ANWR Drilling Defeated

In a stunning rebuke for Sen. Ted 'Fuck the Environment' Stevens and the wingnuts, the Senate voted down the spending bill with ANWR drilling provisions attached. Despite a variety of schemes to ram it thru, the Senate fell 3 votes short of cloture and the bill was quashed. The downside is that defense spending bill failed, along with some (but why bother, they won't get it anyway) relief for Katrina victims. The bill will probably be withdrawn and reworked, without the ANWR provisions.

A quarter-century long fight over the nation's most divisive environmental issue rages on after the Senate on Wednesday rejected opening an Alaska wildlife refuge to oil drilling -- even though that provision was included in a must-pass bill that funds U.S. troops overseas and hurricane victims.

It was a stinging defeat for Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, one of the Senate's most powerful members, who had hoped to garner more votes by forcing senators to choose between supporting the drilling measure, or risking the political fallout from voting against money for the troops and hurricane victims.

Instead, Stevens found himself a few votes shy of getting his wish.

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The measure was widely expected to be withdrawn and reworked without the refuge language, although Stevens warned he was ready to stay until New Year's if necessary to fight for the drilling, a cause he has pursued for 25 of his 37 years in the Senate.

Democrats as well as a number of Republicans were already angered by Stevens' tactic that delayed action on the $453.5 billion defense bill including $29 billion for hurricane relief, the war and border security, and $2 billion to help low-income households pay this winter's heating expenses.

"Our military is being held hostage by this issue, Arctic drilling," fumed Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader.

But Stevens, 82, the Senate's most senior member known for his sometimes cantankerous nature and fiery temper, expressed frustration, but had no apologies.

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But no one believes the issue -- which has galvanized environmentalists determined to protect the refuge from development -- is going away.

"I expect to see it again next year," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, a longtime drilling opponent.

"Yes, it'll be back," agreed Lieberman.