Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate today voted 51-49 in favor of S. Con Res. 83, the FY 2007 Congressional Budget Resolution. The resolution includes instructions to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee to draft legislation for programs under the committee’s jurisdiction that will offset $3 billion in federal outlays over the next 5 years.

That legislation is expected to be environmentally-gentle development of U.S. oil reserves in the Arctic. The legislation must be reported out of the Energy Committee and sent to the Budget Committee by mid-May.

"For the second time in two years, the Senate has affirmed its commitment to the environmentally-responsible development of our oil reserves in the Arctic. Developing this oil moves us toward independence from Middle East oil, a lofty goal the President set for this nation last month in his State of the Union speech. Developing this energy will stabilize energy prices and supply, easing the pressure on consumers and businesses. Developing this energy will create as many as a million jobs, boosting our economy. ANWR is and has been for some time now the right thing to do for our economy, our consumers and our energy security.

"I recognize that the vote today is the first of several votes this year regarding ANWR. I particularly recognize the challenges ANWR faces in the House. I will continue working toward the opportunity to develop our greatest onshore oil reserve, partnering that effort with my ongoing work to increase our conservation and efficiency and develop new energies and energy technologies."

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