Sen. Stevens Attaches Health Provisions for Retired Steel Workers to Drilling Measure

In a "last-ditch attempt" to open Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling as part of the Senate's comprehensive energy bill, Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on April 16 proposed an amendment that would use 10% of federal royalties and payments for drilling rights to provide health care coverage and other benefits to retired steel workers, the Wall Street Journal reports. The amendment would give $7 billion over the next 30 years to the steel industry to help pay for health care and "other obligations" for retired steel workers and would devote an additional $900 million to "replenish health funds" for coal miners. But Stevens said that the proposal has not gained the support of Democratic senators who represent steel-producing states, whose votes on the larger measure he had hoped to win by offering the amendment (Fialka/Murray, Wall Street Journal, 4/17). Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called the amendment a "blatant political ploy" to pick up votes (Welna, "Morning Edition," NPR, 4/17). Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said that supporters of the bill in general "will be lucky" to get the 60 votes they would need to break a Democratic filibuster of the energy bill. Democrats have called for an April 18 vote on the issue (Dewar, Washington Post, 4/17). The full NPR report will be available online in RealPlayer after noon ET.