House strips ANWR drilling from budget

The House Rules Committee has deleted a provision in the Deficit Reduction Act that calls for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). The Senate had attached the measure to the bill.

The US Geological Survey has estimated that there may only be about six months worth of oil in the refuge, and it would take ten years to bring to market. It's also likely that most of the oil would be exported to other countries. Add to that the implications for the environment and negative impact it could have on the wildlife habitat, and it simply makes no sense to open ANWR to drilling.