JUNEAU -- Saying the stars are in alignment to open Alaska's Arctic coastal plain to oil exploration and development, Reps. Beverly Masek (R-Willow) and Scott Ogan (R-Palmer) introduced House Joint Resolution 7 today calling on the U.S. Congress to pass laws removing the final barrier.

"America needs Alaska's oil," said Masek, who serves as co-chair of the House Resources Committee. "And with President George W. Bush in office and Republicans holding majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate, we'll finally be in a position to deliver it."

Generally considered to be the nation's best hope for significant oil discoveries, the coastal plain could contain up to 16 billion barrels of oil, according to the U.S. Geological Survey -- enough oil to replace 30 years' worth of oil imported into the United States from Saudi Arabia.

The federal law that created the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in 1980 recognized the coastal plain's strong potential as a source for petroleum, but said development could only come through congressional action. While Congress passed such a law in 1995, President Bill Clinton vetoed it, and his veto threat has effectively kept the region locked up for years.

But those days are gone, said Ogan, who chairs the House Oil and Gas Committee. "There's a whole new philosophy in the federal government, at least in the treatment of ANWR," he said. "Hopefully, with President Bush's support, we can convince Congress to open it up for exploration."

Masek noted that development at Prudhoe Bay has provided the foundation of Alaska's fiscal health, and that environmentally friendly development of ANWR has been a longstanding priority for Alaskans that could bring thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in state revenue.

"Alaska has a state-of-the-art oil industry that knows how to find and produce oil without hurting the Arctic environment or its wildlife," Masek said, citing a recent state report of record high populations in the Central Arctic caribou herd that inhabits Prudhoe Bay region.

The resolution was referred to the House Oil and Gas Committee.