Twenty-four Senate Republicans backed Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ (R-WY) legislation Thursday that would prevent President Joe Biden and his administration from blocking energy or mineral leasing permits on federal lands without explicit congressional approval.
Lummis, who won election to the Senate last November, unveiled the Protecting our Wealth of Energy Resources (POWER) Act of 2021. The POWER Act would prohibit the president or the secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture, and Energy departments from blocking energy and mineral leasing on federal lands with approval from Congress.
The legislation comes after Biden’s announcement that he will block new oil and gas leases on federal lands and waters. Biden’s move contradicts his campaign promise not to ban the practice.
Lummis said in a statement Thursday that Biden’s ban would devastate resource-rich states such as Wyoming:
The Biden Ban would be nothing short of catastrophic for western states that are already reeling from the decline in energy usage brought on by the pandemic and continued volatility in energy markets. It’s a one-two punch that means disaster for energy jobs, families, and communities. Through the POWER Act, Congress would reiterate that federal lands should serve not the whims of a radical progressive minority, but the needs of all Americans.
The Senate Republicans that backed her bill include:
- John Barrasso (R-WY)
- Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)
- John Boozman (R-AR)
- Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
- Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
- Tom Cotton (R-AR)
- John Cornyn (R-TX)
- Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
- Mike Crapo (R-ID)
- Ted Cruz (R-TX)
- Steve Daines (R-MT)
- John Hoeven (R-ND)
- Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS)
- Jim Inhofe (R-OK)
- Ron Johnson (R-WI)
- John Kennedy (R-LA)
- Mike Lee (R-UT)
- Roger Marshall (R-KS)
- James Risch (R-ID)
- Mitt Romney (R-UT)
- Dan Sullivan (R-AK)
- Pat Toomey (R-PA)
- Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
- Roger Wicker (R-MS)
Rep. Yvette Herrell (R-NM), who won election to Congress in November, introduced the House version. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Republican Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA), and Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) cosponsored the bill.
Energy-related organizations such as the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the American Petroleum Institute, the American Energy Alliance, the Western Energy Alliance, and the U.S. Oil and Gas Association support the legislation.
Cruz said in a statement Thursday:
As America continues to recover from a global pandemic, our energy industry desperately needs the Biden administration’s support, not its scorn. We must work to prevent any administration from crippling our energy industry without approval from Congress. I am proud to support this legislation that will fight back against the Biden administration’s radical environmental agenda and help our energy industry thrive by supporting hundreds of thousands of blue-collar jobs, keeping household energy costs low for American families, and maintaining our energy independence.
Daines said in a statement Thursday:
President Biden is continuing his attack on American energy, this time by blocking all new oil and gas leases on federal lands. This is another blow to Made in America energy, jobs, and our Montana way of life,” Daines said. “This action will kill nearly one million American jobs, increase our reliance on the Middle East for energy, and will result in Montana alone losing over $40 million each year for services in rural communities.
He added, “We can’t let this happen.”
Read the POWER Act here.
Sean Moran is a congressional reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @SeanMoran3.