Bass Leads Moderate Republicans in Effort to Stop Oil Drilling in Alaska
WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 — Breaking with the party leadership, the White House and his colleagues in the Senate, Rep. Charles Bass (R-N.H.) led the effort to rally moderate House Republicans to oppose the authorization for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, prompting GOP leaders to agree to strip the provision from the budget reconciliation bill.
At issue is a 1.5-million-acre section of the 19-million-acre refuge. President Bush has made drilling in the refuge a cornerstone of his energy policy, and oil companies have been lobbying for years to secure the legislation, arguing that modern technology allows them to drill without despoiling the environment there. Conservationists argue that the area should be left pristine.
Bass wrote a letter to Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), interim Majority Leader Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Rules Committee Chairman David Dreier (R-Calif.) on Nov. 8, asking that the drilling provisions be removed. He persuaded 25 other Republicans to sign it, including Rep. Jeb Bradley (R-N.H.) who also opposes drilling in the refuge.
With all 202 Democrats in the House having pledged to vote against the budget bill, Republican leaders knew that they could not afford to lose that many members of their own party if they were to get the 218 votes needed for passage.
“They knew what was in the letter when I handed it to them,” Bass said. “They didn’t tear it open like a Valentine.”
The language that was dropped from the bill may be re-inserted when House negotiators meet with their Senate counterparts to work out the differences with that chamber’s bill, but Bass said he and his colleagues intend to vote against any bill that authorizes drilling in the Alaska refuge.
“We will not waver in our position,” Bass said. “No matter how much arm twisting occurs, no matter who calls on the telephone.”
“This is the dawning of a new day,” said Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-Md.), who joined Bass at a press conference Thursday for the Main Street Partnership, a group of moderate Republicans. “We will hold the line on this.”
The Senate on Thursday passed its version of the budget bill, which would authorize drilling in the refuge, which is also known by its acronym, ANWR; the bill was supported by Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) and sponsored by New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg (R), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee.
“There will be substantial differences between the two versions of the bill, including the ANWR provision,” Gregg said in a press release. “Those of us on the joint House/Senate Conference will have a very serious and challenging job ahead of us in reconciling the two bills, but I am optimistic that there is enough support for reducing the deficit that we can bring a final product before Congress before the end of the year.”
Drilling advocates expressed frustration with the decision to remove the provision from the House bill.
“Environmentalists have to learn that they just can’t keep saying no,” said Bob Moran, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute. “There is an environmentally sound way to drill in Alaska, and it is being done right now. We hope that the leadership in the Senate and House approve ANWR in their final version of the bill.”
The Republican leadership indicated on Thursday evening that they would postpone the vote on the bill until next week, according to Bradley.
“I’m glad ANWR was removed,” he said. “I think the bill needs to go forward; we need it to reduce out nation’s budget deficit.”
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