Political Quotes

“I rise today to support the Boxer-Chafee amendment that has my cosponsorship along with 14 other colleagues. The amendment strikes the reconciliation instructions to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources that would open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration and drilling. The issue as to whether to open up a pristine and vital habitat refuge for a finite amount of oil is a fundamental policy question that should not have been injected into the budget process, thereby bypassing the Senate committee process. Including the drilling receipts and reconciliation instructions in the budget is a major policy initiative with serious environmental ramifications. The budget process, with its strict rules for limited debate, is not conducive to adequate consideration of this issue. In fact, opening up the Arctic Refuge proved to be extremely controversial in the 107th Congress and was debated at length during the Senate's consideration of its omnibus energy bill. Revenues from oil leases in the Arctic Refuge have been estimated to be $1.2 billion over 10 years. I believe that the budgetary effects of oil leases in the Refuge are incidental compared with the weight of its policy impact.”