SENATE ANWR VOTE A WIN FOR CONSUMERS, U.S. ECONOMY AND U.S. ENERGY SELF-RELIANCE

March 16, 2005
12:00 AM
Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today voted 49-51 against an amendment to strip ANWR instructions from the Senate Budget Resolution. Chairman Domenici’s statement: The Senate today affirmed its deep concern for our consumers and our economy. We signaled our concern over dropping fuel inventories, record high energy prices and global uncertainty. We signaled our faith in American ingenuity and technology and we voted our conviction that America must do more to meet its own energy needs. I have argued for months that now is the time to develop ANWR. I congratulate my colleagues on their conviction and their deep commitment to our economy and our people. I congratulate them for recognizing that American ingenuity allows us to develop energy and still preserve our precious environment. I recognize that the vote today is the first of several votes this year regarding ANWR. I will continue working toward the opportunity to develop our greatest onshore oil reserve. When we do, I think we will one day look back in bewilderment at the doomsday predictions and wonder why we had so little faith in ourselves for so long. I look forward to the manifestation of my deep conviction that America can do more to meet its own energy needs and still protect the land and the wildlife of ANWR.