Cliff Stearns: “I rise today to make the American people aware of truth about exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There is a…”

“I rise today to make the American people aware of truth about exploring the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. There is a great misconception perpetuated by the opponents of the President's energy plan, that exploring in ANWR will have an extensive detrimental effect on the wildlife in Alaska. Nothing could be further from the truth. The proposed area is here in this map. Can anybody find the red dot? This is Alaska. This is the State of Texas. This is the State of South Carolina. That little red dot in there is ANWR. The land in question is 3.13 square miles. Now, that is a tiny area. It is so small that we can hardly even see it here in the House on this graph. What is more, this 3 square miles is not the ecological wonderland that the opposition has made it out to be. It is a frozen desert with few signs of life. Mr. Speaker, it is time that the American people cast aside the fabrication of environmental radicalism and explore ANWR's energy resources.”