Barbara Boxer: “I thank Senator Roth for offering this amendment. I offered almost an identical amendment in the Budget Committee, and…”

“I thank Senator Roth for offering this amendment. I offered almost an identical amendment in the Budget Committee, and it failed on a tie vote. I am very hopeful that we will do better on the floor of the Senate. We were able to pick up one Republican in the committee. We had all the Democrats. I think we have a good chance of picking up, with the help of Senator Roth and Senator Chafee, some more on their side of the aisle. This amendment would strike from the budget $1.2 billion in receipts that the budget resolution assumed would be received from oil exploration or drilling operations in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I stand with those who have spoken very eloquently tonight, and say that we cannot allow that beautiful, pristine sanctuary--one of the most remarkable wildlife habitats in the world--to be spoiled. We have a beautiful picture, with which I am sure Senator Murkowski is familiar. The wildlife refuge was established in 1960 by a Republican President, President Dwight D. Eisenhower. And it was for the benefit of his generation and future generations; that is, all of us. I think we have an obligation to keep that going, just as he kept it going for us. From the very beginning, support for this refuge has been bipartisan. Thank goodness we see evidence of that on the Senate floor. Too few times, I am sad to say, do we see such bipartisanship. That is why I am delighted to work with Senator Roth on this.”