Kerry on Senate Vote Allowing ANWR Drilling

Wednesday, March 16, 2005

Below is a statement from Senator John Kerry on the Senate’s vote today to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling. The Cantwell-Kerry amendment would have removed a provision in the president’s budget that will allow oil companies to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It failed 49-51.

“Today we saw a Republican sneak attack on one of our most treasured natural wonders. It’s a sad day when the voices of the American people are ignored and the Senate sells off America's public lands to the highest bidder.

“Our work is not done. In the last 24 hours alone, more than 260,000 Americans have stood with us in my online petition to fight to protect our Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. That fight is not over. This is more than a battle over the wildlife refuge; it's a battle over two very different visions of our energy future. The President has a plan to sell off our public lands to the special interests that his own scientists and economists admit will not make us less dependent on foreign oil and will not lower prices at the pump. We have a vision that will put America's energy future in the hands of Americans - by inventing our way to real energy independence and having energy sources that create jobs and lower prices.

“We must continue to fight to make sure that American ingenuity wins out over a special interest funded partisan agenda.