Today, the House of Representatives unveiled a 2018 fiscal budget proposal that includes instructions to the Natural Resources Committee to identify $5 billion in savings over the next ten years, signaling an effort to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas drilling.

The following is a statement from Marissa Knodel, Earthjustice Associate Legislative Counsel:

“Drilling the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to cater to Big Oil does not belong in the 2018 fiscal budget. It is a sacred place that is home to a unique diversity of wildlife and has sustained the Gwich’in people for thousands of years. The Arctic Refuge is just too special to drill for oil and gas that we don’t need and should be kept in the ground. For the past 30 years, Congress has chosen to side with the vast majority of the American people who want to protect the Arctic Refuge. They should do so again by excluding drilling in the Arctic Refuge from any budget proposal. We cannot and should not play politics with our national heritage just to line the pockets of the oil and gas industry.”