US House approves opening ANWR to development; Senate to vote

Washington  (Platts)--19Dec2005

The US House early Monday approved legislation opening the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil and gas development. The House approved the
measure when it voted 308-106 in favor of a defense spending bill that
contained the ANWR drilling language.
    Alaska and the federal government would split the $10-bil the federal
government estimates would be bid in ANWR lease sales. 
     Legislation to open ANWR has been approved in the House in recent years
but failed in the Senate, usually as a result of a Democratic-led filibuster.
The inability of drilling proponents to overcome the filibuster forced them to
seek other legislation as a vehicle for the ANWR language. 
     The defense bill, which pays for military operations and includes aid for
victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes, was considered must pass legislation
that opponents of ANWR drilling would find it difficult to vote against.
     The defense bill is slated to be debated in the Senate early this week
where the ANWR provision is likely to face a stiff challenge from Democrats
and a handful moderate Republicans.
     Democrats said they would challenge the ANWR language on a point of
order, arguing that it is not-germane to the underlying bill. If that effort
fails, they have threatened a filibuster, forcing drilling proponents to come
up with 60 votes to cut off debate, rather than a simple majority. The
Republicans control the Senate 55-45.

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