WASHINGTON — Congressional Republican leaders on Monday launched a last-ditch push for President Bush's bid to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to oil drilling, reigniting a controversy that could complicate efforts to pass the pending overhaul of national energy policy.
Drilling proponents acknowledge that they face a battle in the Senate, where a number of Republicans have joined a majority of Democrats in threatening to filibuster the entire energy bill if Arctic drilling is included.
Sen. Pete V. Domenici (R-N.M.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, had earlier decided against including the drilling measure -- one of the nation's most contentious environmental issues -- in the Senate energy bill unless he was confident he could overcome a filibuster.
Although he did not appear any closer to mustering the votes for his side, Domenici joined Rep. W. J. "Billy" Tauzin (R-La.), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on Monday in releasing a "discussion draft" of legislation that would authorize the drilling.
Domenici said that if he could not get the 60 Senate votes to overcome a filibuster, he would drop his efforts to include the drilling measure in an energy bill. But he vowed that "between now and the hour when that decision must be made, I will work relentlessly for those votes."
Drilling proponents plan to step up lobbying efforts in several ways. They said they will try to win over senators by pointing to measures in the energy bill that would benefit their states, such as proposals to increase the use of corn-based ethanol in the nation's gasoline supply and boost energy assistance to low-income families for heating and cooling.
Pro-drilling forces have sought to frame the drilling as vital to national security and economic growth.
"I'm counting on the will of the American people and the bipartisan appeal of several provisions in the bill to bring us the [Arctic refuge] votes," Domenici said. "For now, it's on the table for some serious discussion."
Opponents contend that drilling will damage one of the nation's most precious wilderness areas, while barely making a dent in U.S. reliance on imported oil. They said it would be years before the Alaska oil could even be brought to production.
The House earlier this year authorized Arctic drilling, and in an effort to build support proposed limiting the production site to 2,000 acres of the 19.6-million-acre refuge.
