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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2001

Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) has halted work on an energy bill, issuing a statement Tuesday night saying he didn't want the debate over controversial provisions like drilling in the Arctic to turn ugly.

Bingaman will no longer let the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which he chairs, to debate the bill. Instead he will submit his own version directly to Majority Leader Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.).

The action comes after The Albuquerque Journal reported Bingaman wanted to resolve an energy bill by the end of the year. Republicans like Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska), the ranking member on the committee, have criticized Democratic leaders for not acting on energy.

Murkowski has been pushing to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development.

Get the Story:
Senator turns out the light on energy bill (The Anchorage Daily News 10/10)

Relevant Links:
Gwich'in Steering Committee - http://www.alaska.net/~gwichin
Oil Issues in ANWR, US Fish and Wildlife - http://arctic.fws.gov/issues1.html
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, US Fish and Wildlife Service - http://arctic.fws.gov
The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Pro-Development site - http://www.anwr.org

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