WASHINGTON – Senator Frank H. Murkowski (R-AK), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, today released the following statement after House conferees extended to Senate conferees to allow for the safe exploration of energy resources in a portion of ANWR: “House and Senate conferees have an obligation to work together to find a compromise on ANWR. As he told us yesterday, the President wants this conference to work through all the issues on the table in the spirit of compromise and bipartisanship. I hope that members of the conference won’t put their own personal agendas ahead of good policy making. “The safe development of ANWR represents a great step forward in our national and economic security. In a single field, we could safely cast off more than a 50 years of Iraqi imports or more than 30 years of Saudi oil dependency. We would send a message to OPEC that the United States is serious about finding our own energy solutions at home, a move that would help undermine the cartel. “It will take thousands of American workers to make ANWR a reality. Billions will be invested in America to reach American oil. The transport of the oil alone will require almost 20 new supertankers – ships made in America, flagged in America, and sailed by American crews. As we look toward the appropriations process, ANWR is the only provision in the energy bill that is revenue positive. “With war on the horizon and an economic downturn already here, ANWR offers help here at home.” ###