This week it seemed like the Artic National Wildlife Reserve was about to be opened for drilling when it became clear that Senate Republicans had the 50 votes necessary to slip the measure into the Budget bill. Now, as Jackie Kucinich reports in The Hill, moderates within the GOP caucus in the House have nixed the move.

House Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-Iowa) has opted not to address a controversial Alaska drilling initiative in his new budget resolution, saying yesterday that such a move would threaten to take down his entire bill.

The move is a significant blow to proponents of opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) for drilling. If the final House-Senate budget resolution does not protect ANWR under reconciliation rules, the ANWR bill would require 60 votes in the Senate, instead of the 50 it would require under reconciliation.

Many people on Capitol Hill believe that the ANWR bill has more than 50 votes but is well shy of 60.

[...]

Thirteen House Republicans, led by Rep. Nancy Johnson (Conn.), had requested that Nussle avoid the ANWR debate in the budget resolution.

The wildlife is saved for another day.