Why did not Republicans vote for Alaska and off-shore drilling?

Question

after all they were in TOTAL control of senate , house and executive branches.

What else did they need God intervention?

Answer 1

We Alaskans want Anwar opened up! Now!

Besides it makes for better caribou hunting!

Answer 2

It is really very simple, the democrats wouldn't let it come to a vote in the senate.  You have to have 60 votes to force an end debate to have a vote in the senate.  

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From the source you have quoted: Republican Sen. Ted Stevens (search) of Alaska, who has fought for 24 years to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil companies, acknowledged it still could be "a long process" before a final drilling measure clears Congress. Lawmakers must agree on the final budget.

"The battle is far from over," said Lexi Keogh of the Alaska Wilderness League. She said environmentalists will push to keep the ANWR provision out of a final budget document

From wikipedia: Arctic Refuge drilling was again approved by the House of Representatives as part of the Energy Bill on April 21, 2005,[8] but the Arctic Refuge provision was later removed by the House-Senate conference committee. The Senate passed Arctic Refuge drilling on March 16, 2005 as part of the federal budget resolution for fiscal year 2006.[9] That Arctic Refuge provision was removed during the reconciliation process, due to Democrats in the House of Representatives who signed a letter stating they would oppose any version of the budget that had Arctic Refuge drilling in it.[10]

Think about the democrats interference in new sources of domestic oil when you fill your tank.

Answer 3

They don't need to drill in Alaska, the oil companies have 68 million acres of federal land leased with the potential to produce 4.5 million barels a day and they aren't drilling it aggressively at all, plus they have most of the outer continental shelf leased that has 80% of the proven reserves ready to be drilled and they aren't doing that either. Anwr is a smoke screen, plus they want it royalty free. Haven't you learned that oil people are crooks yet, birds of a feather flock together.

Answer 4

In the first place they were not in total control of the congress.

But that isn't the total reasons.

There is pleanty of blame to go around for the present state of the energy policy. Both parties are to blame.

Attempts to blame one or the other party is pure political demogogary. That is what needs to stop and to place efforts into real solutions.

Answer 5

On the North Slope of Alaska, only the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a small area around Teshekpuk Lake remain off limits to the oil industry today.

The coastal plain area is little, the entire area holds less than ten billion barrels of which less than 2/3 can be recovered.

Me, I no longer care, drill and burn it all, and use the gasoline to cut every tree too. Pee in every stream and c**p on every mountain.

The sooner it is gone the better off the world will be for whatever survives after us.

Answer 6

Good question.  Probably the same reason the dems didn't get us out of Iraq - no spine.