Mark Dayton: “I spent the past three days with a number of my colleagues on a fact-finding trip to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.…”

“I spent the past three days with a number of my colleagues on a fact-finding trip to the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. I took this trip to help prepare myself for one of the most important environmental and energy issues before us: whether or not to permit drilling for oil in the 1002 Area of ANWR. I wish to thank my distinguished colleague, Senator Murkowski, for arranging and hosting our tour. This trip was reportedly scheduled several weeks ago in consultation with the Majority Leader, who at that time did not expect the trip to conflict with votes in the Senate. Unfortunately, two votes did occur last Friday on amendments to S. 27, the campaign finance bill, and I was not present for them. Had I not been necessarily absent last Friday, I would have cast my vote in support of the Reed Amendment Number 164, as modified, because it would improve the ability of the Federal Election Commission to enforce the law. I would also have voted in favor of the McCain Amendment Number 165, because it would make more workable the bill's restrictions on the coordination of independent expenditures.”