This was a vote on an amendment by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) prohibiting federal funds from being used by the Environmental Review Board (which reviews permits relating to oil drilling) to invalidate a permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency to drill for oil in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf. This amendment was offered to a continuing resolution funding the federal government through September 2011, and cutting $61 billion in federal funding for many government programs.

Young urged support for his amendment: “ Remember, we're [Alaskans] not the only ones in the Arctic anymore. Iceland, Greenland, China, Russia are all drilling. We're the only ones not involved; yet we have the best equipment…We have the proper equipment to do it safely. It's being held up by bureaucrats who don't want to issue the permits. EPA has said it's all right, but the review board says, no, it's not…All it [the amendment] says, if they have the permit issued, then it should go forth, and let's get on to serving this country as we should for the benefit of this nation, for the benefit of those so we don't have to go to war over in the Middle East over oil. So if you don't like what's going on over there, let's support this amendment.”

Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA) opposed the amendment: “ The appeals board is the final decision-maker on administrative appeals under all major environmental statutes that the Environmental Protection Agency administers. It's an impartial body, independent of all agency components outside the immediate office of the administrator. To support this amendment is to take away people's right to petition their government. This is an impartial board that looks out for the regular citizen….I'm disappointed that the gentleman's position would appear to favor Big Oil over the small Alaskan villages that are being protected…”

The House agreed to this amendment by a vote of 243-185. Voting “yea” were 230 Republicans and 13 Democrats. 176 Republicans and 9 Democrats voted “nay.” As a result, the House agreed to an amendment prohibiting funds provided by a continuing resolution from being used by the Environmental Review Board to invalidate a permit issued by the Environmental Protection Agency to drill for oil in the Arctic Outer Continental Shelf.