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EMANUEL CALLS ON BOEHNER TO VISIT NATIONAL PETROLEUM RESERVE-ALASKA
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WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative Rahm Emanuel today called on Minority Leader John Boehner to visit the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska on his upcoming trip to Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Emanuel also provided Boehner with a map of the NPRA. A copy of Emanuel’s letter to Boehner is included below. July 10, 2008 The Honorable John Boehner Dear Minority Leader Boehner: I share your concern regarding the impact of high gasoline and oil prices and read with great interest news reports regarding your upcoming trip to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While you are in Alaska, I hope you and your Republican colleagues will take the time to visit the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPRA). I have included a map below outlining the locations of both ANWR and the NPRA for your reference. As you know, the Energy Information Administration estimates that even under the most optimistic scenarios, any new drilling in ANWR would save consumers less than 2 cents per gallon. Furthermore, it would take at least ten years for any oil from the refuge to come online. In contrast, the NPRA is home to more than 20 million acres that are currently ready to be drilled. Additionally, the US Geological Survey estimates that there are 10.6 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the NPRA. The NPRA has been set aside by Congress specifically for drilling, and I urge you to take the time to visit this region of Alaska during your upcoming trip. In the coming weeks, the House will consider legislation that will help accelerate the development of the NPRA and require the Bureau of Land Management to sell leases in the NPRA on an annual basis. I hope you and your Republican colleagues will join Democrats in support of this legislation. Sincerely, _________________________ Rahm Emanuel House Democratic Caucus Chair
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