POLITICAL HISTORY

Jan. 3, 1959 Alaska Statehood
Dec. 6, 1960 Arctic National Wildlife Range created on this date
Dec. 18, 1971 Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
June 20, 1977 Trans-Alaska Pipeline start-up
Dec. 2, 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA)
winter, 1983-84 Approx. 600 line miles of geophysical data acquired on Coastal Plain for Department of Interior Resource Evaluation Report
winter, 1984-85 Approx. 580 line miles of geophysical data acquired on Coastal Plain for DOI Report
Dec. 2, 1985 Coastal Plain closed to further geophysical surveys
Sept. 2, 1986 Secretary of Interior's Report to Congress
March, 1987 Dept. Of Interior recommends to Congress to open the Coastal Plain
Feb. 1987 Final Environmental Impact Statement for ANWR exploration published
1988 House Merchant Marine & Fisheries Committee approves an open ANWR Bill
early, 1989 House Merchant Marine & Fisheries Committee again approves an ANWR Bill
winter/spring, 1989 Congress leaning toward ANWR development
March 24, 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in Prince William Sound
1990 Saddam Hussein invades Kuwait
1991 Congress debates National Energy Policy Act, Title 9 of which allowed for development of the Coastal Plain
Senate Energy Committee approves Title 9
Nov., 1991 Senate Roll-call vote on Sen. Wellstone amendment to cut off debate on ANWR, 50 to 44. (60 votes needed to defeat filibuster)
National Energy Policy Act shelved
1992 New National Energy Policy Act, without ANWR, passed
Nov., 1992 Mr. Clinton elected President
1995 ANWR resurrected as part of the Balanced Budget bill
May 24, 1995 Senator Roth amendment to table ANWR from the Budget Resolution defeated 56 to 44 votes
Sept., 1995 President Clinton tried to create a National Monument of ANWR under the Antiquities Act - this was prevented
Sept. 19, 1995 Congressman Vento motion to strike ANWR from the Budget Reconciliation bill in the House Resources Committee, defeated 27 to 14
Oct., 1995 House vote on Budget Reconciliation plan including ANWR, passed 227 to 203 votes.
Oct. 25, 1995 Sen. Bumpers asset sale amendment (which would drop ANWR from the Reconciliation bill), defeated.
Oct., 26, 1995 Sen. Baucus anti-ANWR amendment defeated 51 to 48 votes.
Dec. 6, 1995 President Clinton vetoed the Balanced Budget Act which included a provision to open ANWR.
May, 1996 A new Budget Resolution was initiated by Congress.
May 24, 1996 Sen. Bumpers again tried an asset sale amendment on the floor of the Senate as a way of killing ANWR. The first amendment was modified and defeated 98 to 0, but a second attempt aimed directly at ANWR was defeated 52 to 46 votes.

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