US opens way for oil drilling Arctic wildlife refuge

THE US House of Representatives yesterday opened the way for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as one of its last acts of an all-night session bringing their legislative year to a close.

The House also narrowly passed a plan to cut deficits by almost $40 billion over five years in legislation hailed by Republican conservatives as a sign their party was returning to fiscal discipline and assailed by Democrats as victimising medical and education programmes that help the poor.

The Arctic wildlife refuge provision was attached to a major defence bill, forcing many opponents of oil and gas exploration in the barren northern Alaska range to vote for it. The bill, passed 308-106, also included money for hurricane relief and bird flu preventive measures.