Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) cheered the opening of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling – a provision that was worked into the Trump Tax Scam bill passed yesterday. “This is something that’s a win, win, win,” Sullivan insisted about drilling in the great wilderness.

Host Neil Cavuto played something of a devil’s advocate. He noted that critics have called the drilling “destructive to the state” and claimed it will “sort of plow through what is obviously some of the most beautiful land in America.”

“You say to that what?” Cavuto asked Sullivan.

Of course, Sullivan was dismissive. “They’ve been using 40-year-old, stale talking points,” he sneered. He claimed that between “advancements in technology” and Alaska’s “high environmental standards,” the 2,000 acres that can now be developed is “smaller than the Fargo, North Dakota airport.” Nobody pointed out that the area around the Fargo airport is almost certainly not at risk for the same kind of habitat destruction as ANWR.

However, Cavuto did mention that opponents say, “Getting to those acres, limited as they are, will cause an environmental mess.”

“That’s completely false,” Sullivan replied. “It makes sense from an environmental-responsible, resource-developmental standpoint, jobs, energy security, and national security, Neil. This is good for Alaska, good for the country.” 

According to Wilderness.org, drilling harms wildernesses in multiple ways, including the disruption of habitats, erosion of vegetation and pollution into the air. It also exposes both the tundra and wildlife to the risk of toxic spills.

Furthermore the proponents’ bullish revenue predictions for the U.S. Treasury from drilling seem wildly optimistic. Just like those for the Trump tax scam itself.

Watch Sullivan’s victory lap below, from the December 21, 2017 Your World.