This is one of the best birthday presents a girl could wish for:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday rejected attempts to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which drilling supporters had sought to add as part of a $453 billion defense spending bill. The ANWR refuge, which sprawls along Alaska's northern coast and may hold 10 billion barrels of oil, has been the focus of bitter wrangling in the U.S. Congress for more than 2 decades. Most Senate Democrats and some moderate Republicans said the frigid wilderness and its assortment of wildlife, ranging from polar bears to peregrine falcons, should be protected. Republicans contended ANWR must be opened to drilling to stop a steady slide in U.S. crude oil production.
Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska attached the measure to a $453 billion defense spending bill that pays for U.S. troops and weapons programs in the coming year. Furious Democrats conducted extended debate to delay its passage. Although lawmakers were anxious to wrap up work for the year, the Republican majority failed to get the required 60 votes in the 100-member chamber needed to cut off debate on the bill. The vote was 56-44.
"Holding funding for our troops and relief for Hurricane Katrina victims hostage in this manner is just plain wrong and a violation of at least two Senate rules," said Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California. Another Democrat, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, said the issue was not whether to support the defense funding for U.S. troops. "If we yield to this tactic on ANWR, next year it will be someone else's pet project attached to the defense spending bill," he said.
But Stevens, who has fought since the 1980s to pry open ANWR, indicated he would not give up easily. "I want you to know we're going to be here until (New Years Day)... We're going to stay here until this is finished," Stevens said before the vote. "I can't go home for Christmas. I've already canceled (airplane tickets)."
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate on Wednesday rejected attempts to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which drilling supporters had sought to add as part of a $453 billion defense spending bill. The ANWR refuge, which sprawls along Alaska's northern coast and may hold 10 billion barrels of oil, has been the focus of bitter wrangling in the U.S. Congress for more than 2 decades. Most Senate Democrats and some moderate Republicans said the frigid wilderness and its assortment of wildlife, ranging from polar bears to peregrine falcons, should be protected. Republicans contended ANWR must be opened to drilling to stop a steady slide in U.S. crude oil production.
Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska attached the measure to a $453 billion defense spending bill that pays for U.S. troops and weapons programs in the coming year. Furious Democrats conducted extended debate to delay its passage. Although lawmakers were anxious to wrap up work for the year, the Republican majority failed to get the required 60 votes in the 100-member chamber needed to cut off debate on the bill. The vote was 56-44.
"Holding funding for our troops and relief for Hurricane Katrina victims hostage in this manner is just plain wrong and a violation of at least two Senate rules," said Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California. Another Democrat, Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, said the issue was not whether to support the defense funding for U.S. troops. "If we yield to this tactic on ANWR, next year it will be someone else's pet project attached to the defense spending bill," he said.
But Stevens, who has fought since the 1980s to pry open ANWR, indicated he would not give up easily. "I want you to know we're going to be here until (New Years Day)... We're going to stay here until this is finished," Stevens said before the vote. "I can't go home for Christmas. I've already canceled (airplane tickets)."
