WASHINGTON - December 19 - "In a desperate, last-ditch effort to force Congress to approve drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Senator Ted Stevens -- the man who brought us the $450 million 'bridges to nowhere' -- moved the controversial drilling provision to the Defense spending bill and linked drilling revenues to Hurricane Katrina relief. The House passed the bill early this morning, and all eyes now turn back to the Senate.

"We applaud those in Congress whose steadfast opposition to these sneaky Arctic drilling schemes and refusal to let drilling proponents manipulate them and the federal budget has forced Stevens to play a desperate hand.

"Just last month Stevens berated his fellow Senators and threatened to resign if money was taken from his 'bridges to nowhere' to help rebuild Gulf Coast infrastructure. He is now manipulating the same hurricane-ravaged region to pass his pet project of Arctic drilling.* Is it too much to ask that the federal government fund Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts without tying it to Arctic Refuge drilling?

"It is now up to Stevens to go back to these same colleagues - at least 60 of them - to find support for breaking Senate rules and shoving Arctic drilling through. This would be a filibuster of Arctic drilling, not defense spending.

"This year the oil industry squeezed Americans at the gas pump to the tune of billions in record profits, carved out billions more in government subsidies, and then lied to Congress. But rather than a lump of coal, the Arctic Refuge is being considered a stocking stuffer for the oil industry.

"Holding up defense spending is a betrayal of the public's trust, an abuse of power, and a great to disservice to our troops that would spoil forever a national treasure. Congress should stand strong against Senator Stevens and reject this exploitation of our troops, hurricane victims and our natural heritage."

*"The levees will be paid for when we drill in ANWR."
-- Senator Ted Stevens (San Francisco Chronicle, "New Twist to Arctic Drilling Deal," 12/19/2005)

###