We are pleased that language to allow drilling in the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and off America’s coasts has been removed from the House budget reconciliation bill and applaud the moderate Republicans led by Representatives Nancy Johnson and Sherwood Boehlert for their tireless work to achieve this goal. However, we continue to oppose the bill’s passage.

In addition to our concern that passing a reconciliation bill could still lead to drilling in the Arctic Refuge since the Senate bill includes drilling language, we oppose the bill’s cuts to student loan programs, Medicaid programs and a massive giveaway of public lands.

The current House budget reconciliation bill:

• cuts $14.3 billion directly from federal student loan programs that help millions of students and parents afford college each year.

• contains $11 billion in Medicaid cuts that would greatly harm Medicaid recipients. Now is the time to strengthen America's safety net, not weaken it with arbitrary and harmful cuts.

• allows US and foreign corporations, including the mining, oil, gas and real estate industries, to privatize public lands including Wilderness Study Areas without regard for the value of the land for other uses and without full compensation to the federal treasury.

This bill is bad for the environment, bad for students and bad for the country. The House of Representatives should reject this bill.