Senate Blocks Alaska Refuge Drilling

 By H. JOSEF HEBERT,

Associated Press Writer

The Senate blocked oil drilling in an Alaska wildlife refuge Wednesday,
rejecting a measure that had been put into a must-pass defense spending bill
in an attempt to garner wider support.

Drilling supporters fell four votes short of getting the required 60
votes to avoid a threatened filibuster of the defense measure over the oil
drilling issue. Senate leaders were expected to withraw the legislation so
it could be reworked without the refuge language. The vote was 56-44.

Good try Senator Stevens but there are still Senators that don’t like you
trying to bend the rules to get your bills through. This is a nice victory for
the environment.