The Republican-led House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today on a broad energy bill that includes a proposal by the Bush administration to let oil companies drill in a remote Alaska wildlife refuge.
Although the energy bill contains billions of dollars in tax incentives for U.S. coal, natural gas, nuclear, alternative energy, and conservation, most attention has focused on whether the sprawling 19-million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, or ANWR, should be protected or opened to oil drilling.
Most Democrats and environmental groups are opposed to the drilling and argue there is not enough oil in the wilderness area to justify harming the fragile habitat of polar bears, caribou, wolves and other wildlife.
They also say it would take a decade before production from the ANWR would reach peak levels, doing little to reduce today's oil imports and high energy prices.
The Bush administration says the ANWR's potential 16 billion barrels of crude oil is too important to the US economy to remain in the ground. New drilling technology will allow oil companies to explore the refuge and leave a small environmental "footprint" on the land, according to advocates.
The United States consumes about 20 million barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products a day, with about 60 per cent of those supplies imported.
The House was scheduled to begin debating the bill in mid-morning, with a vote likely by evening.
Democratic Rep. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and fellow Republican Nancy Johnson of Connecticut said they would offer an amendment today to strip the ANWR drilling language from the bill.