The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) expressed disappointment with the Senate’s failure to approve language authorizing exploration and development of oil and natural gas resources on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR). In a statement posted on the organization's Website, NAM's president John Engler said that the Senate's decision “comes as a great disappointment to manufacturers in the U.S. The Senate missed an opportunity to increase America’s domestic supply of oil and natural gas for years to come.”
The vote came in an effort to attach an ANWR amendment to the Department of Defense Appropriations Act of 2006. A cloture vote to cut off debate came up four votes short of the 60 votes needed for passage.
“Those who killed ANWR comprised two camps: those who do not support exploration in the Arctic and those who said they do but did not like the way it came to be voted on,” Engler's statement said. “To those who voted no because they do not support ANWR, manufacturers ask ‘What is your plan to reduce American dependence and increase domestic energy supply to reduce costs for businesses and consumers?’ And I remind those who are concerned about how the issue came to a vote, manufacturers care about results, not process.
“Today, the Senate failed the American people and voted to keep us more dependent on foreign supplies of energy,” he continued. “This vote comes at a particularly troubling time as China and India recently announced a partnership to secure additional oil supplies to fuel their rapidly expanding economies."
NAM is the nation's largest industrial trade association, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states.
