President Bush's renewed bid to open the Arctic National Wildlife refuge to oil drilling is opposed by at least 52 of the chamber's 100 members.
Forty-three Democrats, eight Republicans, and Independent Jim Jeffords of Vermont are against opening ANWR to energy exploration, according to the Reuters survey.
The administration wants to tap the refuge's potential 16 billion barrels of crude to help reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports.
However, environmentalists and many Democrats contend the pristine wilderness should be left untouched in favor of stricter oil conservation measures.
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The Biggest US President Defeat
President Bush's renewed bid to open the Arctic National Wildlife refuge to oil drilling is opposed...