Alaskan oil debate heats up as vote nears

Rep. J.C. Watts, left, Teamster Jerry Hood, Rep. Tom DeLay, right

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Debate heated up Tuesday for an expected House vote this week that could lead to oil drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, referred to as ANWAR.

In an unusual news conference with House Republicans and self-described Democrat Jerry Hood of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Hood said his labor union was lobbying for the bill, dubbed the Safe Act.

"We addressed the Democratic Caucus last week," Hood said. "We made a convincing case. The environmentalists were there as well. Our dialogue with folks on the Democratic side of the aisle has been very positive. They've been responsive to the arguments we put forth. And I think tomorrow or maybe Thursday morning you'll see a vote to pass the Safe Act."

The bill is the product of a three-month Cabinet-level study to determine a national energy strategy. The study was led by Vice President Dick Cheney in consultation with various interest groups, which the White House will not name.

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The Cheney group said it aimed its recommendations on increasing the nation's energy supplies through expanded nuclear power, increased domestic oil drilling and more efficient movement of energy, including electricity, natural gas and petroleum.

The environmental group The Sierra Club has led opposition to the group's recommendation to explore ANWAR.

"Oil development cannot be done in an 'environmentally sensitive' manner," said a Sierra Club statement on its Web site. "Allowing this essential, eternal wilderness to be exchanged for a short-term supply of oil is totally unacceptable."

Hood was joined at the news conference by House Majority Whip Tom DeLay, R-Texas; Labor Secretary Elaine Chao; and House Republican Conference Committee Chairman Rep. J.C. Watts, R-Oklahoma, who said ANWAR exploration will create 735,000 jobs nationwide.

DeLay said that failing to explore ANWAR would have negative consequences on consumer pocketbooks as the nation's energy supply shrinks.

"An inadequate energy supply will increase the cost of doing business for every company in America," DeLay said. "That means that the cost to produce everything increases, and all of us will spend a bigger chunk of our paycheck simply paying those rising costs. We will see those higher prices in grocery stores and every other place that we may shop."

DeLay challenged the Senate to take up the cause of exploring ANWAR for oil and natural gas.

"They're going to see the reality of it and how important it is to do it," he said. "Even if the Senate doesn't pass it, our passing it puts it in conference committee so that we can deal with it."

Hood said that not long ago he would have thought it unlikely to be standing with Republicans on any issue. "I'm a Democrat, I'm a Teamster and I'm an Alaskan," Hood said. "But my daddy always told me, you can't pick your relatives but you can pick your friends."

Democrats and environmentalists have accused Bush and Cheney, both former oilmen, of catering to the U.S. energy industry.

On nuclear power, Cheney also said he wants to give utilities incentives to build more nuclear plants, which would force the nation to deal with the problem of nuclear waste.

Nevada's Yucca Mountain is the "furthest along and most advanced" high-level nuclear waste repository, Cheney said. But, he added, "even there we're not to the point yet where we can make a final decision."