House Panel Approves Oil Drilling in Alaskan Refuge

Click here to write a Letter to the Editor.

House committee by a 30-13 vote approved drilling for oil in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Washington Post reported Thursday.

The House Resources Committee endorsed the plan as part of an overall energy bill, the Post said.

The House has backed similar measures in the past but has been rebuffed by Senate opposition, the paper reported.

The prospects for passage may be stronger this year, the Post reported, as the Senate in March included a provision in its budget resolution allowing for ANWR drilling.

The legislation would be folded into other energy measures being considered, including everything from producing more ethanol to improving energy transmission efficiency, news reports said.