As gasoline prices rose to record levels around the nation in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, HUMAN EVENTS Assistant Editor Amanda Carpenter asked a few Senate Democrats if they would now be willing to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
??¢â???¬?????No,??¢â???¬ said Sen. Dick Durbin (D.-lll.). ??¢â???¬?????The United States is only in control of 3% of the world??¢â???¬â???¢s oil supply. We need better policies to encourage new technology that could be used to create jobs. We have to stop using our SUVs and trucks and be more economical.??¢â???¬ Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D.-Calif.), said: ??¢â???¬?????No, I would not support such measures. This has already been decided. I am not supportive of drilling in Alaska because it would not alleviate current problems because there is simply not enough oil. We are already operating at capacity and our efforts are better directed at conserving resources.??¢â???¬ Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D.-N.M.), sounded almost, but not quite, like an echo. ??¢â???¬?????No,??¢â???¬ he said. ??¢â???¬?????I would not support drilling in Alaska. But most public lands are not closed to drilling and I do support leasing other areas to land management agencies for drilling.??¢â???¬
