Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, chairwoman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, expressed confidence Thursday morning that drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, a longtime Republican goal, could raise $1 billion over 10 years to help pay for tax reform.

“The first 10 years are just the start of a 40-year period where responsible production raises billions of dollars in revenues for our country every year,” Murkowski said at the opening of a three-panel hearing to discuss the topic. “We will see the benefits over decades, not just over the 10-year budget window.”