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SENATE VOTES TO HALT EXPORTS
OF OIL DRILLED IN ARCTIC REFUGE
Wyden, Talent amendment seeks to help
prevent
market manipulation, keep Refuge oil for U.S. energy consumers
November 03, 2005
WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S.
Senate today approved a measure by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.)
and Jim Talent (R-Mo.) to ban exports of any oil produced in the
Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. A Wyden-Talent amendment was
added by a vote of 83 to 16 to budget reconciliation legislation
being considered this week. The budget reconciliation measure
approved earlier this year assumed revenue from Refuge drilling
and directed the Secretary of Interior to receive fair market
value for Refuge oil; without this amendment, it is a virtual
certainty that Arctic oil will be sold outside the United States
to meet Federal budget requirements for its value, instead of
being sold and used here at home.
“I oppose drilling for oil in the Refuge, but if it’s
drilled at all, it should be used for its stated purpose -- on
the U.S. market for U.S. energy consumers,” said Wyden.
“It’s a fraud on the American public to drill in a
wildlife refuge and then sell the oil abroad to the highest bidder,
and today’s vote is the minimum the Senate should do.”
“Our domestic resources should be sold domestically,”
said Talent. “Our amendment would make certain that the
oil we get from the Arctic is sold in the United States. This
is not something the oil companies are going to like, but it’s
too important to our energy security. It’s a very important
hedge against foreign boycotts or threats or oil blackmail that
somebody may want to use against the United States.”
In January 2001, The Oregonian of Portland reported that BP-Amoco
systematically increased oil prices for consumers along the West
Coast while exporting Alaskan crude oil to Asia, calling it a
“no-brainer” to manipulate the market in that way.
The Wyden-Talent amendment seeks to protect American energy consumers
from continued market manipulation and continued dependence on
foreign sources of energy.
The U.S. House of Representatives approved an identical provision
earlier this year. Wyden and Talent are both members of the Senate
Energy Committee.
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