenuous statements about energy production from the area and its affect on caribou. The trick to achieve successful legislation, Murkowski states, is to find the right congressional path to get it through. Last years failure to pass ANWR in either the budget or defense legislation was attributed mostly to the controversial issues such as Medicare and Katrina relief included in the bills.

Keeping ANWR as a stand alone measure is one possible way towards success, Murkowski stated. It is expected Senator Stevens of Alaska will address the Alaska State Legislature next week and be making similar statements about ANWR then.