Stop Senate Rethugs sneaky move to pass ANWR by putting in budget bill!

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63992-2005Mar1.html

Senate GOP Ready to Push Arctic Drilling

By H. JOSEF HEBERT
The Associated Press
Tuesday, March 1, 2005; 7:40 PM

WASHINGTON - A Senate showdown over an Alaska wildlife refuge is expected within weeks as Republicans plan to use a budget measure to overcome strong opposition to allowing oil drilling in the protected area.

It will be first big environmental issue facing the new Congress.

Republican leaders indicated Tuesday that they plan to press the issue of drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as part of a so-called budget reconciliation process, which cannot be subject to a Democratic filibuster - a tactic that has blocked the refuge's development in the past.

Given the wider GOP majority in the Senate, Republicans said they think they have the best chance yet to open the presumably oil-rich but environmentally sensitive Alaska refuge to oil drilling, which has been one of President Bush's top energy priorities.

Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg, R-N.H. said it was reasonable to assume ANWR, as the refuge is commonly called, would be part of the budget measure.

Bastards!

[flpoljunkie]

1. Take action to stop this sneak attack on ANWR!

http://www.lcv.org

Click on the polar bear to take action!

[mojavekid]

2. Done, and Thanks for Posting. n/t

[DaveinMD]

3. if that's the case

there is really nothing Democrats can do to stop it.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Actually, Rethugs are not sure they have the 51 votes needed to pass...

as there are several Republicans who have voted against drilling in ANWR and, of course, several Democrats who have voted with the Republican majority.

Congress does respond to the people when the people make their voices heard.

[DaveinMD]

5. I hope you are right

but I think we are screwed. I'm sure they'll get the votes. The moderate Republicans always vote with the leadership when its necessary.

[flpoljunkie]

6. Moderate Republicans voted no on ANWR. Read this analysis of the vote.

http://www.arcticwildlife.org/latest.htm

If Republicans choose to roll ANWR into a reconciliation package, two obstacles stand in the way in the Senate: the vote count itself and the Senate parliamentarian, who has to rule in favor of including ANWR as "a substantial revenue measure," according to a Senate bylaw called the Byrd Rule that limits how policy gets included in reconciliation bills. If the parliamentarian rules against ANWR, the Senate needs 60 votes to bypass the Byrd Rule, but all indications point to ANWR passing the test, as it did in 1995, because of the billions of dollars in federal oil royalties the refuge would potentially net.

And even if ANWR passes the Byrd Rule test, still in the way is the straight up-or-down vote. Sources point out that ANWR failed this test last year when a drilling amendment from former Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) failed 46-54, with eight Republicans crossing party lines to vote ANWR down. Only one of those Republicans -- Sen. Robert Smith (N.H.) -- has been replaced with a pro-ANWR vote (Republican Sen. John Sununu), as Sens. Olympia Snowe (Maine), Peter Fitzgerald (Ill.), John McCain (Ariz.), Gordon Smith (Ore.), Lincoln Chafee (R.I.), Susan Collins (Maine) and Mike DeWine (Ohio) all voted against the ANWR provision last April.

At the same time, five Democratic senators broke ranks last year, with Sens. John Breaux (La.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Zell Miller (Ga.), Daniel Akaka (Hawaii) and Daniel Inouye (Hawaii) voting for Murkowski's ANWR amendment.

A quick look at the results of the November election points to a significant shift that barely favors environmentalist drilling opponents since Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) campaigned against Bush's ANWR policy in Minnesota. Other newcomers who could shakes things up -- Sens. Jim Talent (R-Mo.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) -- would more than likely side with the administration, resulting in a three-seat swing if the status quo holds.

If Chambliss and Talent vote for ANWR, that would tentatively leave the vote count at 49 for drilling and 51 against, with only one vote separating Vice President Cheney from breaking a tie in favor of commercialization. Sununu, Chambliss and Talent would represent the changed votes from last year under this scenario.


 

[DaveinMD]

7. they knew they were losing that vote

so they released their moderates. They won't release their moderates if they are within range of winning and need their votes.

[flpoljunkie]

8. Do you know this to be a fact?

[DaveinMD]

9. not as a fact

but I know this is how the House leadership operates. The Senate could be different, but I wouldn't count on it.

[flpoljunkie]

10. Senators have more independence from Bush than House members.

These moderate Republicans don't have to run every two years, for starters, and have bucked Bush before.