CARPER: “I will vote for ANWR and against Cloture,” Calls on Congress to Expand Alternate Energy Sources and Improve Conservation

WASHINGTON, DC – For the first time, Senator Tom Carper today announced that he will vote against invoking cloture on amendments designed to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for oil drilling. Carper urged Congress and the President to address the nation’s energy crisis through improved conservation efforts and increased reliance on alternative energies. “I will vote for preserving ANWR and against invoking cloture. I made a promise to protect ANWR and with this vote, I am. But excluding ANWR from development means we will need to work harder to improve conservation and expand alternate energies or we will be contributing to an energy crisis,” Carper said. “Every day we become more reliant on fossil fuels instead of alternative sources of energy, we threaten our environmental and energy security.” Carper had long ago promised that he would vote “no” on drilling but had not, until today, announced how he would vote on cloture. For months, Carper has been target of extensive advertising, phoning and letter writing campaigns from supporters of both sides of the issue. He received thousands of letters and calls to his district offices in Wilmington, Dover and Georgetown, Delaware. “I want to thank the thousands of Delawareans who reached out to share their opinions with me on this issue,” Carper said.