The Washington Post is moving this story for Thursday's paper, which comes on the heels of a story in Wednesday's paper that essentially said proponents of drilling in ANWR were on the verge of victory.
But wait! It seems that 22 House Republicans have vowed to vote no on the sweeping budget bill if Arctic drilling is left in it. So the question now is whether the House leadership will be able to twist enough arms and offer enough payoffs to get the necessary votes, a task made harder without The Hammer.
Story below the fold. Updated to add link to WaPo story:
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR2005110901930.html
By Jonathan Weisman
The Washington Post
WASHINGTON -- House Republican leaders neared an expected decision to strip oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Reserve from their massive $54 billion budget-cutting measure Wednesday night as they scrounged for support ahead of a scheduled vote Thursday.
At least 22 Republicans have told the House leadership they will not vote for the sweeping bill unless the drilling provision is removed and they are given assurances that it will not return after House and Senate negotiators hash out a final measure. Even then, several moderate Republicans have said they still would oppose the bill, which would allow states to impose new costs on Medicaid recipients, cut funds for student loans and child support enforcement, trim farm supports, lift a moratorium on "Outer Continental Shelf" offshore energy drilling, and restrict access to food stamps.
Those measures and others would save $54 billion over five years, but moderates have complained that those savings would be more than lost if the House moved forward with a $70 billion tax-cut bill next week. The budget package has fractured House Republicans more than any measure in years.
"It's not just (the Arctic drilling) or the Outer Continental Shelf or food stamps. It's the package in its totality," said Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., who has told GOP leaders the measure will lead to the "dismantling" of the Republican conference.
Update to add list of the 22 Republicans:
Clay Shaw, FL-22
Vernon Ehlers, MI-3
Sue Kelly, NY-19
James Walsh, NY-25
Michael Fitzpatrick, PA-8
Jim Gerlach, PA-6
Thomas Petri, WI-6
Mark Kirk, IL-10
Jim Leach, IA-2
Mark Kennedy, MN-6
Jim Ramstad, MN-3
Jeb Bradley, NH-1
Frank LoBiondo, NJ-2
Dave Reichert, WA-8
Nancy L. Johnson, CT-5
Christopher Shays, CT-4
Rob Simmons, CT-2
Mike Castle, DE
Tim Johnson, IL-15
Roscoe Bartlett, MD-6
Wayne Gilchrest, MD-1
Joe Schwarz, MI-7
Charles Bass, NH-2
Rodney Frelinghuysen, NJ-11
Jim Saxton, NJ-3
Chris Smith, NJ-4
Sherwood Boehlert, NY-24