SB 109-10: Federal ANWR Territorial Integrity Act (Tabled)

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

AN ACT
To protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge


Be it enacted Senate of the Republic of Atlasia assembled;

Section 1. Title

This legislation may be cited as the Federal ANWR Territorial Integrity Act.

Section 2. Recognition of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) as Frémont territory

It shall be policy of the Republic of Atlasia that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is under the domain of the Commonwealth of Frémont.

Section 3. Prohibition on leasing for oil exploration

Distribution of any federal oil and gas leases for oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge shall be prohibited under Federal law.

Section 4. Enactment

This act shall take effect ninety (90) days after passage.

The Vice President is recognized.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Friends and colleagues, I present the legislation that is before you today, not only as your Vice President, but as a concerned citizen. I present this bill concurrently as the First Minister of the affected region, and one who is determined to protect the national treasures within the Commonwealth's borders.

Currently we have companion legislation in Parliament that effectively bans drilling in the northeastern Alaska territory if an anti-environmental federal government chooses to privatize this land. Drilling in this area would irreversibly damage a protected national wildlife refuge without creating sufficient oil supplies to have an impact on Atlasia's energy security or the global price market.

As one senator and presidential candidate of the OTL United States once said, we would never open the Grand Canyon or the Florida Everglades for drilling exploration - because these are protected lands. The same holds true for the ANWR, which has been subject to controversy in recent decades over whether this type of activity should be permitted.

And so I say, as one who vehemently supported Southern efforts to protect the state of Kansas from unwanted exploitation by the greed of a small number of people, I rise to defend all of Alaska's territory from exploitation by private corporate actors. And I hope that the Senate will agree.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Senators have 24 hours to object to the sponsorship of Senator WD.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

With one senator having chosen to waste the Senate's time again objected, a vote is now open on the sponsorship of WD. Senators, please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Nay

Care to give a reason why you’re wasting the Senate’s time?

I don't support putting the ANWR under the sole control of the recently non-imperialist region of Fremont. IRL, the ANWR is under the domain of the federal Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ftr, I appreciate the derision from the Senator from Oregon. I view it as a badge of honor to be held in contempt by someone who was in lockstep with the anti-democracy policies of the previous administration.

Taking your grievances out on Frémont after a multi-party pro-reform coalition fought to end the status quo and tyranny of the Truman dictatorship is not the right way to reunify this country. As far as this new government is concerned, Kansas is rightly the territory of the South. Likewise, Alaska is under the jurisdiction of Frémont. And there will be no drilling in the ANWR so long as I am First Minister.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Nay

Care to give a reason why you’re wasting the Senate’s time?

I don't support putting the ANWR under the sole control of the recently non-imperialist region of Fremont. IRL, the ANWR is under the domain of the federal Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ftr, I appreciate the derision from the Senator from Oregon. I view it as a badge of honor to be held in contempt by someone who was in lockstep with the anti-democracy policies of the previous administration.

Taking your grievances out on Frémont after a multi-party pro-reform coalition fought to end the status quo and tyranny of the Truman dictatorship is not the right way to reunify this country. As far as this new government is concerned, Kansas is rightly the territory of the South. Likewise, Alaska is under the jurisdiction of Frémont. And there will be no drilling in the ANWR so long as I am First Minister.

My one vote won't divide the nation at all compared to the organized self-coup attempt of OBD, Truman, WD, and friends.

Get off your high horse for once. I don't even support drilling in the Arctic and I never implied I did.

And yet it seems you are interested in re-litigating this battle even after the perpetrators were punished and banned from holding office. If the South (correctly) has the right to Kansas, why should Frémont not have the right to Alaska?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Nay

Care to give a reason why you’re wasting the Senate’s time?

I don't support putting the ANWR under the sole control of the recently non-imperialist region of Fremont. IRL, the ANWR is under the domain of the federal Fish and Wildlife Service.

Ftr, I appreciate the derision from the Senator from Oregon. I view it as a badge of honor to be held in contempt by someone who was in lockstep with the anti-democracy policies of the previous administration.

Taking your grievances out on Frémont after a multi-party pro-reform coalition fought to end the status quo and tyranny of the Truman dictatorship is not the right way to reunify this country. As far as this new government is concerned, Kansas is rightly the territory of the South. Likewise, Alaska is under the jurisdiction of Frémont. And there will be no drilling in the ANWR so long as I am First Minister.

My one vote won't divide the nation at all compared to the organized self-coup attempt of OBD, Truman, WD, and friends.

Get off your high horse for once. I don't even support drilling in the Arctic and I never implied I did.

And yet it seems you are interested in re-litigating this battle even after the perpetrators were punished and banned from holding office. If the South (correctly) has the right to Kansas, why should Frémont not have the right to Alaska?

WD is still in Congress.

Okay, so you're opposing this bill for personal reasons. Just wanted some clarification.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

No, you lied when you said "the perpetrators were punished and banned from holding office." If anti-democracy traitors to the nation and the Constitution say, "Sorry...my bad!" they should continue to be able to serve and to swear allegiance in bad faith (lie) that they will protect and defend the Constitution of the republic (something that they have already proven that they will not do)?

As I said before IRL the ANWR is under federal jurisdiction. Why shouldn't this be the case here? Kansas, a civilian-occupied state (not a wildlife refuge) is not a comparable situation.

EDIT: I might also add that I voted for your own nomination for VP and for the nominations of one Laborite and several DA members to the cabinet. To accuse me of acting out of personal or political reasons is pretty ridiculous, especially when I have already made my reasons for opposing this legislation (as written) known. I guess you would be fine with Alexander Stephens (something that I know happened IRL, ofc) serving in office in this country after being a proven traitor to the republic. Or is WD's treason acceptable since he is pro-gun and was/is a close ally of yours when you were President? If opposing traitors serving in government constitutes, unimportant, "personal" reasons in your view, then so be it.

Any beef you have with WD at this point is between you and WD. Kansas is as Southern as Alaska is Frémont territory - in its entirety. Environmental protection is what this bill is about, not widening political divides at the expense of the Atlasian people.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Provided that the amendment leaves the original purpose of the bill intact (not allowing drilling in protected lands), which it appears to do, I am okay with it unless WD has any objections.

I would also like to clarify that I personally asked WD to sign on as a co-sponsor, specifically because the area affected is in his district. If there was ever any controversy about drilling in the Everglades, hypothetically speaking, I would consult Muad'dib and ask him to sponsor similar legislation.

Either way, having both the regional and federal governments agree that drilling should not be permitted in this area is my primary objective here, not more territorial dispute.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Senators have 24 hours to object to Senator Midlander's amendment.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Senators have 24 hours to object to Senator Midlander's amendment.

The vote on my sponsorship has not concluded yet, so would we not wait until that finishes before the objection period for the amendment starts? 

Not necessarily. Currently I'm the only sponsor.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

How much is Fremont paying the federal government to obtain ANWR? It seems like if we are going to ban all productive use of the land at Fremont's request and also let Fremont exercise dominion over the land we might as well just sell it to them. Then yall can keep it as a valueless snowball without having to worry about federal policy changing.

Its 30,136 mi² of prime oil lands with estimates of between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels. At roughly $115 per barrel, that means the oil is roughly worth $885.5 Billion and if we are generous and assume only $100 per acre for 19,287,040 acres thats $1,928,704,000. So agreeing to forego the oil AND transfer the land to Fremont costs the federal government around $887 Billion.

Is Fremont willing to pay that to the federal government? If we are really nice we can give u a 5 year payment plan interest free and yall would only have to pay $177.4 Billion per year for 5 years. That would atleast help pay for the Great Welfare Act that blew out the budget. I think thats fair since the South intends to bid on the TVA at auction rather than receiving it as a free gift even though its worth less than ANWR.

I think the compromise that WM proposed addresses this problem.

Stressing once again that the issue isn't so much who owns the land but rather how/if the land is conserved. I'm fine with co-ownership provided that one party can't unilaterally lease the land to oil and gas companies.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

How much is Fremont paying the federal government to obtain ANWR? It seems like if we are going to ban all productive use of the land at Fremont's request and also let Fremont exercise dominion over the land we might as well just sell it to them. Then yall can keep it as a valueless snowball without having to worry about federal policy changing.

Its 30,136 mi² of prime oil lands with estimates of between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels. At roughly $115 per barrel, that means the oil is roughly worth $885.5 Billion and if we are generous and assume only $100 per acre for 19,287,040 acres thats $1,928,704,000. So agreeing to forego the oil AND transfer the land to Fremont costs the federal government around $887 Billion.

Is Fremont willing to pay that to the federal government? If we are really nice we can give u a 5 year payment plan interest free and yall would only have to pay $177.4 Billion per year for 5 years. That would atleast help pay for the Great Welfare Act that blew out the budget. I think thats fair since the South intends to bid on the TVA at auction rather than receiving it as a free gift even though its worth less than ANWR.

I think the compromise that WM proposed addresses this problem.

Stressing once again that the issue isn't so much who owns the land but rather how/if the land is conserved. I'm fine with co-ownership provided that one party can't unilaterally lease the land to oil and gas companies.

Im fine with that arrangement if yall pay half the value of the oil and land. This is a near trillion dollar special favor Fremont is asking for. How much can Fremont pay?

Has drilling in the ANWR ever been on the table in-game? My understanding is that neither the regional nor federal government has ever issued any leases for drilling - and what this bill does is strengthen protections. The OTL Trump tax cuts allowed for drilling in the ANWR until the Biden administration put a stop to it.

But FT doesn't pay the federal government to not allow drilling there anymore than the South pays (to my knowledge at least) to not have the Everglades drilled. We wouldn't allow similar activity in the Grand Canyon or in the Ozarks or in Lincoln's Pine Creek Gorge for the same reasons.

And needless to say, energy is a staple industry of Alaska's economy. We're not trying to ban all drilling in the state, only to protect lands where drilling has historically been prohibited.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Counting abstentions, we have quorum, so I'll allow 24 more hours on the sponsorship vote.

Also, Senator Midlander's amendment is adopted.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Well this is pretty awkward.

If WD doesn't object, I move to withdraw sponsorship.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Either table it or give WD the opportunity to withdraw sponsorship. Whichever's faster.

I apologize for wasting the Senate's time. Mea culpa.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

After discussing this matter with Senator R, I am open to the idea of regions paying for the rights to their land. The fact of the matter is that Nyman owns half of Frémont and as its First Minister, I am willing to negotiate payment in exchange for rights to our resources. The next budget is going to be very large, so I agree that we need to raise revenue and make some modest cuts a long the way to make the new welfare and UBI programs sustainable.

R's idea would strengthen regional control of its lands, and all regions would chip in. In the end, this deal would be good for Frémont as well. And we have a supposed budget surplus and we haven't been spending a lot of money, so speaking for my region, we would probably be able to pay. I don't know the budget situations of Lincoln or the South.

Let me state first and foremost, though, that austerity is not what I am advocating for.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

With a surplus of $35,235,307,600 (I'm not going to bother going through Truman's fuzzy math) this would put Frémont at a deficit of $532,014,692,400 over 5 years. The initial payment alone puts us at a $71,014,692,400 deficit. Frémont pays the lion's share of this bill.

Drilling in the ANWR is already banned regionally as well as federally. I'm not willing to plunge Frémont into its own budgetary crisis just to maintain the status quo on environmental protection. I am willing to contribute, but the terms of this proposal are very unfair to Frémont.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

With a surplus of $35,235,307,600 (I'm not going to bother going through Truman's fuzzy math) this would put Frémont at a deficit of $532,014,692,400 over 5 years. The initial payment alone puts us at a $71,014,692,400 deficit. Frémont pays the lion's share of this bill.

Drilling in the ANWR is already banned regionally as well as federally. I'm not willing to plunge Frémont into its own budgetary crisis just to maintain the status quo on environmental protection. I am willing to contribute, but the terms of this proposal are very unfair to Frémont.

Paying 60 cents on the dollar for oil during a period of high demand doesnt seem particularly unfair especially when the outcome is permanent protection of ANWR.

Both the federal government and region already have those protections in place.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

With a surplus of $35,235,307,600 (I'm not going to bother going through Truman's fuzzy math) this would put Frémont at a deficit of $532,014,692,400 over 5 years. The initial payment alone puts us at a $71,014,692,400 deficit. Frémont pays the lion's share of this bill.

Drilling in the ANWR is already banned regionally as well as federally. I'm not willing to plunge Frémont into its own budgetary crisis just to maintain the status quo on environmental protection. I am willing to contribute, but the terms of this proposal are very unfair to Frémont.

Paying 60 cents on the dollar for oil during a period of high demand doesnt seem particularly unfair especially when the outcome is permanent protection of ANWR.

Both the federal government and region already have those protections in place.

Merely by statute. That can be done away with by subsequent statute. If you own the mineral rights, that cannot be done away with by subsequent statute. We are talking a trillion dollar favor for Fremont here.

It's hard to say much about the federal government and upcoming elections but I can't see Frémont overturning our protections any time soon. Just threatening to exploit currently protected areas unless the regions pay - and especially such absurd amounts - seems counterintuitive to regional rights, to me. As First Minister, I can only insist that the amount be much lower and not blow a hole in the budget or walk away and urge senators and the President to oppose this, because Frémont will not agree to $567 billion or anything close. Federal deficits can be quite large but having the states or regions carry that burden won't improve anything.

And again, forcing one region to pay an amount that high while the others pay peanuts in comparison is extremely unfair. I understand that some people don't like Frémont but we're not going to approve that amount for keeping things the way they are and I don't think we have to even if this proposal were to pass.

As far as the federal budget is concerned, I have expressed willingness to lower the threshold for CUBI and make reductions elsewhere. I am trying to compromise in good faith, but this, to be frank, feels less like a compromise than a punishment for Truman's antics.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

With a surplus of $35,235,307,600 (I'm not going to bother going through Truman's fuzzy math) this would put Frémont at a deficit of $532,014,692,400 over 5 years. The initial payment alone puts us at a $71,014,692,400 deficit. Frémont pays the lion's share of this bill.

Drilling in the ANWR is already banned regionally as well as federally. I'm not willing to plunge Frémont into its own budgetary crisis just to maintain the status quo on environmental protection. I am willing to contribute, but the terms of this proposal are very unfair to Frémont.

Paying 60 cents on the dollar for oil during a period of high demand doesnt seem particularly unfair especially when the outcome is permanent protection of ANWR.

Both the federal government and region already have those protections in place.

Merely by statute. That can be done away with by subsequent statute. If you own the mineral rights, that cannot be done away with by subsequent statute. We are talking a trillion dollar favor for Fremont here.

It's hard to say much about the federal government and upcoming elections but I can't see Frémont overturning our protections any time soon. Just threatening to exploit currently protected areas unless the regions pay - and especially such absurd amounts - seems counterintuitive to regional rights, to me. As First Minister, I can only insist that the amount be much lower and not blow a hole in the budget or walk away and urge senators and the President to oppose this, because Frémont will not agree to $567 billion or anything close. Federal deficits can be quite large but having the states or regions carry that burden won't improve anything.

And again, forcing one region to pay an amount that high while the others pay peanuts in comparison is extremely unfair. I understand that some people don't like Frémont but we're not going to approve that amount for keeping things the way they are and I don't think we have to even if this proposal were to pass.

As far as the federal budget is concerned, I have expressed willingness to lower the threshold for CUBI and make reductions elsewhere. I am trying to compromise in good faith, but this, to be frank, feels less like a compromise than a punishment for Truman's antics.

The price is based on the amount of mineral wealth in ANWR. Its not punitive or unfair. Its not a made up number. Its based on a heavily discounted price for much needed oil that would benefit working Atlasians. If a Region wants to dictate federal land policy they should have to pay. Its crazy that we are currently giving 10s of thousands in welfare benefits to people making what like $80K a year, a trillion dollar welfare bill, a near trillion dollar social housing bill, none of which we can pay for and a 100% tax rate on the highest brackets, and we just leave hundreds of billions in free revenue to help pay for the welfare boondoggle on the table because of a few carribou. Thats a trillion dollar favor to fremont. A trillion on new welfare for the rich, a trillion on new social housing, and now a trillion dollar earmark to Fremont just to NOT expand the gas supply with federal owned oil on federal owned land? Where does it end?

This is free revenue that doesnt involve tax increases on workers or welfare cuts. We are shooting ourselves in the foot by not adopting the amendment and passing the bill. Like what price per barrel do you think Fremont should be privileged with paying?

What earmark? When was Frémont obligated to pay for protecting its own land? This is long-standing policy. I don't recall us changing the status of the ANWR since reset or doing anything besides strengthening protections.

I've already said that I support stricter means-testing on some of the new programs. But transferring the deficit from the federal government to mostly one region is not on the table here.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

ANWR is federal land not Fremont land.

If the federal government sells the federal oil under the federal land the federal government gets close to a trillion dollars needed by the federal government.

Fremont is telling the federal government that the federal government cannot sell the federal oil under the federal land because Fremont says so.

Thus Fremont is depriving the federal government of a trillion dollars.

Even though Fremont seeks to deprive the federal government of a trillion dollars, this amendment fairly and graciously allows Fremont to get Fremont's way forever at half the price Fremont is costing the federal government.

I personally dont give a damn what Fremont thinks the federal government should do with federal oil under federal land, and yet I have offered a compromise to allow Fremont to get Fremont's way despite Fremont having no entitlement to this, for significantly less than Fremont should actually be paying.

If Fremont expects the federal government to not sell the federal oil under federal land, Fremont owes the federal government fair compensation.

And with respect, Frémont will be invoking the Truman Doctrine, as you have done so in the South, the moment the federal government decides to sell it.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Whew.

Correct me if I'm wrong but under any reasonable iteration of this plan Frémont would be paying the lion's share anyway, simply by virtue of having more energy reserves in general but more relevantly having more of them on federal territory? It wouldn't be "fair" no matter how many other regions' federal lands are put on the table (and there are obviously plenty of Frémontian reserves not included in the amendment).

Perhaps, but the federal government already owns most of the West and that's hardly fair to begin with.

In any case, the South can drill where it wants within its territory. If they want to open the Everglades up for drilling, I'm willing to allow that as long as Frémont is allowed to continue protecting environmental preserves in its own territory. There will not be a single oil rig on the ANWR or the Grand Canon and we're not going to be blackmailed for keeping things the way they are.

I think I've said my piece on this bill and continuing this conversation serves no further purpose.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

I don't think there's much of a consensus here. The ANWR is already protected from drilling by federal and regional law. Fremont is not going to pay just to keep things the way they are. I recommend tabling this bill.