The Senate voted 52-47 on Thursday on the budget reconciliation, with Republicans rebuffing Democratic attempts to remove drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from the measure.
Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) offered an amendment to strip the bill of the drilling provision. It was rejected by a vote of 51-48.
Sens. Gordon Smith of Oregon and John McCain of Arizona, both Republicans on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, voted against drilling. Democratic Sens. Daniel Akaka and Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, also on the committee, voted for drilling.
As for the budget reconciliation, all but five Republicans voted for it. They were joined by two Democrats in passing the bill.
Get the Story:ANWR drilling passes the Senate (The Anchorage Daily News 11/4)
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Senate OKs ANWR drilling (The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner 11/4)
Senate vote pushes ahead plan to drill in Alaska (AP 11/4)
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Senate Passes Plan to Cut $35 Billion From Deficit (The Washington Post 11/4)
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Senate Passes Budget With Benefit Cuts and Oil Drilling (The New York Times 11/4)
pwnyt Relevant Links:
Arctic Slope Regional Corp - http://www.asrc.com
Gwic'hin Steering Committee - http://www.alaska.net/~gwichin
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Willdife Service - http://arctic.fws.gov
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pro-Development site - http://www.anwr.org Related Stories:
ANWR drilling measure up for vote in Senate (11/3)
Senate panel adds ANWR drilling to budget (10/20)
Gwich'in Nation continues fight against ANWR drilling (09/21)
Senate delays action on ANWR drilling in budget (09/14)
Shareholders want ANWR oil shared with all Natives (07/08)
NCAI's Hall praises Senate passage of energy bill (06/29)
Opinion: Drilling in ANWR would destroy sacred place (06/07)
House panel puts ANWR drilling in energy package (04/14)
Stevens wrong on claim that ANWR will help Natives (4/12)
Gwich'in leader blasts Senate vote on ANWR drilling (03/18)
Senate votes for ANWR drilling in federal budget (3/18)
Senate vote on ANWR drilling said to be very close (3/16)
Letters: Gale Norton still wrong on ANWR drilling (3/16)
Editorial: Norton wrong about drilling in ANWR (3/15)
Gale Norton: Drilling in ANWR won't hurt environment (3/14)
Stevens 'depressed' over ANWR drilling fight (3/14)
House, Senate differ on ANWR energy legislation (3/10)
GOP to include ANWR drilling in budget measure (3/9)
Arctic drilling a sensitive issue for Inupiat Eskimos (3/7)
Senate Republicans optimistic on ANWR drilling (12/16)
GOP says it has votes to authorize ANWR drilling (11/05)
Bush administration prepares for second term (11/04)
Bruce Babbitt: Arctic drilling would harm Inupiats (07/08)
House Republican drop bid to open ANWR to drilling (06/17)
House Republicans push two energy bills through (6/16)
Alaska to open ANWR shores to oil and gas drilling (04/01)
Alaska Native mayor decries spread of development (02/13)
Norton approves development in Alaska reserve (01/23)
Norton wants to drill more than ANWR (11/04)
ANWR opponent named AFN's top citizen (10/28)
House negotiators approve ANWR proposal (10/03)
Republicans revive ANWR drilling (9/27)
Bush wants ANWR and that's that (9/26)
Bush veto over ANWR drilling not certain (9/24)
Norton: Veto bill if no ANWR drilling (9/20)
House-Senate hammer out energy bill (6/28)
ANWR advocates on energy bill committee (6/14)
DOI official says public doesn't get it (5/10)
Energy picks have Murkowski happy (5/3)
Democrats balk on energy negotiations (5/2)
Senate approves energy bill (4/26)
Work wraps up on energy bill (4/25)
Alaska Native drilling won't be pushed (4/24)
Murkowski silent on Native drilling (4/22)
Senate rejects ANWR drilling proposal (4/19)
Next Stop: Drilling on Inupiat land (4/19)
On drilling, a defeat for Bush (4/19)
Bush looks for other places to drill (4/19)
Votes for ANWR said lacking (4/18)
ANWR proposals offered(4/17)
Editorial: Norton's ANWR video (4/17)
ANWR swing votes sought (4/16)
Norton defends use of pro-ANWR video (4/12)
ANWR amendment delayed in Senate (4/12)
Hussein threat sparks ANWR plea (4/11)
Burns says caribou impact 'nil' (4/10)
Native drilling to impact caribou (4/9)
New ANWR analysis questioned (4/5)
Bush discounting drilling report (4/1)
Drilling report was held back (4/1)
Gwich'in activist still at it (3/25)
Pros and Cons: Arctic Drilling (3/19)
Among Inupiat Eskimos, an 'injustice' (3/13)
Senate takes up energy bill (3/6)
Campbell: Drill ANWR (3/4)
For or against, Inupiats tied to off-shore drilling (11/2)
Inupiats press for oil drilling in ANWR (10/26)
ASRC supporting anti-drilling complaint (10/26)
'Attack' on Gwich'in decried (10/24)
Norton admits ANWR 'mistake' (10/23)
Norton staff rewrote Arctic drilling data (10/19)
Arctic drilling debate continues (10/15)
Bush promotes ANWR as home security (10/12)
ANWR spared in defense vote (10/3)
House approves limited Arctic drilling (8/2)
Bush makes last-ditch pitch for Arctic drilling (8/1)
House panel approves Arctic drilling (7/18)
Gwich'in Nation blind-sided by Norton visit (6/15)
Norton: Indian Country won't get ripped off (5/24)
Alaska Natives square off over Arctic drilling (5/18)
Campbell: Alaska Natives support drilling (4/25)
Gwich'in Nation: We Come from the Caribou (4/4)
GOP Senators unveil drilling proposal (2/27)