[Environment]

Drilling in ANWR

By tucking a provision for drilling in ANWR into a large budget bill, the Senate Energy Committee has prevented a Democratic filibuster on the item:

The energy panel approved the ANWR drilling provision, 13-9. All Republicans on the committee, except Gordon Smith of Oregon, voted in favor of the plan. Democrats Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii also voted for drilling.

It could become law before the end of the year.