US House Republicans drop ANWR leasing from budget bill

Washington (Platts)--10Nov2005

US House Republicans late Wednesday dropped language from the budget bill
that would have authorized leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in
Alaska and opened it to oil and gas development.

     They also dropped a provision that would have allowed states to petition 
for leasing in offshore areas currently under moratorium.

     The action was taken when it became clear that enough moderate
Republicans would join Democrats in voting against the bill unless the
language was dropped. A House vote on the legislation is slated for Thursday
and it may still fail to pass because of differences over other provisions.

     The decision to drop ANWR is a stunning reversal for the Bush 
Administration, which has made ANWR leasing a central component of its energy 
policy. However, a provision opening ANWR is in the budget bill passed by the 
Senate, and it could be restored in a final version of the legislation 
when conferees meet to resolve differences in the respective House and Senate 
bills. At that point, it would still be subject to a vote by the full House
and Senate.

				      --Gerry Karey, gerry_karey@platts.com

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