The hidden fossil fuel giveaway at the center of the 2018 House budget

In order to raise $1.5 billion for the federal government, the House has hidden a proposal in its budget to open the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Environmentalists question whether opening up the refuge to drilling would even come close to generating that much revenue, and they say this is yet another giveaway to the fossil fuel industry. The 2018 House budget, released this week, calls for $5 billion in “reconciliation” from the Natural Resources Committee, and $1.5 billion of that is expected to be from oil development in the refuge, which is currently off-limits to oil companies.

“They have to find new revenue, so it has to be areas that are currently closed off,” pointed out Leah Donahey, a senior campaign director with the Alaska Wilderness League.


https://thinkprogress.org/the-hidden-fossil-fuel-giveaway-at-the-center-of-the-2018-house-budget-b024bbaccfaa