Senate blocks ANWR drilling!!!

I had to pass this news along. Excerpted from a story from the Associated Press:

The 43 senators who voted against refuge drilling — all but four Democrats as well as GOP Sens. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island — "are intent and unyielding" and not expected to budge should Frist try for another vote, said [Sen. Joe] Lieberman.

[Sen. Ted] Stevens called the refuge's oil vital to national security and bemoaned repeated attempts over the years by opponents using the filibuster to kill drilling proposals.

Democrats, conversely, accused Stevens of holding hostage a military spending bill that includes money to support troops in Iraq and $29 billion for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

"Our military is being held hostage by this issue, Arctic drilling," fumed Sen. Harry Reid, the Democratic leader. The Nevada Democrat said the Senate could move quickly to pass the defense bill once the refuge issue was resolved.

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