Delegation Applauds Passage of Budget Resolution

DELEGATION APPLAUDS PASSAGE OF BUDGET RESOLUTION

Alaska's Congressional Delegation today applauded Congressional passage of the FY06 Congressional Budget Resolution - a resolution that will keep the country on a strong economic path and includes language that should allow approval for oil and gas exploration in ANWR.

"The passage of the Conference Report of the Budget Resolution continues to be a team effort," Sen. Stevens said. "We are now one step closer to opening ANWR which will unleash the potential of North America's greatest oil reserve and to having the 1980 promise to Alaska kept."

The FY06 Budget Resolution was agreed to in the U.S. House of Representatives last night by a vote of 214-211. Shortly thereafter, the Resolution passed the Senate, 52-47.

"Yesterday was another great day for the country and for Alaska," Senator Murkowski said. "We are now one step closer to finally being able to see limited exploration and development in ANWR. As the President has said repeatedly this week, opening ANWR is an important part of our long term efforts to reduce our dependency on foreign oil, and I am pleased that the budget includes the possibility of reaching this goal."

Aside from expected ANWR revenues, the $2.6 trillion budget caps overall discretionary spending for FY06 at $843 billion, enforcing an overall freeze on non-defense and non-homeland security programs at FY05 levels. The Budget Resolution would reduce the predicted deficit from $382.7 billion in 2006 to $211 billion by 2010 - achieving the goal of halving the deficit in five years from the level projected in 2004.

The Energy Committees in the House and Senate will now begin writing legislation, setting out the process for ANWR leasing and exploration, that will enable Congress to find the $2.4 billion included in the budget from expected ANWR revenue. That legislation will be delivered to the Budget Committees, along with all other legislation required from other committees as a result of expected revenues in the budget, and included in an overall budget reconciliation measure. Action on a reconciliation measure is expected this fall.

"I applaud the good work of both the House and the Senate in passing this important resolution," Congressman Young said. "This bill indicates a willingness and intent to keep the country on a strong fiscal track while also improving our energy security."

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=237095