The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, a vast wilderness that is believed to contain significant reserves of crude oil, is one step closer to being opened for oil exploration. Republicans in the Senate are working feverishly with the alleged support of Vice President Dick Cheney to secure votes for a pro-drilling budget amendment slipped into budget legislation. They have 49 votes so far, including one Democrat, and only one more vote is needed to overcome the opposition. A rallying email sent to all Republican senators described Cheney as “working madly” in support of the budget measure, but his spokesperson denied that he had met with any senators about the issue.
