A few weeks ago, I received an email back from Patty Murray. Here it is as follows:


Thank you for your letter regarding oil exploration in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). I appreciate
knowing your views on this important issue.

As you know, opening ANWR for development has been a
contentious issue in Congress for many years. In these
times of energy crisis, many proponents have suggested that
opening lands such as ANWR to drilling will help reduce the
price of gasoline. Studies have shown, however, that even
if ANWR is opened for drilling immediately, it will take at
least ten years before any gasoline reaches the pumps.
Not only is this not an immediate solution, but its
long-term effects on the environment could prove
irreversible.

In the 109th Congress, drilling advocates have made
numerous attempts to achieve their goal of finally opening
ANWR to energy exploration. In March 2005, an amendment
authored by Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to the fiscal
year 2006 Budget Resolution to prevent drilling in ANWR
was defeated. I supported the amendment, which failed by
a very slim margin. Fortunately, however, as the House
and Senate could not agree on including the ANWR language,
the provision was stripped in the final version of the
budget approved in December. Also in early 2005, I joined
several of my colleagues in cosponsoring a bill (S. 261)
that would grant federal wilderness protection to the
coastal plain of ANWR.

In an eleventh hour attempt to authorize ANWR exploration,
Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK) attached the provision to a
must-pass Defense Appropriations bill in late December
2005. Senator Cantwell led an effort to strip the ANWR
language from the bill, which proved ultimately successful.
I voted in favor of the effort, as I believed this
important defense bill was not the appropriate vehicle for
authorizing such an unrelated, highly contentious measure.
While the fight over ANWR is certainly not over, I was
encouraged by the outcome of this debate. Environmental and
wildlife protection have always been high priorities of
mine, and I assure you that I will continue to advocate for
conservation of these resources.

What we do need is a sensible new energy policy for the
future. The Northeast blackouts of 2003 and our state's
own energy crisis illustrate a real need for a new plan.
While the presence of fuel-efficient vehicles in the market
has increased, our oil imports are higher than ever. We
can no longer afford to depend upon oil and gas from some
of the world's most volatile regions; instead we must
actively seek new domestic sources that reduce the harmful
emissions that contribute to global warming. After years
of debate, Congress passed the Energy Policy Act in July
2005. I was pleased that the bill included tax incentives
for the development of renewable energy, such as wind,
solar, and biomass, as well as increased protections
against energy market manipulation. The overall
legislation, however, did not go far enough to reduce our
dependence on foreign oil and traditional fossil fuels.
Hurricane Katrina has exposed the danger we face in our
heavy reliance on oil, as gasoline prices have soared to
record highs. With these new concerns over the fragility
of our oil supply, it is imperative that we significantly
shift our thinking about our overall energy policy. This
bill did little to alter the status quo; thus, I simply
could not lend it my support.

There are clear alternatives to drilling in ANWR and other
wilderness areas to reduce our dependence on foreign
sources of petroleum. One way we can reduce our reliance
on foreign oil is to increase the fuel economy of our
automobiles and light trucks. Fuel efficiency improvements
will bring the U.S. far closer to reducing its dependence
on foreign oil than drilling in ANWR. Meeting a corporate
average fuel economy (CAFE) standard of 39 miles per gallon
over the next decade, for example, would save 51 billion
barrels of oil over the next 50 years - more than 15 times
the likely yield from ANWR over the same period. I have
consistently supported legislation to increase our CAFE
standards, and I was very disappointed that efforts to
include such a measure in the energy bill were ultimately
unsuccessful.

Another way we can reduce our need for oil is to expand the
use of domestically-produced renewable and alternative
fuels. In addition to reducing the demand for oil,
increased incentives for investment and research in
emerging technologies like fuel cells, solar energy and
electric cars would also help create a more sustainable
and diverse energy supply. While the energy bill did
contain renewable provisions, they could have been much
more robust.

The impact on our energy supply caused by Hurricane Katrina
has raised new questions about our dependence on oil. I am
concerned that many have used this situation to advocate
for increased drilling in ANWR and other areas in order to
address our energy needs. Instead, it is my hope that this
tragedy will prompt a new dialogue over our energy policy,
helping us all recognize the need for alternative sources
and efficiency. Please know that I will continue to
oppose any ANWR development; the health of our people and
our environment depend on us finding a better, more
effective solution to the energy crisis.

Once again, thank you for your concern on this important
issue. Please keep in touch.

Sincerely,


Patty Murray
United States Senator

P.S. I'd like to invite you to receive Patty Murray's
Washington View, my weekly legislative update by e-mail.
If you are interested in receiving my update, please sign
up here: http://murray.senate.gov/updates.

Roger Chapanis <rchapanis at hotmail.com> wrote: Senate leaders are
again exploiting rising gas prices to rush a bill to the floor that would
destroy the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and boost oil industry profits.
The
vote could come as early as Tuesday.

The Senate front men for Big Oil are doing their damnedest to convince
Americans that sacrificing the Arctic and sending each of us a $100 rebate
check will solve all our problems at the pump.

There's only one way to expose these lies and prevent the sacrifice of
America's greatest wildlife refuge: Help light up the Senate switchboard
today!

Please call your two Senators right now:
Senator Patty Murray: (202) 224-2621
Senator Maria Cantwell: (202) 224-3441

Tell them to vote NO on the Gas Price Relief and Rebate Act.


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