The House of Representatives yesterday approved an amendment to an energy bill that opens upAlaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gasexploration.
The lawmakers earlier defeated by a narrow majority of 223-206votes a Democratic amendment that would have kept the currentban on exploration in the nature preserve.
The SAFE energy amendment, passed by a 228-201 vote, limits oiland gas drilling in ANWR to 800 hectares (2,000 acres) of the7.7-million-hectare (19-million-acre) wildlife refuge. TheDemocrats opposed the amendment.
The amendmentis part of the Republican's "Securing America'sFuture Energy" (SAFE) bill that includes President George W. Bush'sproposals in May to stimulate energy production and curb USdependence on imported oil.
A final vote on the amended bill was expected early today.
Critics of the bill have voiced concern about the measure's $34billion price tag, including $12 billion in tax breaks andincentives for the oil and gas industry, which have not beenbudgeted for.
President Bush, a former oil executive, has pushed hard to boost domesticenergy production at a time when imports have reached 60 percent oftotal consumption.
"The president believes it's very important to a balanced energyprogramto have conservation, but also to explore so that we canreduce American reliance on foreign supplies of oil," said WhiteHouse spokesman Mr Ari Fleischer.
But Minority Democratic Leader Mr Dick Gephardt said that withthe bill, "the president and House Republican leaders are promotinga programthat gives the most help to special interests.
"The bill would let oil companies drill in ANWR, one of the mostpristine wildlife areas in the world. It lets oil companies drill onfederal lands. And it rolls back hard-won environmentalprotections," Mr Gephardt said.
AFP