Objections to drilling in ANWR, mostly from environmentalists, have stymied efforts to open up the refuge ever since a 1980 change in federal law allowed for oil and gas exploration there. At the time, Alaskans were under the impression that production would start soon. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), who recently toured the remote North Alaska site, said that for “24 years I’ve argued to get Congress to keep its word to us.”
Over the last four years, the only holdup has been in the Senate. The most recent version of the Senate energy bill, which fell two votes shy of breaking a Democratic filibuster, did not even contain ANWR provisions. The Senate had voted 52-48 to keep ANWR out of the bill entirely.
ANWR’s prospects in the Senate now look considerably brighter. Though still unlikely to survive a filibuster, ANWR could probably pass a simple majority vote. The Senate’s budget resolution may accomplish this. It includes expected federal revenues from oil leases in ANWR, estimated to bring in about $2.7 billion dollars, and a provision to lift the current restrictions on drilling. ANWR’s opponents tried to strip these provisions from the budget but failed in at 51-49 vote on Wednesday. Because the budget cannot be filibustered, that was their final chance. A vote on the whole budget could come later in the week.
